MAN: ALL RIGHT.

GO AHEAD.

READY?

YEAH.

AAH!

HA HA HA!

MICKELA MALLOZZI: I'M A DANCER... AND I'M A TRAVELER.

AND WHEREVER I GO, I EXPERIENCE THE WORLD ONE DANCE AT A TIME.

I'M MICKELA MALLOZZI, AND THIS IS "BARE FEET."

WELCOME TO ROMANIA, WHERE I'M HERE TO DISCOVER MY EASTERN EUROPEAN ROOTS.

MY DNA MAP INCLUDES THIS MULTI-ETHNIC COUNTRY.

ROMANIA IS GEOGRAPHICALLY EASTERN EUROPEAN AND CULTURALLY CONNECTED TO THE BALKANS, WHILE ITS LANGUAGE IS A MIXTURE OF ROMANCE AND SLAVIC LANGUAGES, SOUNDING VERY FAMILIAR TO ME WITH ITS CLOSE RELATION TO ITALIAN.

ROMANIA IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR TRANSYLVANIA, THE REGION OF THIS COUNTRY WHERE THE LEGEND OF DRACULA WAS BORN, BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THIS COUNTRY THAN STORIES OF VAMPIRES AND TUCKED-AWAY CASTLES.

I'M HERE TO IMMERSE MYSELF FULLY IN ITS RICH DANCE AND MUSIC CULTURE AND OF COURSE SEE HOW THIS FORMER COMMUNIST COUNTRY HAS EVOLVED AND FLOURISHED OVER THE LAST DECADE TO TODAY.

MY FIRST STOP TAKES ME TO THE VILLAGE OF RASINARI.

SITUATED RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE QUAINT TOWN OF SIBIU, KNOWN FOR ITS WINDOWS THAT EERILY LOOK LIKE EYES, IN THE REGION OF TRANSYLVANIA, THE VILLAGE OF RASINARI IS HOME TO THE CALUSARII DANCERS.

[TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN MUSIC PLAYING] THE CALUSARII DIN RASINARI DANCE GROUP WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME JOIN THEM IN AN AFTERNOON OF DANCE.

WE JUST GOT HERE TO ROMANIA, AND I THINK THE FIRST DANCE THAT I'M GONNA DO IS PROBABLY GONNA BE THE HARDEST.

IT IS THE CALUSARII, AND THESE KIDS BEHIND ME ARE SO CUTE.

I CANNOT WAIT TO DANCE WITH THEM.

SO ARE WE ALL GONNA DANCE?

I THINK WE'RE GONNA DANCE.

HA HA!

EVERYONE'S SHY.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE FIRST DOCUMENTED CALUSARII DATE BACK OVER 400 YEARS, KNOWN TO BE MEMBERS OF A SECRET FRATERNAL ROMANIAN SOCIETY, PRACTICING DANCES THAT WOULD EMULATE FLYING IN THE AIR.

THEIR ACROBATIC DANCES WERE TIED TO THEIR PATRON IN ROMANIAN MYTHOLOGY DOAMNA ZINELOR, OR THE QUEEN OF THE FAIRIES, WHO IS CLOSELY RELATED TO THE ROMAN GODDESS DIANA.

[SINGING IN ROMANIAN] THIS 5-CENTURY-YEAR-OLD PAGAN DANCE HAS SINCE EVOLVED WITH THE COMING OF CHRISTIANITY TO THE REGION.

1, 2, 1, 2, 3.

AH, AH, AH, AH, AH, AH, AH, AH, AH.

[GIRLS GIGGLING] LET'S DANCE!

LET'S DO THIS!

HEH HEH HEH!

SO I'M TURNING INTO A CALUSARII RIGHT NOW.

THERE WE GO.

OOH.

IT'S HEAVY.

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THIS HAT?

CACIULA.

CACIULA.

CACIULA.

CACIULA.

[BELLS JINGLING] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE CALUSARII DANCES WERE ORIGINALLY USED TO RID THE VILLAGE OF EVIL SPIRITS, HENCE THE VIGOROUS DANCING, JUMPING, AND THE BELLS.

IT'S HARD TO DANCE WITH THIS HAT ON.

IT'S LIKE-- HA HA HA!

I WANT TO LEAN THIS WAY.

[MUSIC PLAYING] MAN: THIS IS A LEGACY FROM OUR...

ANCESTORS.

ANCESTORS.

UH-HUH.

WE DO THIS SINCE WE WERE... LITTLE CHILDREN JUST LIKE OUR LITTLE ONE OVER THERE.

