There’s not much background on this dance easily found other than origination in the North Macedonia/SW Bulgarian border area where the Pirn Mountain range runs. My amateur etymologist findings suggest the name may be from Maleševska Mountain (with an e instead of i: Малешевска), which is adjacent to the Pirin Mountains. There is different version of the dance (several) “Mališevsko Horo” without the “Sitno” (small) taught by Gergana Panova and others, and is more prevalent on the YouTubes. The music for that is the same choices: Šarena Gajda, Dve neveste tikve brale, or some others going by Mališevsko horo and alternate spellings.
| Original: | Ситно Малишевско Хоро |
| Pronunciation: | SEET-noh Mah-lee-SHEFF-skoh Hoh-ROH |
| Translation: | small [steps] “Mališevsko” |
| Aliases: | Malishevsko, Maleshevsko, Maleševsko, Malesevsko, Malisevsko |
| Introduced by: | Yves Moreau, Folklora Balkana Vol. 5; FB-007 DVD/CD; ©2004 |
| Year: | 2000s |
| Form: | Open Circle |
| Skill: | Easy |
| Energy: | Moderate |
| Hand Hold: | V or unjoined by sides |
| Leads: | Right w/ R foot |
| Songs: | Šarena Gajda Dve neveste tikve brale Mališevsko Horo |
| Meter: | 2/4 |
| Date Taught: | 10/10/2023 |
| Teacher: | Cherie (SMFD version) |
| Posted: | October 8, 2023 |
| Updated: | February 6, 2024 |
Variation Notes
Besides Mališevsko Horo without “Sitno” being an entirely different set of dances to the same or similar music, there are a couple variations in videos and in dance notes attributed to Yves. I have the DVD with Yves demonstrating. Also, some notes say hands are at the sides, unjoined. Yves’ video calls for V joined. Bars 6-8 of Part 2 seems to vary the most from Yves’ demo video.
- Part 1, Bar 3, QQS/R-L-R
- Yves Video: remain LOD travel
- Other notes and videos below: Face center, small steps to the side
- SMFD: Face RLOD do one set QQS, Face LOD do second QQS
- Part 2
- SMFD: Bar 1-5 same, Bar 6-8 ???
Teaching & Dancing Examples: Sitno Mališevsko Horo
Video on Google Drive:
Yves Moreau Sitno Mališevsko Horo Demo, Bulgarian Folk Dances DVD-5.02
Dancing Examples: Mališevsko Horo
Music Examples
Šarena Gajda lyrics
From Andrew Carnie’s notes of Yves Moreau’s notesOt doma do čarsija
tragnah s gajda šarena
na rabota da joda
i na gajda da sviram
Chorus:
Šarena gajda izpisana
sas manista nagizdana
sviram pejam oro igram
Rum-ba rum-ba-ba
//Canih se u popa
da mu pasam gâskite//
Otkarah gi po luni
deto treva ne raste
deto voda ne teče
//Ot dolu ide popište
varti oči da plači//
//Dva šamara mi udri
gajdata mi ja zema//From my home to the market I went with my colorful gajda (bagpipes) to go to work and to play the bagpipes Chorus: Colorful bagpipes adorned decorated with beads I play, I sing, I dance Rum-ba rum-ba-ba //I was hired at the priest's to graze the geese// I took them out in the moonlight where grass does not grow where water does not flow //Along came the priest Rolling his eyes and crying// //He slapped me twice and took my bagpipes//