The Dance of the Calusari

Monday July 6 at 6AM-7AM
Hosted by SAL 9000
KFJC rebroadcasts a special that originally aired on Mayhem 31, 2016 (see playlist). The dance of the Calusari was a traditional dance performed in the Oltenia region of southern Romania as part of the Calus ritual. The Calus ritual featured a series of games, songs and dances and was enacted by male Calusari dancers to the accompaniment of two violins and an accordion. The groups of Calusari dancers, sporting colourful hats, embroidered shirts and trousers adorned with small jingling bells, performed complex dances, which combined stamping, clicking of the heels, and acrobatic leaps. According to tradition, the Calusari, who were thought to be endowed with magical healing powers, went from house to house, promising good health and prosperity.