SCA Dance Cheat Sheets

Korobushka

According to Leo van der Heijden xyz@rcl.wau.nl,

The Russian 19th century poet Nekrasov wrote a poem on a hawker. Later
the tune ``Korobushka'' was written to this poem. This tune became very
popular in the late 19th century Russian cities and country side. Soon
a dance ``Korobotschka'' developed. In the beginning of the 20th century
Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine brought the dance to the USA. The
Ukrainian Micheal Herman learned the dance from his teacher Abramenko.
The fast Herman version became very popular in the 40's in the
USA. The steps of the original Korobushka were much smaller and slower
than of the fast form. Also, the first part (arm movements, turn,
clap, Hungarian-like closing-step) is absent in the original version.

Source: H. Konings (1994), Hoe heet die dans/2: Korobushka. In:
Barinya Brief '94, nr. 5, p. 5.

(This is a newsletter in Dutch on Russian Dance. Published by Barinya
Foundation, P.O. Box 27097, 3003 LB Rotterdam, the Netherlands)

It's not clear where the version of Korobushka danced in the SCA comes from; it might be the pre-Herman version, it might not.

Setting: a processional line of couples in promenade hold, perhaps curving to form a large circle.

Version: 1.0

 1- 2  2 singles right, two singles left,
    3   single right, single left,
    4   woman turns under, couple faces each other.

    5  couple spins away from each other in 3 steps, claps, 
    6   couple spins back to each other, takes hands,
    7   balance in, balance out,
    8   woman spins under, partners trade places (ending improper).

 9-12  Repeat 5-8, returning to place and promenade hold.

Discussion:

As danced in the SCA, the dance is played faster and faster each time.