Durres: Albanian Folk Dance Class with Traditional Costumes

Learn Albania's traditional circle dances from a professional folk dancer in Durres, then dress up in a traditional Albanian costume and take home photos and a video.
Every Albanian wedding, birthday and village festival ends the same way: everyone on their feet, hands joined in a circle, following a leader who waves a handkerchief. In this 90-minute class in Durres, a professional folk dancer teaches you how it's done, step by step, in a group of no more than 10.

The welcome is a small Albanian ritual of its own: a glass of raki for adults or juice for children, served with a traditional sweet. While you settle in, your instructor explains why dance matters so much in Albanian life. You'll also see the motifs embroidered on the costumes, handed down from one generation to the next.

Then you're on your feet. You start with Pogonishte, a slow, proud dance from Pogon in the south that is now danced at celebrations across the country, all together in one big circle. After a short break, the tempo rises with Napoloni, the lively wedding dance of Tirana, which has an echo of the Italian tarantella in its rhythm. Your instructor goes through each basic step slowly until everyone has it, and you can dance as much or as little as you like. No experience is needed.

To finish, you'll see how Albania's north, centre and south each dress for a celebration. Choose your favourite region and try on the full outfit, or just a few pieces such as the white felt qeleshe cap or an embroidered vest, then pose for photos. You leave with the photos and a video of your group dancing.

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