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Russian Nobility Dance "Daniel Cooper"

Dance "Danilo Kupor" or "Daniel Cooper", or "Danila Cooper", was popular among Russian Nobility during Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815).

..."Semen! Do you know the Daniel Cooper?"
This was the count's favorite dance, which he had danced in his youth. (Strictly speaking, Daniel Cooper was one figure of the anglaise.)... read more ("War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy).

Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya (artistic Director Mikhail Smirnov) carefully arranged the music, choreography, and invested over two hundred thousand of roubles into recreation of the costumes that Russian Nobility was wearing during their lavish Nobility Balls. Famous Russian couture and fashion disigner Yana Brink, author of the book Russian Fashion Now (Moscow, Russia, 2006) designed every dress according to historic documents and archives.

Barynya is the only one Russian dance company in the world that performs Daniel Cooper. This dance will be the highlight of any Eastern-European themed concert, or Doctor Zhivago type of party or event.

CONTACT INFORMATION

To get the price quote, ask any questions please send an email to msmirnov@yahoo.com or call (201) 981-2497.

Russian Nobility dance "Daniel Cooper"
«Данила Купер» - танец русских дворян

Watch this video on YouTube.com

World On Stage Dance Festival, Stamford, Connecticut, May 2009.

"World On Stage" Dance Festival took place in Stamford, Connecticut on May 2, 2009 at the "Palace Theatre" (61 Atlantic Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06901). Dancers: Valentina Kvasova, Olga Chpitalnaia, Ksenya Hentisz, Sophia Panych, Mikhail Nesterenko, Andrei Kesselev, Aleksey Klyuchnikov, Alexey Maltsev, Alexander Rudoy. Photos by Dalia Bagdonaite. Click thumbnails to enlarge images and view full size high-resolution pictures.

Ensemble Barynya, photo by Dalia Bagdonaite, Russian Nobility dance "Daniel Cooper"

PHOTOS FROM SLAVIC FESTIVAL IN EUGENE, OREGON, FEBRUARY, 2009.
Click images below to see full size high resolution photos

Dancers Valentina Kvasova, Natalia Ejova, Ksenya Hentisz, Stefan Kuziw, Mikhail Nesterenko, Danila Sherstobitov, and Alexey Maltsev performed Danilo Kupor during the Fourth Annual Slavic Festival in Eugene, Oregon organized by Slavic Home.

Barynya performs Dance of Russian Nobility "Danilo Kupor", at the Slavic festival in Eugene, Oregon, February 2009

Barynya performs Dance of Russian Nobility "Daniel Cooper", at the Slavic festival in Eugene, Oregon, February 2009

About Danila Cooper dance

It seems that dance "Daniel Cooper" (in Russian version, "Danilo Kupor") was an actual dance - to be more precise, contradance, an old English dance characterized by quick and easy movements.

F. F. Wiegel in his "Memoirs" (part 1, M., 1864, p. 62, first published in "Russky Vestnik", 1856) wrote that "one of these contradances was named a Danilo Kupor, probably after its composer, a certain Englishman Cooper".

Danila Cooper dance ladies dresses

Beautiful historical gowns for female dancers were made by famous New York based Russian couture Yana Brink www.yanabrink.com.

Yana Brink Barynya Danila Cooper

"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy: Daniel Cooper dance scene

"Look at Papa!" shouted Natasha to the whole company, and quite forgetting that she was dancing with a grown-up partner she bent her curly head to her knees and made the whole room ring with her laughter.

And indeed everybody in the room looked with a smile of pleasure at the jovial old gentleman, who standing beside his tall and stout partner, Marya Dmitrievna, curved his arms, beat time, straightened his shoulders, turned out his toes, tapped gently with his foot, and, by a smile that broadened his round face more and more, prepared the onlookers for what was to follow. As soon as the provocatively gay strains of Daniel Cooper (somewhat resembling those of a merry peasant dance) began to sound, all the doorways of the ballroom were suddenly filled by the domestic serfs- the men on one side and the women on the other- who with beaming faces had come to see their master making merry.

"Just look at the master! A regular eagle he is!" loudly remarked the nurse, as she stood in one of the doorways.

The count danced well and knew it. But his partner could not and did not want to dance well. Her enormous figure stood erect, her powerful arms hanging down (she had handed her reticule to the countess), and only her stern but handsome face really joined in the dance. What was expressed by the whole of the count's plump figure, in Marya Dmitrievna found expression only in her more and more beaming face and quivering nose. But if the count, getting more and more into the swing of it, charmed the spectators by the unexpectedness of his adroit maneuvers and the agility with which he capered about on his light feet, Marya Dmitrievna produced no less impression by slight exertions- the least effort to move her shoulders or bend her arms when turning, or stamp her foot- which everyone appreciated in view of her size and habitual severity.

The dance grew livelier and livelier. The other couples could not attract a moment's attention to their own evolutions and did not even try to do so. All were watching the count and Marya Dmitrievna. Natasha kept pulling everyone by sleeve or dress, urging them to "look at Papa!" though as it was they never took their eyes off the couple. In the intervals of the dance the count, breathing deeply, waved and shouted to the musicians to play faster. Faster, faster, and faster; lightly, more lightly, and yet more lightly whirled the count, flying round Marya Dmitrievna, now on his toes, now on his heels; until, turning his partner round to her seat, he executed the final pas, raising his soft foot backwards, bowing his perspiring head, smiling and making a wide sweep with his arm, amid a thunder of applause and laughter led by Natasha. Both partners stood still, breathing heavily and wiping their faces with their cambric handkerchiefs.

"That's how we used to dance in our time, ma chere," said the count.

"That was a Daniel Cooper!" exclaimed Marya Dmitrievna, tucking up her sleeves and puffing heavily... read more

Russian Nobility Ball in American and Russian movies

CONTACT INFORMATION

To get the price quote, ask any questions please send an email to msmirnov@yahoo.com or call (201) 981-2497.

CONTACT INFORMATION

To get the price quote, ask any questions please send an email to msmirnov@yahoo.com or call (201) 981-2497.

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Barynya is the biggest and the best Russian dance and music ensemble outside of Russia (New York, USA). Russian, Gypsy, Cossack, Ukrainian dances, songs and music with live accompaniment of balalaika, domra, garmoshka, Gypsy guitar, bayan, violin and contrabass balalaika