| Pronunciation: | TRAY puh-ZESH-teh |
| Translation: | Thrice Beware, old/ancestral version |
| Region: | Oltenia |
| Aliases: | batrinesc, bătrînesc, batrinese; brâuleț |
| Introduced: | Sunni Bloland |
| Year: | ?1970s? |
| Form: | Open Circle or Short Lines |
| Skill: | Advanced |
| Energy: | Lively |
| Hand Hold: | Shoulder |
| Leads: | Right w/ R foot |
| Meter: | 2/4 |
| Date Taught: | 11/01/2023 |
| Teacher: | Deryl, Wally |
| Published: | November 2, 2023 |
| Revised: | January 21, 2024 |
In dance notes, the translation of trei păzeşte is rendered as “keep/guard three” or “three times beware” [Sunni Bloland]. I tweaked this to “Thrice Beware!” Apparently, you are being warned that the dance is fast and contains many abrupt direction changes, so beware what you are getting yourself into.
Romanian dances tend to have several variations with the same base name and an adjective or possessive (usually de la = from [village]) added. The dances may or may not be similar, and the name is more of a genre of dance, or at least a family of dances. Other Romanian dances, such as floricică and alunelu, fit the same pattern, and in fact, Dick Crum remarked that every village in the south of Romania would have their own versions of these dances. The names were somewhat interchangeable as to the actual dance done, and all you could count on was that they were in 2/4 and fast.
Our Fort Collins music library has four variations of Trei păzeşte modifiers: bătrânesc, de la Dolj, de la Bistret, and de la Goica Mare. The version Fort Collins is most familiar with is Trei păzeşte bătrânesc, so when someone requests “Trei păzeşte,” Trei păzeşte bătrânesc is the one. “Bătrânesc” is often used to modify dances and tunes. It indicates the piece is old/of the elders. I do not know if that means that Trei păzeşte bătrânesc is the original Trei păzeşte, but it could be; it’s probably not.
As with the dance, there are several version’s of music. Sometimes the music will specify the region, such as Oltenia, but that doesn’t narrow it down too much. You just have to listen to it and see if it fits the pattern.
Dance Notes
Men and women in separate lines is nothing that need be done in modern times in recreational dance. If you are performing and require segregation for authenticity, knock yourself out.
The dance is “advanced” only because it’s fast. It’s a 32-bar figure with many repeats and repeat opposites. There are seven pieces, depending on how you divide it, but if you are not familiar with them, it’s hard to pick them up on-the-fly. I suggest spending a little time with the videos and notes at least to the point of being a better follower of the dance. Slow the dance down a bit and it becomes intermediate long enough to learn, then crank it to eleven.