MALLOZZI: THE BLACK AND WHITE TRADITIONAL COSTUMES ARE ICONIC TO SIBIU, AND THESE FOLK DANCES FROM THIS AREA GO BACK GENERATIONS.

HA!

ALMOST!

IT'S LIKE AN UNEVEN FEEL OF THE... ♪ DA DA ♪ DA DA ♪ YEAH, AND A LITTLE SICK--A LITTLE SICK.

HA HA HA!

WHOO!

ALMOST IN EVERY CULTURE THAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR, MEN LOVE TO SHOW OFF FANCY FOOTWORK TO IMPRESS THE LADIES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE RIGHT NOW WITH BATTUTA.

BATTUTA SOUNDS LIKE IT MEANS HIT, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE HITTING THEIR FEET, AND THE MORE IMPRESSIVE THEY ARE, THE MORE IMPRESSED THE GIRLS ARE, AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS A COURTSHIP DANCE.

[SINGING IN ROMANIAN] MALLOZZI: YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS FANCY WORK.

IT'S TO SHOW OFF, RIGHT?

JUST LIKE THIS PEACOCK FEATHER IS TO REALLY SHOW OFF.

WHO'S THE BEST, RIGHT, GETS THE GIRL, HUH?

HA HA HA!

AAH!

YEAH!

I GOT IT!

HA HA HA!

AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA DRESS ME UP AS ONE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL LADIES, AND I'M GONNA A LITTLE PART OF THE WOMEN'S DANCE IN THIS SWEAT.

[WOMEN SINGING IN ROMANIAN] ONLY GETS TIGHTER.

GOING BACK TO MY ROMANIAN ROOTS.

IT'S--YEAH.

MULTUMESC.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE COLLECTIVE FEELING OF THE CIRCLE'S MOVEMENTS GUIDED ME AND MADE ME FEEL SO CONNECTED TO THESE WOMEN.

[SINGING IN ROMANIAN] THEY SING TRADITIONAL SONGS OF WIVES WAITING FOR THEIR HUSBANDS TO RETURN HOME FROM A HARD DAY'S WORK.

MALLOZZI: MY DNA COMES FROM ROMANIA.

SO THIS WAS MY WAY OF CONNECTING WITH MY DNA ROOTS WAS WITH YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME FEEL SO CONNECTED.

THIS IS, LIKE, VERY EMOTIONAL FOR ME.

OH!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU REALLY.

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MULTUMESC.

MULTUMESC!

MALLOZZI: THE TRADITIONS OF ROMANIA RUN DEEP, AND WE MAKE OUR WAY TO THE NORTHERN REGION OF BUKOVINA TO EXPERIENCE THE HISTORICAL CULTURE OF EASTERN EUROPE.

BUKOVINA IS ACTUALLY SPLIT IN HALF BETWEEN ROMANIA AND UKRAINE, AND WE'RE HERE WITH OUR GUIDE TUDOR MAXIM, WHERE HE AND HIS WIFE ANDA TAKE ME AROUND TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTIFUL, MAJESTIC FORESTS OF HIS HOMETOWN CAMPULUNG MOLDOVENESC.

TUDOR AND ANDA BRING ME FIRST TO THE IOAN GRAMADA ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM, A TRADITIONAL VILLAGE RE-CREATED TO REPRESENT WHAT LIFE IN THIS LITTLE VILLAGE USED TO BE LIKE.

WE ARE GREETED BY THE OWNER AND FOUNDER OF THIS MUSEUM IOAN GRAMADA, WHO WELCOMES ME TRADITIONALLY WITH HOMEMADE BREAD AND SALT, A SIGN OF HOSPITALITY TO NEW GUESTS.

I AM IMMEDIATELY TRANSPORTED BACK IN HISTORY TO A MUCH SIMPLER TIME.

HOW DO YOU SAY, "CHEERS?"

NOROC.

NOROC!

NOROC!

NOROC!

NOROC!

[SPEAKING ROMANIAN] NOROC.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: IOAN AND HIS WIFE RE-CREATED AN ENTIRE MINI VERSION OF WHAT THE LOCAL VILLAGE USED TO LOOK LIKE FOR CENTURIES.

EACH STRUCTURE AND BUILDING HOUSED A SPECIFIC SKILL AND SET OF ARTIFACTS DEPICTING THAT PART OF TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN LIFE.

IOAN SHOWS ME HIS INCREDIBLE COLLECTION FROM FAMILY ARTIFACTS TO ITEMS COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE VILLAGE FROM GENERATIONS PAST.

[TRADITIONAL ROMANIAN MUSIC PLAYING] WOW!

WOW!

