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a dance family


Pronunciation: ah-lu-NEH-loo

Other names:

Region: Romania

Translation: Hazelnut





Alunelul (Comun/Cunoscut) - dance description and history from: Houston, Ron. Folk Dance Problem Solver (1987). The first dance chosen (from Oltenia, originally) by the Romanian cultural ministry as the dance to represent Romania to school.

Alunelul - another version taught by Dick Crum, introduced to the US by Eugenia Popescu-Judetz in the late 1960s: Dancers in small circles, shoulder-hold: dance right and left three steps, then the circles move around one another AS A CIRCLE counterclockwise.

Ciuleandra in the US consists of subcarpathian steps choreographed by Mihai David. The traditional Ciuleandra melody with silly lyrics sung by Maria Tanase is played slowly for humorous effect and then sped up. Folkraft recorded a more traditional arrangement with the dance as the two part dance with the circles running around.

"That movement, by the way, is unusual, but not unique to that dance. At a wedding I attended in Muntenia some years ago someone asked for 'Pandelaşul'. My ears pricked up, knowing the dance Yves Moreau had introduced by a similar name. The music was in 2/4 and the band, judging from the looks on their faces, didn't think too much of it. The dance consisted of a circle of dancers each running in his/her own circle so that the circle as a whole moved about the space."
-John Uhlemann

Alunelul Ampuetsi - contrived by folk dancers from Alunelul and Sunni Bloland's Ampuetsi. The recording begins with the words "Ampueti de la Film" because it was recorded for a film. The dance begins 5 steps and 2 stamps, like Alunelul, but with crossing in front instead of behind. It ends with splits and closes and something that might be termed a jumping straddle step.

Alunelul Batut (from Bistrets) - dance description and history from: Houston, Ron. Folk Dance Problem Solver (1987).

Alunelul de la Urzica

Alunelul ca la Sadova

Alunelul ca la ursica (like a little bear), by Niko Hileferink

Tsaran in valea - Nicolae Feraru described two tunes for Alunelul, one identical to Farmer in the Dell, apparently adapted for the Romanian school system.