drąg
Music for download - „Drąg” dance
is a dance characteristic of the Gorlice Foothills, and one of the oldest in this region. It consists of two parts. It was danced mainly after World War I in the village of Łużna near Gorlice. The name of the dance derives from the words of a song accompanying the dance – the female dancers ask the question and the male dancers answer:
“Whence you coming? – From meadows broad.
What you carrying? – A long rod.
Of what origin? – Hornbeam tree,
For maidens, for widows, see.
Rod is a rod. (x2)”
Drąg dance is an example of a short dance with a moderate tempo. It is played in triple meter (¾), using only one melody. Drąg dance can be danced in any number of couples that move around a circle. The characteristic element of the Drąg dance is the gradual amplification of accents in the 1st part of the dance and the transfer of the arms (the dancers are holding hands) from the male dancerʼs hip to the female dancerʼs hip. The 2nd part of the dance is the rotation in the place, which is performed with short steps.
A. Haszczak, Folklor taneczny ziemi rzeszowskiej, COK, Warszawa 1989, s. 303.
