ober from the Radom region
Music for download – „Oberek z Radomszczyzny”
is a regional variety of the oberek that remains one of the most popular traditional dances in Poland today, and since the mid-19th century it has also been included in the Polish national dances. Oberek owes its name to its characteristic element – i.e., revolving in couples, called in Polish obertanie, obwyrtanie. In different regions of Poland, oberek has functioned under different names including obertas, owijok, wyrwany, zawijacz, drobny, drygant, okrąglak.
Oberek is usually played at ¾ meters in a fast, frolic pace. It can be danced in any number of couples, along the circle. The heart of oberek is formed by its basic step, which is performed evenly, smoothly in right and left turns, in place and along the circle - “facing the sun” and “with the back to the sun” - that is in four directions.
In the dance couple, the leading role is played by the man, who decorates the dance, performing various figures and steps, such as turns, stamps, kneeling and clicking of heels. The woman dances more modestly, sometimes responding to the manʼs stamping. Nevertheless, her role in the dance is invaluable. Her support is what enables the couple to perform rapid spinning and decorations. Dance, just like music, is characterised with improvisation and showing off in front of other dancing couples. The steps are accompanied by hand gestures (swinging) and whistles that accentuate the turns or squats.
