Anastasia Dance Korobushka How To
Don’t you love the story of Anastasia, a lost princess found once again. My favorite scene was her father daughter waltz. But what about a traditional Russian dance, like the Korobushka? A historically accurate princess dance for Anastasia in her childhood would have been the Russian Korobushka dance.
Korobushka poem
The Korobushka, meaning “the peddler’s pack” or “little box” started off as a poem in 1861 by Nikolay Nekrasov. His poem describes haggling between a peddler and a young lady. Some state this is an allegory for marriage. The music for the Korobushka was composed for this poem by my favorite composer, anonymous.
Video game Korobuska connection
The music was picked up in modern video games. You may recognize the Korobuska tune in your favorite version of Tetris, or super smash brothers. So now you can lean the dance that goes with your favorite video game song.
History of the Korobushka Dance
The dance originated in the Russian countryside and small towns, making its way into the middle and upper class. It was later suppressed and taken with immigrants to the new world. As a result, there are many versions surviving today. It survives as a popular Jewish dance today.
Historic Yiddish Korobushka
According to Yiddish dance expert Michael Herman said “Because many Americans feel all Slavic dances should be wild, they have at times inserted clapping, twirling, and even squat steps. These do detract from the character and charm of the dance. Good dancers don’t need such embellishments to make them look better. A sign at Folk Dance House has an amusing sign that says, ‘No Hunting, No Fishing, No Clapping or Twirling in Korobushka’, signed by the dance warden. It helps dancers keep a traditional Russian style.”
3 variations of Korobushka
Even though Michael Herman does not like wild variations, we will look at 3 ways to dance this lively dance. I have included the spinning & clapping options as well as the more traditional version. Feel free to experiment with the one you like best. The song we used was Korobushka (Little Peddler Box) by the Samovar Russian folk music ensemble.
Version 1 Korobushka
This is a cotillion dance mixer version where the gentlemen will change partners. This version is without the wild spins. It will begin with the Couples making a circle with the man’s back to the center of the circle holding hands with the lady in front of him, her back to the outside of the circle.
Step 1 Schottische
Gentlemen:
Schottische forward left foot – forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap (or kick left).
Schottische back right foot – back right, back left, back right, tap (or kick right).
Schottische forward – forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap (or kick left).
Ladies:
Double or schottische back right foot ( back right, back left, back right, tap or kick right)
Forward left foot with Double or Schottische (forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap(or kick left)),
Back right foot ( back right, back left, back right, tap or kick right)
Step 2 Inverted Hungarian Bokazni step
Both partners hop feet apart, feet cross, feet apart, feet close.
(Hungarian Bokazini normally is 1 hop cross feet, 2 hop feet apart, 3 feet close, 4 position held)
Step 3 Double to the right & Left
Partners take 3 steps to the right and tap (or kick) -side right, close left, side right, tap left with a clap.
Partners take 3 steps to the left and tap (or kick) -side left, close right, side left, tap right with a clap.
Step 4 Balance Steps
Facing partner join hands right to right, both partners step forward right foot 1 tapping left foot next to right foot 2. Next, step back left foot 3 tap right foot next to left foot 4. Partners exchange places by passing lady under the joined right hands for 4 counts.
Repeat Step 3 Double to the right & Left
Partners take 3 steps to the right and tap (or kick) -side right, close left, side right, tap left with a clap.
Partners take 3 steps to the left and tap (or kick) -side left, close right, side left, tap right with a clap.
Repeat Step 4 Balance Steps–
Facing partner join hands right to right, both partners step forward right foot 1 tapping left foot next to right foot 2. Next, step back left foot 3 tap right foot next to left foot 4. Partners exchange places by passing lady under the joined right hands for 4 counts.
*Once past partner, gentlemen progress counterclockwise to the next partner.
Begin again from Step 1 and repeat until the end of the song.
Version 2 Korobushka
This is a cotillion dance mixer version where the gentlemen will change partners. This version is without the wild spins. It will begin with the Couples making a circle with the man’s back to the center of the circle holding hands with the lady in front of him, her back to the outside of the circle.
Step 1 Schottische
Gentlemen:
Schottische forward left foot – forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap (or kick left).
Schottische back right foot – back right, back left, back right, tap (or kick right).
Schottische forward – forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap(or kick left).
Ladies:
Double or schottische back right foot ( back right, back left, back right, tap or kick right)
Forward left foot with Double or Schottische (forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap(or kick left)),
Back right foot ( back right, back left, back right, tap or kick right)
Step 2 Inverted Hungarian Bokazni step
Both partners hop feet apart, feet cross, feet apart, feet close.
