View source for Leventikos

{{Short description|Type of dance}}
{{No footnotes|date=May 2020}}
{{Music of Greece}}

'''Leventikos''' ({{langx|el|Λεβέντικος}}, ''Levéntikos''); or '''Bufčansko''' ({{langx|mk|Буфчанско}}), also known as ''Litós'' (Λιτός), ''Kucano'', ''Nešo'' or ''Pusteno'', is a [[dance]] of [[West Macedonia|western]] [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], mainly performed by [[ethnic Macedonians]] and [[Greeks]] in the town of [[Florina]], [[Greece]] and in the [[Municipality of Resen|Resen]] and [[Bitola]] regions in the neighbouring [[North Macedonia]].

Reflecting the dance steps: ''slow''-''quick-quick-slow-quick'', the meter comprises five beats of varying length but these lengths come in different variations: 
*One is {{music|time|12|8}}, counting the beats as {{serif|'''3+2+2+3+2'''}}, with the metric {{serif|'''3'''}}'s divided into [[tuplet|quadruplets]], but at higher speed, the metric accents may sound more like {{serif|'''3+4+3+2'''}}. 
*Another one is {{music|time|16|8}}, counting the beats as {{serif|'''4+2+3+4+3'''}}, where metric {{serif|'''4'''}}'s have sub-beats {{serif|'''2+2'''}}.
The third (second {{serif|'''2'''}}) beat may be lengthened relative to its written value in both variations but less so at higher speeds. The last (third {{serif|'''2'''}}) beat may be shortened, a common Balkan treatment of meters.  

The {{music|time|12|8}} meter appears in traditional Northern and Southern [[Albania]]n ballads, in dance tunes such as ''Berace'', and in Macedonian dances such as ''Beranče'', ''Bajrače'' and ''[[Bufčansko]]'' (Macedonian: Буфчанско; also called ''Bufskoto'' or ''Bufsko''). The {{music|time|16|8}} meter has appeared more recently in various tunes for the Leventikos dance in the Florina region of Greece, and in Macedonian dances like ''Pušteno'', in renditions of the same songs that were traditionally rendered in {{music|time|11|8}} or {{music|time|12|8}}. For example, for the tune ''Ibraim Odza'' there are different performances in both {{music|time|12|8}} and {{music|time|16|8}} .

The Levendikos dance performed in Petroussa is very different from the one in [[Florina]].

==In popular culture==
* The Buvčansko theme can also be heard as part of Macedon's theme in [[Civilization VI]].

==See also==
*[[Music of North Macedonia|Macedonian music]]
*[[Greek dances]]
*[[Greek folk music]]
*[[Hora (dance)]]

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090817133409/http://joancarolfriedberg.com/iofapaper.html Cultural Change in Traditional Dances in Florina, Greece]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100703042048/http://www.dunav.org.il/balkan_music_index.html#macedonia Play or download the music of Zensko Berance]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100703042048/http://www.dunav.org.il/balkan_music_index.html#greekmacedonia Play or download the music for Levendikos and Pusteno]
* [http://paroutsas.jmc.gr/dances/macedon/lytos.htm Dance description (in Greek) of the Poustseno]
* [http://www.banitsa.com:8000/ Radio Banitsa frequently plays variations of the Poustseno and the 3+2+2+3+2 rhythm]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Music of North Macedonia}}
{{Greek dances}}
{{Macedonian Oro}}

[[Category:Greek dances]]
[[Category:Music of Greece]]
[[Category:European folk dances]]
[[Category:Macedonian dances]]