Information: A dance.

Pronunciation: JUM-pah-rah-leh_LEH

Translation: From "tchiam para" meaning "finger cymbals." Finger cymbals accompanied 7/16 songs and dances in 19th century Romania.

Regions: Dobrogea, Muntenia, and south Moldavia, Romania.

Meter: 7/16

Dobrogea: Pandelas. Dobrogean Tatars and Turks have other 7/16 dances.

Moldavia: Ostropațul. Similar to Geampara.

Muntenia: Geamparalele in Eastern Muntenia is done either as a couple dance or as a circle dance with arms on shoulders (basically 1-2-3s to the right). At one wedding I attended, about half the people did the circle thing around the outside of the dance area, and the rest were in the centre doing the couple version, which involved holding on to your partner by the upper arms and doing 1-2-3s in place (or moving around slightly). Early in the wedding, when there was more room because not many guests had arrived yet, I saw a number of "figures" done, both attached and non-attached, by one couple. The dance was really quite nice; its too bad it is not done here by recreational groups, especially since there is so much good music for it.

–John Uhlemann

Other 7/16 dances