In Romania, lad's dances are a type of men's folk dance that is performed at festivals, weddings, and holidays, as well as on stage.
The variations within each community all display virtuosity and harmonious combinations of movement and rhythm. Dance leaders and coordinators are designated for training and integrating group members, while the second leader is selected based on his skills as a performer and leads the dance. Dancers are divided into groups of boys and men (ages 5 to 70), and they include Romanians, Hungarians, and Roma dancers.
This list is an approximate summary of group men's dances from Transylvania; Feciorește from Southern Transylvania (a predominantly Romanian region) has some less developed versions that may be intermediate between the Carpathian men's dances and the more developed dances from other parts of Transylvania which include many Verbunk influenced themes. These dances are usually performed in asymmetric rhythms.
A derivative of stick dances using sticks is Călușerul (from the Călușerii ritual), De bâtă (with sticks), Bota (stick), or Haidău, where a woman is a prop. This has its roots in the Hayduck dances found in Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary (Hajdu, Botolo), and Poland (Zbojnicki). They were found widely in the 16th and 17th centuries and were popular in Romania. The Romanian edition, however, retains the Romanian group structure without any fighting movements.
Hungarian and Romanian traditions merged in central Transylvania, creating the Romanian Feciorește and Hungarian Legényes. These are formed from elements called points (ponts) that are combined with a finishing sequence to fit the musical phrasing and are known in Mezoség as Figuras, Suru Magyar, Suru Tempo, Fogasolas, and Pontozó. It's believed the slow Hungarian lads' dance (Ritka Magyar) originated from the Hayduck dances, but it incorporated later music and dance features before the 19th-century Verbunk.
The Verbunk (Romanian Barbunc) is a dance of recruiting into the Austrian Hapsburg army. During the 18th century, an informal structure with many moves and figures, including spur clicks, boot and leg slaps, and many more features were incorporated into the group dances of Transylvania and added to the couple dances.
In addition to contributing to intercultural dialogue, this aspect offers an opportunity to learn more about cultural diversity by watching local performers dance at regional events or observing the idiosyncrasies of different ethnicities.
As part of the community, all members bear the element and taking part in the dance, whether as a performer or spectator, enhances social cohesion. However, Lad’s dances provide young men the opportunity to get involved in their community, build teamwork, and remain active, and they liven up many special events in Romania.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/lads-dances-in-romania-01092 https://eliznik.org.uk/traditions-in-romania/traditional-dance/ceata-mens-group-dances/fecioreste-lads-dances/)