Neda Voda Nalivala
(Bulgaria)

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Disclaimer: Mistakes are quite likely in the notes and no guarantees are made as to accuracy. There may be other versions of the same dance or other dances with the same name. Music may differ, particularly in speed, introduction and duration, between performers. The division into parts, bars & counts might not be standard. These notes of the dance are freely distributable (under GPL or CC-by-sa) in so much as the note's author's contribution but the choreography and/or collection were by other people and so their copyright might apply to the dance itself. Better than using notes, go to a dance class where it is taught.

Known as the "Balcony Dance" as it was traditionally danced by women on balconies. It can be danced in a small space.

The music is formally 11 beats per bar arranged 2+2+2+2+1+2 and is danced slow-slow-slow-slow-quick-slow but I count it "ONE Two three four A five" where the "A" is a shorter count that feels like it has been slipped in ahead of count five.

Often this is imagined as women dancing on urban balconies in very crammed conditions. I personally doubt that. The dance is in the feet & if those were visible from below in on a narrow balcony then other parts would be visible which would be disapproved of. In areas of Bulgaria including Koprivshitsa (where there is the internationally famous 5-yearly dance festival) traditional houses had an upper floor consisting of rooms around 3 sides of a large open area like an above ground veranda. Dancing this dance on that for display below would make a lot more sense.

I have come across it in several places with different sets of variations (done twice each then repeated from the start). Nearly always it has started with the side to side one so I have called that the 'Basic'. Usually that was followed by the in and out variation so I have called that 'Variation 1'. Then, when there were more variations, the choices diverged.

I first lead it in 2014 in a memorial dance morning at a Circle Dance event for a friend who died as it was in her selection of favourite dances. Hence I did it with the variations she was used to. She had learnt it from heli so used the version I learnt from a tribute dance session that was recorded for her year in 2013 as Tony who lead there had also learnt it from heli. I think heli learnt it from Yves Moreau, a Bulgarian dance specialist, so although the styling might have undergone changes in being passed on, I expect the steps were authentic. The sequence is below as Basic (side to side) x 2 + Variation 1 (in & out) x 2 + Variation 2 (three lifts) x 2 + Variation 4 (Grapevine & brush) x 2.

However I previously, in 2006, learnt it directly from Jaap Leegwater, another Bulgarian dance specialist. His sequence is below as Variation 3 (Grapevine & brush) x 2 + Variation 4 (in & out with leap) x 2 + Variation 5 (quick steps) x 2 + Variation 6 (three lifts hopping) x 2 + Variation 7 (three lifts turning) x 2. His variations were more stage theatrical though so when I came leading it for Balkan dancing, where styling is significant, I used the combination of the more folky 2013 steps with the 2006 styling.

Style: Upright. Restrained in distance of travelling. Light & nifty footwork. Steps low. Weight taken initially onto balls of feet in steps. Lifts are infront with upper leg about 45 deg below the horizontal, lower leg vertically down & foot relaxed horizontal unless otherwise specified.

Notes by Andrew Hardwick.
Written 2020-4-6 to 2020-4-13.
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