Sa from Bujanovac is a variation of the čoček circle dance styled by Romani people of the Bujanovac area of South Serbia. The dance is also known simply as Sa or Sa, sa. What differentiates this from other čoček forms is actually the music, which has a rhythm that alternates between QQS and SQQ. The dance can be the usual 3-bar form that international folk dance groups know simply as the “Čoček” or a 5-bar form that adds a grapevine, making it unique. Steve Kotansky teaches this dance in USA and abroad.
| Dance Name: | Čoček/Sa From Bujanovac |
| Original: | Sa iz Bujanovac |
| Pronunciation: | SAH iz boo-JAH-noh-vahts |
| Translation: | Sa From Bujanovac |
| Aliases: | Sa; Sa, Sa |
| Related To/See Also: | Čoček |
| Country of Origin: | Serbia |
| Region: | Bujanovac, South Serbia |
| Ethnicity: | Romani |
| Dance Type: | Circle/Chain/Line: non-partner |
| Dance Category: | Village Traditional |
| Folk Status: | Living |
| Skill Level: | Easy |
| Energy Intensity: | Moderate |
| Presented in USA: | Steve Kotansky |
| Tune/Song: | “Geljum Caja te Mangav” by Trajko Ajdarević Tahir or any čoček in Bujanovac style: QQS SQQ |
| Time Signature: | 2/4 or fast 4/4 |
| Pattern/Rhythm: | SS SQQ SS SS SQQ |
| Dancer Formation: | Open Circle |
| Hand Hold: | W-position |
| Leads to: | R; Starts: w/ R backing from center |
| Date Taught: | 8/22/2023 |
| Teacher: | David |
| Published: | July 23, 2023 |
| Updated: | August 6, 2024 |
Because there are so many variations of čoček, it’s hard call this a variation of the “basic” čoček, unless we define “basic čoček.” However, the 3-bar portion of this dance is what I see in most videos that are labeled “Čoček” and what our group calls “Sa čoček,” so it seems safe to call this “basic čoček” for IFD groups in USA. This variation takes the 3-bar basic čoček Sa and sticks a 2-bar grapevine between the first 2 bars and last to make a new 5-bar figure.
Sa:(SS SQQ SQQ) + Grapevine:(SS SS)
= SS SQQ (SS SS) SQQ
RL RLR LR LR LRL
Bar 1 2 3 4 5Steve Kotansky starts the dance with my Bar 5 as his Bar 1, but many people (me) find starting with back steps is a better way to get a čoček going.
While many čoček recordings with QQS SQQ rhythm are appropriate—original Sa is 3 bars and this is 5, so no music “fits” the dance phrasing—the recording, “Geljum Caja te Mangav” by Trajko Ajdarević Tahir, is particularly appealing.
For an old recording (1982 Jugoton/Croatia Records), the YouTube copyright cops are in full force. Many dance videos using the recording have been removed, and the one with Steve Kotansky has the audio track removed, so that it won’t be taken down! I purchased a download of the Trajko Ajdarević Tahir album, Romske pjesme, and now I found that one can get a gob of 150 songs, 150 Gipsy Songs (also from Jugoton/Croatia Records), for about the same price as that 10-track album… The entire Romske pjesme album is in the collection, so I now have 150 Gipsy songs +10 duplicates for twice the price. Maybe in 2023, after fifty years and dead artists, they will cool it with the video takedowns. I found a couple new videos with the audio intact.