Ovčepolsko Oro – Macedonia/Sveti Nikole/Ovče Pole [Pece Atanasovski*]
Ovčepolsko/Ovčepolsko Oro is a circle folk dance from around the town of Sveti Nikole in the northern end of the Ovče Pole (sheep field) plain region of (North) Macedonia. The area is known as “the windiest place on the Balkans” and is one of the driest areas in Europe, frequent plagued by drought (sounds like Wyoming). Dances of this region are known to be physically demanding.
Pece Atanasovski introduced this four-figure version of the dance at the 1971 Institute at Oteševo on Lake Prespa, then in the USA in 1972. The dance is leader-called, but usually progresses sequentially I-IV. There is a fifth figure devised for performance stage entrance and exit.
Dancing Examples
