Daichovo horo is a Bulgarian folk dance

Bulgarian dances

Bulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria. This distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meter, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats...

. It is unique in two ways: it is a circle dance

Circle dance

"Circle dance" is the most common name for a style of traditional dance usually done in a circle without partners to musical accompaniment.-Description:...

 (most Bulgarian dances are either line

Line dance

A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact...

 or couple dances), and yet it has a leader (most circle dances have no leader).

Dance steps

The dance has a basic step pattern consisting of a lift of the right knee on the first beat, followed by three steps in place. This pattern is repeated, alternating which knee is lifted. Each pattern is done in a single measure of 9 beats (9/8) with a pattern of "quick-quick-quick-slow". A leader in the circle can then call out variations to be performed, starting on the first beat of a pattern (when the right knee would be lifted). This is done as a banter between the leader and the rest of the circle. Following the banter, the entire circle performs the variation, and then resumes the basic dance step.

The banter and most variations take up four measures of the music. This means that the leader can choose to call a new variation during the execution of the current variation; if this occurs, the dancers execute the next variation without resuming the basic step.

A sample variation consists of:

• Leader says "Chukni nane" (let's stamp)
• Dancers reply: "Chukum, chukum" (stamp, stamp)
• Leader says: "Hajdi nane" (when shall we do it?)
• Dancers reply: "Asigadeh" (do it now)
• All dancers then perform the variation, which in this case consists of three rapid stamps with the right foot and a pause followed by a basic step lifting the right knee; the pattern is then repeated stamping with the left feet and a basic step lifting the left knee. These stamps are then repeated.

Each variation has its own name, and it is not uncommon for new variations to be developed within a given group. Other variations include:

• Nina nane (ninum, ninum)
  • two stamps on the even beats (lift, stamp, lift, stamp) with the right foot while standing on the left.
  • A basic pattern raising the right knee.
  • The above two parts repeated with the other foot
• Shetni nane (shetnum, shetnum)
  • Moving to the left with a paiduško-type
    Paidushko horo
    Paidushko oro is a folk dance from Macedonia done to a 5 beat meter divided into "quick" and "slow" units, abbreviated quick-slow or 2-3. Like many other Balkan folk dances, each region or village has its own version of the dance...
    
     movement: the right foot crosses in front of the left foot, weight transferred to the right foot while the left foot moves to the left. The preceding step takes one measure and is done three times
  • Basic step pattern lifting the right knee
  • Repeat above two steps in the opposite direction
• Lula nane (Lulum, lulum)
  • Basic step pattern moving in a wedge-shaped pattern: diagonally in to the right, rotate counter-clockwise in place, diagonally out from the center, clockwise
    Clockwise
    Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
    
    (left) towards the starting point. (The dancers don't end up where they started.)
• Ziza nane (Zizum, zizum)
  • Three scissor steps, ending with the left foot touching the ground with the knee extended
  • Same as above with the opposite foot extended
  • The above two steps repeated