How to Perform a Thread and Turn Step Combination in Bulgarian Folk Dancing
- 1). Begin by standing normally, with your feet together. Hop lightly and spread your feet to shoulder width as you land. This is done on the count of one.
- 2). Kick backward with your left foot and spin clockwise in a complete 360 on your right foot, ending up standing with your feet at shoulder width, as before. This will take both the counts of two and three.
- 3). Take another slight hop, this time putting your weight momentarily on your left leg as you kick backward with your right foot, bending only at the knee. This will be done on the count of four, making the dance somewhat unorthodox.
- 4). Perform the thread movement while doing the turn step by holding out your arms as if you are about to hug someone. Cross your arms in front of your chest, but keep them far enough apart to not touch one another. Spin them around one another as if you were spooling thread (hence the name of the movement). Do this as quickly as you can; spin them at a steady but fast rate for the counts of one,two and three. On the count of four, momentarily slow the spinning to about half speed, then resume the pace when the count starts all over again. You can continue this combination for as long as you wish. In a real Bulgarian folk dance, the end of a step would be signaled by a dance master or choreographer.