Dancing Bears: Take II

Last year I had my first experience with the traditional Bear Dance Festival in my town with a few other volunteers. So this year, I was grateful to share this outrageous and interesting tradition with a few other volunteers.

Traditionally, Romanians in this part of the country caught bears when they were young and taught them to dance to the beat of a drum using some Pavlovian conditionals and hot coals. Once that practice was outlawed, villagers decided to just kill bears and dance themselves, wearing the bear skins.

Marta was very excited to witness the event after hearing my descriptions of last year. She took the early morning train and we made cinnamon rolls for when the other volunteers in our county arrived. From my balcony we got to witness one of the bear troops coming down from the hills to town for the competition.


After breakfast, we ventured into the center of town where the contest was taking place. We watched some bear dances, a goat dance, and a skit performed by some old men in wigs that I couldn’t understand for the life of me. I showed the other volunteers around my site and we met a few of my students dressed in their bear outfits.



When I see my students outside of class at a function like this one, it reminds me of the bigger picture that Peace Corps is involved with. My students may not all be learning perfect English, but hopefully they will remember the year or two they had that American teacher who was so different. It is incredibly empowering to know that you are broadening the horizons of children just by being yourself. What seems completely normal to me is sometimes something completely foreign to my students. Sharing those ideas and experiences is much more important than perfect grammar or pronunciation.

This is such an isolated and special tradition. I am so grateful that I was placed here so that I got to experience it and all the kindness I have been shown from the people of my town.