Opa Çupa (Bosnia)

Alternative Names	'Opa Çupa' is the original name. 'Opa Cupa' is it reduced to ASCII by missing off the accents. 'Oppa Zoopa' is an English transcription.
Formation	Open circle. V-hold.
Dance Structure	((A x 4) + B + (C x 8) + (D x 5.333)) x 2.86 + (C repeated till end).
Music Structure	4 counts/bar. 4 bar phrases.
Music Speed	140 counts/min.
Music	'Ciganska' (English translation = 'Gypsy Song') by Saban Bajramovic, arranged by Bratsch 1990.
Source	Cristina Casarini at the SIFD Summer School in Swansea, UK, 2010.

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 by Cristina Casarini.

A jolly lively casual dance made mainly of simple common Balkan steps danced to a popular enlivening Gipsy tune.

The numbers of repeats of each part fits the phrasing boundaries. Parts A x 4, C x 8 & D x 5.333 come to 8 bars each & Part D to 4 bars. The awkward looking 2.86 (2 6/7) that occurs when the number of repeats of whole sequence is written in my notation is simply that it goes through 3 times but the final set of Part D is omitted & Part C (simple Grapevines) continued through the music's coda.

Introduction

Summary: 8 bars. Start with song.

Wait through 8 bars & start with the song.

Part A

Summary: R side, L stamp close without weight. Mirror. Grapevine R starting R side & L across behind.

Start

Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. V-hold.

1	R to the side.
2	L stamp close without weight transfer.
3-4	Repeat counts 1-2 in mirror image (L to the side, R stamp close without weight transfer).

1	R to the side.
2	L across behind.
3	R to the side.
4	L across infront. (This bar in total comprises a Grapevine.)

Part B

Summary: In in R, L, R, L lift. (L close, R lift; mirror) x 2. Out in L, R, L, R stamp without weight.

Start

Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. V-hold.

1	R forwards.
2	L forwards.
3	R forwards.
4	L lift with flat foot. The lift is quite subdued compared to the exuberance of most of this dance, being only about 5 cm off the floor & 10 cm infront of being level with the other foot.

1	L close.
2	R lift in the manner of bar 1 count 4.
3-4	Repeat counts 1-2 in mirror image on opposite feet (R close, L lift).

Repeat bar 2 (L close, R lift, R close, L lift).

1	R backwards.
2	L backwards.
3	R backwards.
4	Turning 45 deg acw, stamp close R foot flat without weight transfer.

Part C

Summary: Grapevine L starting R across infront with swinging arms.

Start

Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot. V-hold.

Feet

1	R across infront.
2	L to the side.
3	R across behind.
4	L to the side. (This bar in total comprises a Grapevine.)

Arms

1-2	Swing up forwards casually with straight elbows.
3-4	Swing down backwards casually with straight elbows.

Part D

Summary: Pravo to the R (R, L, R, lift L, L, lift R).

Start

Facing acw around the circle. Weight on L foot. V-hold.

1	Facing acw around the circle, R forwards.
2	L forwards.
3	Turning to face the centre of the circle, R to the side.
4	Lift L foot casually infront to about 10-20 cm above the floor.

1-2	Repeat bar 1 counts 3-4 in mirror image on the opposite feet (L to the side, R lift).

Although Cristina did not call it so, this sequence is essentially a Pravo Step (or Grapevine with lifts inserted).

As this is 1.5 bars long, it crosses the bar structure as it repeats (but comes back in sync with the bars every 2 repeats (3 bars) and gets back in sync with the music phrasing at the end by simply having the 6th repeat cut down to just the first 1/3 (R & L forwards steps)).

Ending

Summary: Omit final Part Ds. Continue doing Part Cs till, end spiralling in.

In the 3rd (final) time through the sequence, don't switch from doing repeats of Part C to repeats of Part D but continue doing more of Part C (Grapevine acw around the circle) until the end of the music. During this, the person on the L end of the line leads the line spiralling into the centre. (Note this requires someone who can lead on the L end of the line in addition to the R end where the main leader is placed.)