ALUNELUL CA LA SADOVA Romanian
PRONUNCIATION:	ah-loo-NEH-lool cah lah sah-DOH-vah
TRANSLATION:	Traditionally, it has been thought that "Alunelul" means "little hazelnut." Thus, this would be the "little hazelnut dance" as done in Sadova. Romanian folklore specialist, Theodor Vasilescu, favors the meaning as a contraction of "A lu Nelu" (where Nelu is the name "John" so the meaning is "John's dance") because, with the exception of Floricica ("little flower"), dances are rarely named for trees, plants, or flowers.
SOURCE:	Nicolaas Hilferink learned this dance in 1982 while on a research grant to Romania from the Canadian government.
BACKGROUND:	This dance is from the Oltenia ethnographic region of Romania. Sadova, to which the name of the dance refers, is a village in what is now Moldavia (Moldava), just southeast of the town Calaraš (Kalaraš).
MUSIC:	Electrocord (LP) ST-CS 0185, Side B, Band 5
FORMATION:	Cir or lines of mixed M and W with hands joined and held down in "V" pos.
METER/RHYTHM:	2/4
STEPS/STYLE:	LOW HOP: A bounce on the same ft where the toe does not leave the floor. Generally, ftwk is precise and controlled. In Fig II, the ftwk is flat-footed and has a heavy feeling with the body following the directional action of the ftwk.
MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
	INTRODUCTION
1-16	No action.
I.	FIGURE ONE
1	Facing ctr, low hop on L (ct &); step R next to L (ct 1)
1	Step R next to L (ct 1); step L across in front of R (ct &); step R in place (ct 2); step L in place of R, replacing it, as R kicks fwd (ct &);
2	Step R fwd (ct 1); kick L fwd (ct 2); low hop on R (ct &).
3	Moving bwd, step L (ct 1); step R across in front of L (ct &); step L bwd (ct 2); low hop on L (ct &);
4	Repeat action of meas 3 with opp ftwk.
5-8	Repeat action of meas 1-4 with opp ftwk.
II.	FIGURE TWO
1	Facing ctr and moving CCW to R in LOD, step R swd (ct 1); step L in front of R (ct &); step R swd (ct 2); step L next to R heel (ct &),
2	Step R swd (ct 1); step L in front of R (ct &); step R swd (ct 2); low hop on R (ct &).
3	Step L swd (ct 1); step R across in front of L (ct &); step L back in place (ct 2); low hop on L (ct &).
4	Repeat action of meas 3 with opp ftwk.
5-8	Repeat action of meas 1-4 with opp ftwk.
III.	FIGURE THREE
1	Step on ball of R in front of L (ct 1); step L in place (ct &); step on ball of R in back of L (ct 2); step L in place (ct &);
2	Step on ball of R next to L (ct 1); step L in place (ct &); step on ball of R next to L (ct 2); step L in place (ct &);
3	Step on ball of R next to L (ct 1); step L in place (ct &); step R in place (ct 2); pause (ct &).
4	Scuffing L heel next to R, swing L leg fwd (ct 1); brushing ball of L next to R, swing L leg bwd (ct 2);
5	Step L bwd (ct 1); step R next to L (ct &); step L bwd (ct 2); pause (ct &).
6	Step R fwd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); step R fwd as L kicks fwd with straight knee (ct 2); lift L extend leg, slighlty bending L knee (ct &).
7	Leap fwd onto L (ct 1); drop onto R in front of L, bending R knee, as body bends over and R shldr leans twd ctr (ct &); straightening and moving swd away from ctr, step L swd (ct 2); step R next to L (ct &);
8	Continuing to move swd away from ctr, step L swd (ct 1); step L next to R (ct &); step L swd, turning to face ctr (ct 2); pause (ct &).
9-16	Repeat action of meas 1-8.
Copyright © 2003 by Dick Oakes