Dance of the Week
Zashtem
(Bulgaria)
Choreographed by Jim Gold
Dear Dancers and Travelers,
Welcome to our folk dance family!
Zashtem is the Dance of the Week.
Music is from Bulgaria.
Click on the links below.
See A Treasury of International Folk Dances
Written instructions: p 225
(or see “Read More” below.)
Jim Gold dancing Zashtem
Here’s an extra story written by Jim Gold and a song he’s performing.
Story: Florence
Song: Haul Away Joe
Tours: See exciting Folk Tour traveling offerings. Click here
All content created by Jim Gold.
More information contact Jim
Blog history: blog archives
ZASHTEM. . . BULGARIA
ZASHTEM E MENE DA DJIVAM BULGARIA
Dance Meaning: What do I have to live for?
Pronunciation: As written above
Research: Martha Forsyth researched the title for me. See footnotes below .
Choreography: by Jim Gold in Bulgarian folk dance style.
Music: Peya Za Vas: Rositsa Peicheva
Formation: Line. Holding hands in V position.
Meter: 2/4
Jim Gold YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuNBDf4UtP0
Introduction: 14 Measures
Measures:
FIRST STEP
Face CCW (RLOD), hands down in V pos
4 walking steps
1-2 Walk R (ct 1), L (ct 2), R(ct 1), L (ct 2)
2 moving (traveling) back pas de bas (two-steps)
3-4 R (ct 1), L behind R (ct &), R (ct 2)
L (ct 1), R behind R (ct &), L (ct 2)
½ grapevine (step behind)
5 Face ctr: Step R to rt (ct 1), step L behind R (ct 2)
2 lifts
6 Step R to rt (ct 1), lift L (ct 2)
7 Step L in place (ct 1), lift R (ct 2)
8-12 Repeat meas 1-5
13 Step R to rt( ct 1), lift L (ct 2)
14 Step L in place (ct 1), lift R, hands move to W position (ct 2)
SECOND STEP
Hands remain in W pos
1-7 Repeat First Step
Grapevine (with dip) and lift
8 Step R to rt (ct 1)
Step on L in front of R and dip on L (ct 2)
9 Step R to rt (ct 1), step L behind R (ct 2)
2 lifts
10 Step R to rt (ct 1), lift L (ct 2)
11 Step L in place (ct 1), lift R (ct 2)
2 traveling “facing fwd” pas de bas
12 R (ct 1), step L behind R (ct &) R (ct 2)
13 L (ct 1), step R behind L (ct &), L (ct 2)
Grapevine
14 Step R to rt (ct 1), step L behind R (ct 2)
15 Step R to rt (ct 1), step L in front of R (ct 2)
2 lifts
16 Step R to rt (ct 1), lift L (ct 2)
17 Step L in place (ct 1), lift R (ct 2)
18-33 Repeat meas 1-16
35 Step L to lft (ct 1), lift R and bring hands to V pos (ct 2)
Order:
1. Step One: 3x, Step Two: 2x,
2. Step One: 2x, Step 2: 2x
3. Step One: 2x, Step Two: 2x
4. Step One: 1x
FROM THE RESEARCH OF MARTH FORSYTH
Listening to this, it sounded (esp. in the accompaniment)
almost Serbian to me.
“So I googled the title of the song. Found a very similar but quite different version – sung by Tincho Sevdalinov and the Vievska Folk Group! THIS one sounds unmistakeably Rhodope to me! The notes have a “glossary”, but it’s dialect in Bulgarian.
http://vbox7.com/play:ce6acbec and also
http://vbox7.com/play:2cb0a7d0&al=2&vid=7851517
Be forewarned: vbox is VERY slow to load! best to pause it till it’s all loaded and then play.
“Very interesting: I told you “Zashtim” is “not Bulgarian”? I couldn’t find it in ANY of my Bg dialect (or non-dialect) source books. But the place I found it was….in a RUSSIAN dictionary from the 1860’s!!!
“And also I found that the film with which the Tincho Sevdalinov version is associated is based on a short story by Nikolaj Haitov.
“I guess this is why I’m so welcoming to such questions….I never know where they’ll lead me.
“Anyway here’s your text and translation (this is from the Sevdalinov version, I didn’t take the time to compare it to Rositsa’s):”
What do I have to live for
in this lying world,
lying and sinful?
When I don’t have a horse to ride
when I don’t have a home to sit in
when I don’t have a love to love.
I had one love
and she got married yesterday.
I liked another
and she got engaged last night.
Tell me, mother, tell me
what I have to live for
in this life?
Researched by Martha Forsyth