The folk dance , by traditions and sentiments is, the expresions of the each corner of the country whit his practices , people , and culture .

The folk dances are not allowed to disappear, they must revive , there in the heart of each of us.

Our Arts and Crafts, manifested in all its aspects, presents a wealth of invaluable treasures for all who love his country and people .

Folklore is one of the fundamental elements that led the preservation of our national entity, even if is divided by geographical area. Insisted on teaching folk dance since preschool children, because it is a treasure of Our Romanian treasury folklore.

A rich variety of traditional dances still exist in Romania due to the continuation of the

feudal system until the mid 19th century and subsequently the isolation imposed by Ceauşescu,

which resultedin the continuance of a peasant life style. Romania is a unique European

country as its folklore still exists in its natural environment, but this

is now fast vanishing with the spread of western culture and modern technology.

Romanian Folk Dances is a suite of six short piano

piecesComposedby Béla Bartók in 1915. He later orchestrated it for small ensemble in 1917: Sz. 68, BB 76.It is based on seven Romanian

fiddle tunes from Transylvania.

It is nowadays available in the 1971 edition which

is written with key Signatures although

Bartok rarely ever wrote key signatures.

The first of the Romanian Folk Dances is "Stick Dance," a colorful, lively piece whose infectious buoyancy and carefree gait exude delightful Romanian flavors. The ensuing "Sash Dance" has a start-and-stop manner throughout its half minute, the bouncy music pausing to catch its breath after each phrase. The third item, "In One Spot," combines a simple pulse in the bass with an exotic theme in the upper register, the whole yielding a gypsy-like character of striking quality.

Number four in the collection is "Horn Dance," a slow piece whose childlike simplicity (both in rhythm and theme) conveys an innocence in its pastoral, somewhat wistful melody. The next piece, "Romanian Polka," brims with ethnic color and merrymaking in its lively rhythm and peasant-like dance theme. The only regret the listener might have here is that the composer did not go on a bit longer than the mere half-minute he spent, in light of the colorful and utterly infectious foot-stomping material. The last of the pieces in the set is "Fast Dance, which features two themes, each of similar character. They are both breathless in their pacing, each conveying a sense of unbridled celebration. ~ All Music Guide

Hora is a type of circle dance originating in the Balkans but

now found in a number of countries, most of which use slightly different spellings.

Serbian/Bosnian/Montenegrin 'kolo' and 'oro', Macedonian 'oro', the Turkish form 'hora'

and Romanian 'horǎ'.

Hora is a traditional Romanian folk dance that gathers everyone into a big closed circle. The dancers hold each other's hands and the circle spins, usually clockwise, as each participant follows a sequence of three steps forward and one step back. The dance is usually accompanied by musical instruments such as the cymbalum, accordion, violin, viola, double bass, saxophone, trumpetor even the panflute.Hora is popular during wedding celebrations and festivals, and is an essential part of the social entertainment in rural areas. One of the most famous hore is the Hora Unirii (Hora of the Union), which became a Romanian patriotic song as a result of being the hymn when Wallachia and Moldavia united to form the Principality of Romania in 1859.

During the

2006/2007 New Year's Eve celebration, when

Romania joined the European Union,

people were dancing Hora Bucuriei (Hora of

Joy) over the boulevards of

Bucharest as a tribute to the EU anthem, Ode to Joy (Odă bucuriei). Some of the biggest hora circles can be found on early 20th

century movies filmed by the Manakis

brothers in Pindus, Greece and performed by local Aromanians.

The dance, performed by amateurs, professional ensembles, as well as other performers of folk dances, is traditionally performed by men, and takes place around a burning bonfire. The word arcan also refers to the step that the men perform while dancing around the fire: the right foot steps to the side (or double stamps as the dance builds momentum), the left foot crosses behind, the right foot steps to the side again, and the left foot is hopped in front of the dancer with a bent knee; the dance is performed with the men's arms upon one another's shoulders.