Information: A dance.

Dick Crum introduced this dance from Korman (a town in Šumadija, a region in central Serbia to the United States in 1955. The Janković sisters published it in their 8th volume of Serbian folk dance descriptions. As with Bela Rada, the dance developed variations over the years. Most of these variations conflict with Šumadijan styling, but few people seem to care. Michael Herman, usually adamant about styling, published the earliest description that omitted the second scissors movement. Cecile Gilbert then published a version with snappy heel-clicks which could be quite painful in soft Serbian opanci (moccasins). Besides, if such dramatic movements were part of the dance, they'd have called it "Industrial-Strength Shearing Machine for People's Factory 37" instead of "little scissors."

Translation: Little scissors

Pronunciation: ma-kah-ZEE-tseh

Region: Šumadija, central Serbia

Meter: 2/4

Formation: Broken circle of men and women, hands joined and held at sides. Hold free hand (at each end of the line) in a fist at the small of the back. Face center throughout the dance.

Steps and Style: To dance correctly for most central and northern Serbian dances, you should dance on the balls of the feet with heel just a bit off the floor. The heels seldom touch the floor. Knees remain flexed to impart that unique Serbian "mehano" (soft knees) to each step. Take tiny steps with the feet "hugging each other" as Dick Crum would say. The subtlety of this dance and Šumadijan styling appears in the fact that you should travel no more than half a meter during bars 1-4 and the same tiny distance back during bars 5-8.

Note: Note that the "scissors" work sideways, unlike the scissors of Bela Rada and many other Balkan dances.