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The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH)
Čačak kolo
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BACKGROUND
Someone lost my entire Cha- notebook (may they eternally roast in Hell) so I have only memories of this dance.
Information: A dance.
Čačak kolo hit the United States in the 1960s.
Translation: Named for the town of Čačak, Serbia
Pronunciation: CHA-chak KOH-loh
Other names: Banjski Čačak, Brzi Čačak, Long Čačak, Seven-step Čačak, Zaplanjski Čačak
Meter: 2/4
Rhythm: It has the 3-2-1 pattern of other Čačaks, but a 17-bar pattern instead of the more usual 10.
Formation: Lines (broken circles): used to be long and segregated but now men and women dance together in short lines with belt hold (or front basket hold if you forgot belts). Leader at R end. Thumbs of free hands (at the ends of lines) tucked in belts.
| BARS | ACTION | |
| Introduction. |
| 1-16 | An introduction is optional and of variable length at the leader's whim. Me, I like to listen for 16 bars. |
| The dance. |
| 1 | Step to R onto R ft (ct 1), step behind R ft onto L ft (ct 2). |
| 2-3 | Repeat action of bar 1, three times in all. |
| 4 | Step in place onto R ft (ct 1), kick L ft forward, small and tight (ct 2). |
| 5 | Repeat action of bar 4 with opposite footwork. |
| 6 | Repeat action of bar 4. |
| 7 | Step to L onto L ft (ct 1), step behind L ft onto R ft (ct 2). |
| 8-9 | Repeat action of bars 5-6 (2 step-kicks). |
| 10 | Repeat action of bar 7 (step-behind). |
| 11 | Repeat action of bar 5 (step-kick). |
| 12 | Step behind L ft onto R ft (ct 1), hop on R ft (ct 2). |
| 13 | Repeat action of bar 12 with opposite footwork. |
| 14-15 | Step to R onto R ft (ct 1), step in front of R ft onto L ft (ct 2), step in place onto R ft (ct 1), hop on R ft (ct 2). |
| 16 | Repeat action of bars 14-15 with opposite footwork. |
| Repeat from the beginning. The 17-bar dance won't fit the 16-bar music. Don't worry. |
VARIATIONS
You may face to L and dance 6 prancing steps backward during bars 1-3.
You may dance hop-step-steps in place of the step-behinds in bars 7 and 10.
You may run 3 steps to R and 3 steps to L instead of the 2 pas-de-basque.
You may not, however, bother your neighbors.
Imagine, if you will, that this dance could be bought in a bakery. You have a 3-bar lead-in of step-behinds. That's the fancy plate. Then you have 3 step-kicks. That's the largest layer. Then you have a step-behind. That's the frosting between layers. Then 2 step-kicks, more frosting, and 1 step-kick. Finally, you have the 2 back-hops (the decoration on top), and the 2 pas-de-basque (the 2 dolls). Voila! You have a metaphorical wedding cake! Dig in!
Note: in the 1970s, another dance by the name of Zaplanjski Čačak hit the United States. It's sequence is: 3 step-crosses, 3 step-kicks, 2 step-crosses, 2 step-kicks, 1 step-cross, and 1 step-kick. 12 bars in all.
Note: There's also an 8-bar Zaplanjski Čačak, but it's lost with the rest.
REFERENCE
- Folk Dance Problem Solver (1987), Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH), San Antonio, TX. Chachak.
DOCUMENTS
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