OLEG DANCE

The Oleg dance is depicting a flirtation between two tumble bees while seeking honey among the flowers in a flower garden.

Originally, it was danced by only one girl and called Oleg, a general term meaning the swaying of a dancer. Later, a male part was added to make it a duet, and the dance gained a new theme depicting two bumblebees (tambulilingan) flirting in a garden. The female enters first. In light, quick steps she 'cles the stage, fluttering the long silk scarf's that hang from her sides. If the dancer is a good one, she conveys all the beguiling qualities of a young coquette. At one moment, she is moody and temperamental, her eyes narrow and her lips spread slightly into a seductive smile. The next, she is scornful. She turns, snubbing her viewers-only to return as the most feminine creature with a whimsical air of innocence.

The female's solo is a strenuous one. Her movements must fiow' from subdued and delicate to tense gestures of haughtiness and disdain. At one point, she dances in the seated position. The sensuous sweeps of her hands, the tremble of her fingers and the fluctuating moods that pass and change, incarnate the idea of woman. The male enters unnoticed, eyes her, and cocks his head with a half-smile of affirmation. He moves forward to make a conquest. At first, they shy away from the moment of contact, yet woo with a display of their graces while pretending to be unaware of the other's fascinating presence. As the circle of flight grows smaller, the flirting increases. The female teases him, he moves forward, she draws back in feigned surprise, yet is secretly pleased with her success. They come together, bringing their faces close in an affectionate caress, then swirl apart in retreat, only to return to one an other again. In the end, they fall in love and leave together.