Our partner Kostya Butsura and dancers from Hora Romaneasca (http://www.horaromaneasca.org) introduce us to the Romanian folk dance, the Alunelul.

Romania is a culturally and historically rich nation located in Southeastern Europe. It is also ancient — evidence exists of modern human (Homo Sapiens) habitation of the land for at least 40,000 years. In the Middle Ages there were three Romanian principalities, one of which was Wallachia, home of ferocious 15th century leader "Vlad the Impaler," inspiration for the fictional Count Dracula. (He ruled Wallachia three different times in the 1400s.) The Ottoman Turks conquered Romania in 1541. Romanians rebelled several times and earned their independence -- more than 300 years later. In World War I Romania sided with the victorious Allies and was able to take back a lot of its long-lost land, ushering in the short-lived age of "Romania Mare" -- "GREAT ROMANIA." During the very difficult World War II little was "great" in Romania and after World War II the Soviets occupied. Since the USSR fell, Romania has inched slowly back toward greatness.