(Hungarian Bokazini normally is 1 hop cross feet, 2 hop feet apart, 3 feet close, 4 position held)
Step 3 Double to the right & Left with turn
Partners take 3 steps turning to the right and tap (or kick) -side right, close left, side right, tap left with a clap.
Partners take 3 steps turning to the left and tap (or kick) -side left, close right, side left, tap right with a clap.
Step 4 Balance Steps
Facing partner join hands right to right, both partners step forward right foot 1 tapping left foot next to right foot 2. Next, step back left foot 3 tap right foot next to left foot 4. Partners exchange places by passing lady under the joined right hands for 4 counts.
Repeat Step 3 Double to the right & Left
Partners take 3 steps to the right and tap (or kick) -side right, close left, side right, tap left with a clap.
Partners take 3 steps to the left and tap (or kick) -side left, close right, side left, tap right with a clap.
Repeat Step 4 Balance Steps–
Facing partner join hands right to right, both partners step forward right foot 1 tapping left foot next to right foot 2. Next, step back left foot 3 tap right foot next to left foot 4. Partners exchange places by passing lady under the joined right hands for 4 counts.
*Once past partner, gentlemen progress counterclockwise to the next partner.
Begin again from Step 1 and repeat until the end of the song.
Yiddish Historic Korobushka Version
This is a partnership dance. It will begin with the Couples making a circle in skaters position side by side with the man’s left shoulder to the center of the circle holding cross hands with the lady in front of him, her right shoulder to the outside of the circle.
Step 1 Schottische
Gentlemen:
Schottische forward left foot – forward Left, forward right, forward left, tap (or kick left) Count 1,2,3,4
Schottische back right foot – back right, back left, back right, tap (or kick right).) Count 5,6,7,8.
Ladies:
Schottische forward right foot – forward right, forward left, forward right, tap (or kick right) Count 1,2,3,4
Schottische backward left foot – backward left, backward right, backward left, tap (or kick left) Count 5,6,7,8.
Step 2 Polka Forward
Gentlemen forward left, close right, forward left count 1&2, forward right, forward left, forward right 3&4
Ladies forward right, forward left, forward right count 1&2 forward left, close right, forward left count 3&4
Step 3 Hungarian Bokazni step
Gentlemen hop an point left foot in front of right foot, count 1, hop and point left foot side count 2, hop and close left foot to right foot facing partner count 3, position held count 4.
Ladies, hop and point right foot in front of left foot count 1, hop and point right foot to the side of left foot count 2, hop and close both feet facing partner count 3, position held count 4.
Step 4 Double to the right & Left
Partners take 3 steps to the right and tap with right hand held up high side right, close left, side right, tap left.
Partners take 3 steps to the left and tap-side left, close right, side left, tap right with left hand held high.
Step 5 slow walks
Facing partner join hands right to right, both partners step forward right foot 1 tapping left foot next to right foot 2. Next, step forward left foot 3 tap right foot next to left foot 4. Partners exchange places rotating counterclockwise around each other.
Step 6 Ladies part Hungarian Bokazni
Both partners dance the right foot Hungarian Bokazni. Hop and point right foot in front of left foot count 1, hop and point right foot to the side of left foot count 2, hop and close both feet facing partner count 3, position held count 4.
Repeat Step 4 Double to the right & Left
Partners take 3 steps to the right and tap with right hand held up high side right, close left, side right, tap left.
Partners take 3 steps to the left and tap-side left, close right, side left, tap right with left hand held high.
Repeat Step 5 slow walks
Facing partner join hands right to right, both partners step forward right foot 1 tapping left foot next to right foot 2. Next, step forward left foot 3 tap right foot next to left foot 4. Partners exchange places rotating counterclockwise around each other.
Repeat Step 6 Ladies part Hungarian Bokazni
Both partners dance the right foot Hungarian Bokazni. Hop and point right foot in front of left foot count 1, hop and point right foot to the side of left foot count 2, hop and close both feet facing forward in skater’s position side by side count 3, position held count 4.
Begin again from Step 1 and repeat until the end of the song.
Dance Cast
Anastasia– Robyn Collins
Czar– Craig Tomazin
Court Lady– Jessica Virgo
Military Gentleman– Chris Hall
Dmitri– William Hooker
Narrator– Holly Collins-Tomazin
Holly Collins
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Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korobeinikihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korobeiniki
https://prezi.com/sy2k7bgw0zyz/russian-folk-dance/>
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/dance/Korobushka.html
http://folkdancemusings.blogspot.com/2014/06/korobushka-russia.html
https://www.yiddishdance.com/user/image/korobushka.pdf
http://www.folkdance.com/LDNotations/korobushka.pdf
Korobushka
http://www.folkdance.com/LDNotations/korobushka.pdf