Katuše Mome – Macedonia [Dick Crum*]

Katuše Mome is a simple (in theory), yet active, folk dance from Macedonia for the beautiful folk song, “Katuše Pusto Katuše,” first introduced in USA by Dick Crum in 1959. You do have to pay attention enough to count how many lefts and rights you do before traveling as the dance is an odd 5-bars long, so it goes in and out of sync with the music’s 4-bar phrasing. There are versions of the song “Što mi e milo” done in the same 9/8 QSQQ rhythm (not very many) that can also be used for the dance.

Re­source Links:
Dance Name:Katuše Mome
Coun­try of Or­i­gin:Macedonia
Re­gion:Pirin
Dance Type:Circle/Chain/Line: non-partner
Dance Cat­e­go­ry:Oldies RIFD
Folk Status:Historic Folk Dance
Skill Lev­el:Intermediate
En­er­gy In­ten­si­ty:Moderate
O­rig­i­nal Script:Катуше Mоме
Pro­nun­ci­a­tion:kah-TOOSH-eh MOH-meh
Trans­la­tion:Katushe, my dear
A­li­as­es:Katuše mome Katuše, Katushe,
Što mi e milo (QSQQ)
Related To:Žensko Krsteno
Pre­sent­ed in USA:Dick Crum
Year:1959
Tune:Katuše Pusto Katuše or
Što mi e milo performed as QSQQ
Time Sig­na­ture:9/8 = 2/8 + 3/8 + 2/8 + 2/8
Rhythm:QSQQ = (1,2) (3,4,5) (6,7) (8,9)
Danc­er For­ma­tion:Open Circle
Hand Hold:W-position
Leads to:R w/ čukče on L
Date Taught:8/29/2023
Teacher:David
Pub­lished:June 6, 2023
Up­dat­ed:May 17, 2024

Katuše Mome is part of a family of Macedonian Krsteno (crossing) dances. When you have mastered this dance, you will have mastered the ubiquitous Bulgarian-Macedonian-Balkan čukče (CHOOK-cheh) step, which is a step without stepping and a hop without hopping, but with a beat count. The čukče consists of a lift of the heel up to the ball or toe, depending on the level of emphasis, and then coming back down to count off one beat. This is handy when you need to mark time without changing feet or full on hopping.

  • There is a crossing section and a traveling section, and it doesn’t matters which one you start with.
  • Native dancers hesitate touching down the foot on count 2 (S), milking the čukče rise and fall of count 1. This is referred to as sinkops (syncopation).
  • Trivia Note: Fatiše Kolo as introduced by Dick Crum is similar to Katuše Mome. In Fort Collins, we do the Fatiše Kolo introduced by Anatol Joukowsky, and it’s nothing like either.

Dancing Examples

Boston TNR
Tucson FD, done to Što mi e milo

Music Examples

The standard RIFC recording, Macedonian choir Sofia, Folk Dancer MH 3055 78 rpm
Što mi e milo (QSQQ), Express 45 rpm
Angel Mitrev, Katuše Pusto Katuše

Kitka has a recording on Bandcamp (not available for embedded streaming for some reason).

Lyrics

/ Katuše, pusto Katuše
šo ti bilo crno pisano /
/ baš pijanica da zemiš,
toj Nikola ot kocareta. /

/ Site momčinja na gurbet,
tvojto momče na mejana. /
/ Oj lele, lele, Katuše,
izgorev, jagne, za tebe. /

/ Site momčinja na bazar,
tvojto momče kraj bočki. /
/ Oj lele, lele, Katuše,
izgorev, jagne, za tebe. /

/ U robeta nizi florini,
u kocareta lele nizi piperki. /
/ Oj lele, lele, Katuše,
izgorev, jagne, za tebe. /

MIT Folk Dance Club Songbook

Katuše, beautiful Katuše,
look what was fated for you—
to marry the biggest drunkard of all,
that Nikola the bum.

All the men have gone away to earn a living,
your man’s gone to the tavern.
Oh, Katuše,
I’m burning up for you, dearie.

All the men have gone to the market,
your man has gone to the wine-barrels.
Oh, Katuše,
I’m burning up for you, dearie.

The ones that have gone away to work have strings of florins,
the bums have strings of peppers.
Oh, Katuše,
I’m burning up for you, dearie.