Country: Salmijärvi, Norway
Type: couple dance
Formation: Normally, couples advance onto the floor a little after the music has started. Any number of couples in open circle,
varsovienne hold, facing LOD.
Steps:
bytomfotsteg frå polka (hamborger) (change step with 3 lifts, described below)
Sheet music: Bakka, Egil & Arne Wikan/ nr 31 in: Dansetradisjonar frå Finnmark. s.l.: Finnmark Ungdomslag, Rådet for
folkemusik og folkedans (Rff), 1996. p.233.
Recordings:
Lakselv Spellemannslag Danseslåtter frå Finnmark (Grappa, 1998) track 08 [YouTube].
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1-4 | (a) | Figuré: With weight on R foot, all touch L toes to floor forward and slightly toward centre of circle (1:1),
then touch it beside R foot (1:2). Repeat, finishing with closing L to R foot (2).
With weight on L foot, all touch R toes to floor forward and slightly away from centre of circle (3:1), then touch it beside R foot (3:2). Repeat, finishing with closing R to L foot (4). |
| 5-8 | Repeat (a). | |
| 9-16 | (b) | Promenade: Without changing hold, with weight on R foot, all dance 8 change steps [in LOD], as follows: step forward onto L foot,
shift weight back onto R foot without having moved it, then shift weight forward again onto L foot without having moved it (9). Repeat, beginning with R foot (10).
[A forward-back-forward movement]
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] |
Provenance: Until 1826, the Pasvik valley and Petsamo area were 'joint' Norwegian/Russian territory, without a clearly defined boundary. The
Petsamo area became Russian territory from 1826 to 1921, and Finnish territory from 1921 to 1944. Settlers in the area included
Norwegians, Russians and Finns, as well as a few Sami. During the Russian period, there were theatre, parties, dances and other
festivities every Sunday. [Bakka & Wikan, pp. 67-68].
This dance and music are based on a film recorded under the aegis of Rff in the home of Kristian Portti, Enare, in August of 1980.
Kristian Portti and Marta Eide, Kirkenes, dansed and sang the tune the way they had learned the dance in Salmijärvi in Russia, where
they had both grown up. [Bakka & Wikan, p.80].
Source: Bakka, Egil & Arne Wikan/ nr 19 in: Dansetradisjonar frå Finnmark. s.l.: Finnmark Ungdomslag, Rådet for
folkemusik og folkedans (Rff), 1996. pp. 90, 233.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2023-07-30.
Tillbaka till innehållsförteckningen/Back to table of contents