Bulgarian Dances - List of Bulgarian Folk Dances

List of Bulgarian Folk Dances

Following is a list of some Bulgarian folk dances, along with their commonly written rhythms and time signatures. Since the transliteration of Bulgarian is problematic, the official Bulgarian transliteration is used, which can be checked at Transliteration of proper names in Bulgaria, followed within parenthesizes by the Bulgarian name and, after a semicolon, (for searchability) alternative transliterations. Following a Bulgarian sheet music practice, more complex meters generally appear later in the list.

• Trite pati (Трите пъти; Trite puti, Trite pâti) (2/4), line dance with rapid feet movement; step rhythm quick-quick-slow = 1+1+2.
• Tropanka (Тропанка) (2/4) Stampy Dobrudzhan men's dance, V handhold, with swinging and 'pumping' arm motions.
• Opas (Опас) (2/4) A varied dance often done with hands across the chest of the person next to you with the next in line.
• Pravo horo (Право хоро) (2/4 or 6/8 --counted as 2 triplets 3+3. Often in music for the pravo, both 2/4 and 6/8 time signatures will be used where 2/4 is used for the singing and 6/8 is used for the slightly faster instrumental portions. In Bulgaria, the 6/8 portion is also transcribed in 2/4 using triplets), Pravo is characterised by left-over-right arms "belt-hold" (in lieu of hand hold), a beginning right foot diving step toward the center of from one to many concentric broken circles, traveling ultimately counter clockwise. Experience can be hypnotic after 20 or 30 minutes of continuous music]. Each dance phrase corresponds to 3 musical measures counted as quick quick slow slow (corresponding to 2+2+4+4 in 2/4 time or 3+3+6+6 in 6/8 time).
• Shopsko horo (Шопско хоро; Shopp horo, Chope dance, Šop dance) (2/4), men's dance,
• Paydushko horo (Пайдушко хоро; Paidushko horo, Pajduško horo, Pajduška horo, Payduska horo, Baiduska horo) (2+3; 5/16 or 5/8), Often characterized as a "limping dance", this dance typically involves two footwork patterns, a "step hop" and a "step step". In the southern parts of Bulgaria, Macedonia (all regions) and Greece, the quick-slow pattern is sometimes reversed into a slow-quick patter (3+2).
• Chetvorno horo (Четворно хоро; Četvorno horo) (3+2+2 or 3+4; 7/16).
• Rachenitsa (Ръченица; Ruchenitsa, Râčenica) (2+2+3 or 4+3; 7/16), quick-quick-slow, single or couple dance.
• Lesnoto Horo (Лесното хоро) (3+2+2; 7/8), slow-quick-quick, a slow line dance with steps resembling the pravo horo.
• Ginka (Гинка) (3+2+2; 7/8), slow-quick-quick, a slow line dance from the Pirin mountains
• Svornato Horo (Сворнато хоро) (2+2+2+3; 9/8), quick-quick-quick-slow, from the Pirin mountains, a four phrase line dance.
• Varnensko Horo (Варненско хоро) (2+2+2+3; 9/8), quick-quick-quick-slow, a line dance with slow graceful steps.
• Elenino horo (Еленино хоро), Eleno Mome (Елено Моме) (2+2+1+2, 4+4+2+3, 3+4+2+3; 7/8, 13/16, 12/16), a line dance. Smithsonian recording, performed metric beat proportions about 4+4+2+3.5.
• Petrunino horo (Петрунино хоро) (2+2+1+2, 4+4+2+3, 3+4+2+3; 7/8, 13/16, 12/16)
• Daychovo horo (Дайчово хopo; Daichovo horo, Dajčovo horo) (4+2+3 or 2+2+2+3; 9/16),
• Grancharsko horo (Грънчарско хоро; Gryncharsko horo, Gruncarsko horo) (2+3+2+2; 9/16).
• Gankino horo (Ганкино хоро) or Kopanitsa (Копаница; Kopanica) (4+3+4 or 2+2+3+2+2; 11/16), line dances.
• Acano mlada nevesto (slow, slower, quick, quick: 3+2+2+2+2 or 3+4+2+2; 11/8), a Macedonian song; line dance.
• Krivo plovdivsko horo (Криво пловдивско хоро) (2+2+2+3+2+2; 13/16); listen.
• Ispaychi (Испайчи, Испайче; Ispayche, Ispajče) (3+2+3+2+3; 13/16 or 8/16+5/16).
• Elbasansko horo (Елбасанско хоро) (2+2+2+3+2+3; 14/16=9/16+5/16).
• Buchimish (Бучимиш; Bučimiš) (2+2+2+2+3+2+2; 15/16), a line dance.
• Yove male mome (Йове мале моме; Jove male mome, Jove malaj mome), also called Povela e Yova (Повела е Йова) (7+11; 7/16+11/16 or 18/16)
• Sandansko horo (Санданско хоро) (2+2+2+3+2+2+2+3+2+2; 22/16)
• Sedi Donka (Седи Донка), also called Plovdivsko horo (Пловдивско хоро) (7+7+11, where 7=3+2+2 and 11=2+2+3+2+2; 7/16+7/16+11/16 or 25/16)
• Dunavsko horo (Дунавско хоро)