| Ritsch ratsch - original version
Type: couple dance Formation and hold: Open circle of couples, "as many as may". Steps: hopsteg (step hop), polka, gångsteg (walk) |
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| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1-8 | (a) | Elbow-hook turn: Couples take R-elbow hook hold with partner and turn CW on the spot (1-4), 8 walking steps. Ditto CCW in L elbow hook hold (5-8), 8 walking steps. |
| 9-16 | (b) | Step-hop: Couples face partner, M facing CCW, W facing CW in the circle of couples, hands at waist. Beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot, couples move CCW around the set, M dancing forward, W dancing backward, 8 step-hops. |
| |:17-24:| | (c) | Polka: Couples take waltz hold, and dance turning polka, moving in LOD, 16 polka steps.
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] Lyrics:
Ritsch, ratsch, filibom bom bom, filibom bom bom, filibom bom bom!
Source: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Beskrivning av gillesdanser i Norden.
[Stockholm]: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1970. pp. 52-53.
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| Ritsch ratsch - simplified
Type: set dance Formation and hold: Closed circle of dancers, "as many as may", joined hands at shoulder height. (NB: couples not required) Steps: sidgalopp (slip step), sparksteg (kick step), gångsteg (walk) |
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| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1-8 | (a) | Circle CW: All dance slip steps to L (CW). |
| 9-16 | (b) | Circle CCW: All dance walking steps to R (CCW). |
| |:17-24:| | (c) | Step-lick: All drop hold, and place hands on hips. Facing into circle, all dance 14 kick-steps, followed by an assemblé (close)
while moving both hands outward with palms up.
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] If the motion in part (c) is too tiring, part (b) may be danced with walking steps CCW in subsequent repetitions. Lyrics: see above. Source: Mallander, Inez/ Sånglekar och sångdanser. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1955. pp. 135-136.
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Provenance: Thought to be derived from a drinking song associated with the drinking of Swedish punsch, and commemorating two women
involved in the restaurant industry in Stockholm in the first half of the 1800s. An early recording of the music was
performed by Konsertorkestern in Stockholm, May 27, 1925.
Variants occur throughout many of the Nordic countries, including:
Ruder es aka rits rats [Denmark],
'klip klap' [Faroe Islands],
ruutuässä [Finland],
klappdans [Iceland],
'ritsj ratsj' aka 'Fru Cederstrøm' [Norway], and
'ritsch ratsch' aka 'Fru Söderström' [Sweden].
[Urup, et al, pp. 262-263.]
Source: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Beskrivning av gillesdanser i Norden.
[Stockholm]: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1970. pp. 52-53.
See also:
-- Eggeling, F./ Nu är det jul igen, Ett urval svenska ringdansar och jullekar. (1:a samlingen) Stockholm: F, Borgs förlag, 1865.
-- Helgren, Otto/ Sånglekar från Nääs andra samlingen. [Musiktryck] andra genomsedda och tillökade upplagan
enligt uppdrag ordnade och utgivna av Otto Hellgren. Stockholm : P.A. Norstedt och söner, 1922.
-- Mallander, Inez/ Sånglekar och sångdanser. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1955. pp. 135-136.
-- Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Samkväms och gillesdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Ungdomsringen för
Bygdekultur, 1965. p.40.
-- Urup, Henning, Henry Sjöberg, Egil Bakka (eds.)/ Gammaldans i Norden. Rapport frå forskningsprosjektet.
Komparativ analyse av ein folkeleg dansegenre i utvalde nordiske lokalsamfunn. Oslo: Nordisk forening for folkedansforskning, 1988. pp. 262-263.
-- Palm, Anders & Johan Stenström, red./ Barnens svenska sångbok. Stockholm: Bonnier. Libris, 1999.
-- Wikipedia Ritsch, ratsch, filibom
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2023-08-23.
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