Ciganko (Bulgaria)

Formation	Open circle. V-hold.
Dance Structure	((A x 4) + (B1 + B2)) repeated throughout the music.
Music Structure	4 counts/bar, 4 bar phrases.
Music Speed	185 counts/min.
Enthnicity	Bulgarian Gypsy.
Pronunciation	"see-Gan-kor".
Name translation	Female Gypsy.
Source	From Sally Fletcher (who learnt it from Zoë" Roberts in 2007 who learnt it from Belco Stanov) of Ipswich, UK, on many occaisions. Confirmed from Cathy Meunier (who also learnt it from Belco) in her Witnesham, UK, event in 2020.

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.

A jolly dance to jolly Gypsy music. It feels brisk is not actually that frantic. Also it feels non-trivial but is actually quite easy to follow.

Style: Jolly, brisk. The quick steps in Part A have weight on the balls of the feet. Hops are not really hops but up-down bounces because the ball of the foot remains on the ground (& possibly the whole foot can as most of the bounce is from the knee straightening & flexing). Lifts are only about 20 cm.

Introduction

Summary: Wait through Part B music x 2. Or wait half that, then extra Part A x 2.

The music starts immediately into Part B music and continues on it for long enough for (B1 + B2) x2, i.e. 16 bars or 64 counts. Wait through this then start on Part A when the singing starts.

Alternatively, as that is quite a long wait, wait through just 1 set of Part B music (8 bars) then do Part A x 2 to the 2nd set of Part B music (making it A x 6 in total at the beginning of the dance).

Part A

Summary: Walk R 2 steps slow starting R. Grapevine R starting R side & L across behind. Sway R & L slow. (R side, L across behind) x 2.

Start

Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot.

1-2	Turning to face 90 deg acw around the circle, walk R forwards.
3-4	Walk L forwards. (This bar in total comprises comprises 2 slow steps to the R.)

1	Facing the centre of the circle, R to the side.
2	L across behind.
3	R to the side.
4	L across infront. (This bar in total comprises a brisk grapevine to the R.)

1-2	R to the side swaying to the R.
3-4	L in place swaying to the L.

1	Facing the centre of the circle, R to the side.
2	L across behind.
3-4	Repeat counts 1-2 (R to the side, L across behind).

Part B1

Summary: (Hop L lifting R, R forwards), mirror. 4 small steps forwards. (Hop L lifting R, Cherkessia starting R side), mirror.

Start

Facing the centre of the circle. Weight on L foot.

1	Hop on the L ft raising the R ft.
2	R forwards.
3-4	Repeat counts 1-2 in mirror image (R hop with L lift, L forwards).

1	R small step forwards.
2	L small step forwards.
3-4	Repeat counts 1-2 (making this bar 4 small steps forward in total).

1	Hop on the L ft raising the R ft.
2	R side.
3	L across infront.
4	R in place. (This bar in total is a hop followed by a Cherkessia.)

Repeat bar 3 in mirror image (R hop lifting L, Cherkessia starting L to the side).

Part B2

Summary: As Part B1 but the travelling steps are backwards.

This is the same as Part B1 but done travelling out back to original circle position where Part B1 started by replacing the forwards travelling steps (bar 1 counts 1 & 3 and bar 2 all counts) with backwards ones.