Vulpiță, historically spelled “Vulpiuța,” is a circle folk dance from the Oltenia region of Romania. The choreography known to international folk dance groups is more complex than the original village versions, and was arranged (or at least taught) by Romanian choreographer and instructor Theodor Vasilescu. The name is a diminutive spelling of the Romanian word for “fox”, vulpe (feminine), translating as “[the] little fox” (or “vixen,” when you are searching on YouTube!) Sunni Bloland is credited for bringing the dance to international folk dance groups in USA ca. 1975. Bloland learned the dance from Dutch instructor Marius Korpel, who most likely learned it from Vasilescu.
| Dance Name: | Vulpiță |
| Pronunciation: | vool-PEE-tsah [vul.ˈpi.t͡sə] |
| Translation: | little (young) fox [feminine diminutive] |
| Aliases: | Vulpiuța, Vulpiuţa, Vulpitsa |
| Country of Origin: | Romania |
| Region: | Oltenia |
| Taught in USA by: | Sunni Bloland; Theodor Vasilescu |
| Year: | 1970s |
| Dance Type: | Circle/Chain/Line: Non-partner |
| Dance Category: | Oldies RIFD |
| Folk Status: | Performance Adaptation |
| Skill Level: | Intermediate (fast) |
| Energy Intensity: | Lively |
| Tune: | Vulpiță (Vulpiuța) |
| Recording: | Authentic Romanian Songs & Dances, Vol. 2, Padure Grilaj, ℗ 2022 WBMP [digitized release of original analog recording, Nevafoon 14004] |
| Time Signature: | 2/4 |
| Dancer Formation: | Closed Circle |
| Hand Hold: | V |
| Leads to: | Forward w/ L |
| Date Taught: | 2/18/2025 |
| Teacher: | Deryl |
| Published: | February 14, 2025 |
| Updated: | February 14, 2025 |
Vulpiță (Vulpiuța) seems a rare find in the international folk dance repertoire. Most dances that are pegged to a specific tune or song are choreographer’s creations using “authentic” steps. This Vulpiță starts out with the village dance and sauces it up to performance level. Read about one of the original village versions of Vulpiță (Vulpiuța) over at Folkdance Footnotes and also read more information on the international folk dance version. Below is an educational video by Theodor & Lia Vasilescu giving a little background info on such dances named after animals and then a demo.
I am always impressed by dancers that really get some air with a high-stepping right & left leaps in the last bar of the Part 2 “slides” figure transitioning into the Part 3 “grapevines.” In the video (seen best @ 1:55), the Vasilesci keep the leaps under control and start the grapevines with a pronounced heel plant and swivel. I don’t see this in any other video, but this should be considered the OG standard. I still prefer the high leaps that look like you’re walking on air.