Wunitzian Dances

The tiny Queendom of Wunitzia was founded in 1546, when, after centuries of feuding, a peace treaty was signed between the powerful Wu and Moonitz clans. This treaty established the extraordinary “bi-queenal” governing structure – two equal co-rulers, one from each clan – that has fascinated scholars of government ever since. From its founding, Wunitzia was an open and forward-thinking place, welcoming dissidents, Gypsies, Jews, escaped slaves, and others who had been exiled or driven from all over the world. Bordered by Transylvania and Austria to the west, Macedonia and Romania to the east, Argentina and Brazil to the south, and Louisiana to the north, Wunitzia’s traditional art and music incorporates aspects of all of these surrounding cultures. The traditional Wunitzian court instrument is named after its founding queens, Queen Claire and Queen Annette, and is traditionally performed in pairs, with one representing the Wu clan and the other the Moonitz clan. A typical Wunitzian dance suite, like the one presented here, consists of three dances of increasing speed and intensity: a free, rhapsodic doina, followed by a mid-tempo “dance of passion,” closing with a vigorous, up-tempo hoedown.