OOF!

IT'S WARM!

HOO!

TUDOR: THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE MY GRANDPARENTS' KITCHEN WAS LOOKING LIKE.

OH, MY GOSH.

THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE WERE LIVING ACTUALLY.

LIKE, IN MOST OF THE HOUSES, THERE WERE ONLY TWO ROOMS, AND ONE ROOM, IT'S FOR GUESTS AND NEVER USED, AND THIS ONE ALL THE FAMILY STAYS IN, COOKS, SEWS, UH...

THE WHOLE FAMILY?

DO ALL THE WORK, YEAH.

LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN A FAMILY?

OH.

4, 5, 6.

AND IT'S SMALL.

WE'RE IN A REALLY, REALLY SMALL ROOM.

OH, IT'S LARGER THAN MY GRANDPARENTS'.

REALLY?

YEAH.

MY GOODNESS.

MALLOZZI: IN THIS TINY, LITTLE HOUSE YOU HAVE, PEOPLE CAN COME, TRY ON THESE OUTFITS, SEE THESE BEAUTIFUL TREASURES THAT YOU HAVE.

THEY'RE WONDERFUL.

MULTUMESC.

MULTUMESC.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND DOING THIS.

TUDOR'S HOMETOWN OF CAMPULUNG MOLDOVENESC IS A PICTURESQUE VILLAGE WITH WOODEN HOUSES THAT DATE BACK TO THE MID-1800s.

BUILT ALONG THE BANKS OF THE MOLDOVA RIVER, THIS VILLAGE IS TUCKED AWAY IN THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS SURROUNDED BY BEAUTIFUL FORESTS.

OUR NEXT STOP IS TO THE PAINTED EGGS MUSEUM, WHERE I MEET LETITIA ORSIVSCHI, AN ARTIST WHO REVEALS TO ME THE HIDDEN SYMBOLS OF THE EGG MOTIFS FROM BUKOVINA.

SHE'S DRAWING PERFECTLY STRAIGHT LINES ACROSS THIS EGG.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE FINE PAINT BRUSH CONSISTING OF ONE SINGULAR HORSE HAIR TO PAINT WITH THE COLORED BEESWAX ALLOWS LETICIA TO CREATE SUCH FINE LINES, BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THERE IS VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR.

IN BUKOVINA, SUN AND WATER REPRESENT TWO VITAL ELEMENTS FOR LIFE.

I PAINT NOW CURVED LINES.

AHH.

IT'S NOT JUST BEAUTIFUL LOOKING.

THERE'S ALWAYS SYMBOLISM TO EVERYTHING.

YES.

RED FOR THE LOVE, GREEN FOR THE HEALTH, BLUE FOR THE INTERIOR PEACE, AND YELLOW FOR THE PROSPERITY.

WOW!

AND THESE 3 COLORS IS LIKE ONE PROTECTION FOR THE TRINITY.

THE TRINITY.

SO...

BOTH: YELLOW, RED, AND BLACK.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE TRADITION OF PAINTING EGGS STARTED OVER 600 YEARS AGO IN CELEBRATION OF THE EASTER HOLIDAY.

ORIGINALLY, ONLY NATURAL ELEMENTS WERE USED TO DYE THE BEESWAX, INCLUDING COAL FOR THE COLOR BLACK, MINT FOR THE COLOR GREEN, ONION FOR YELLOW, AND BEETS FOR THE COLOR RED.

I PAINT NOW, LIKE, A DOMINANT COLOR WITH THIS RED.

IT'S SO, LIKE, MEDITATIVE TO WATCH HER DO THIS, BUT I'M ALSO SMELLING THIS BEESWAX, AND IT'S JUST THIS BEAUTIFUL SORT OF CALMING WAY.

IT'S VERY NICE.

IT'S REALLY NICE.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: LETICIA LEFT THE OTHER HALF OF MY EGG FOR ME TO TRY AND PAINT.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT!

OH, GOSH.

I'M SHAKING OVER HERE.

YOU HAVE SUCH A STEADY HAND.

I'M NERVOUS.

I GOT TO HOLD MY BREATH.

WHEW!

THAT IS-- THAT'S HARD.

VERY NICE.

I GOT NERVOUS.

BUT IT'S VERY, VERY FINE AND VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU.

MULTUMESC.

VERY, VERY GOOD.

I LOVE WHAT THIS REPRESENTS, FAMILY, HEALTH, PROSPERITY, LIFE, LOVE.

AND GOD PROTECTION... AND GOD PROTECTION.

FOR EVERY LIFE MOMENT.

HIGH-FIVE!

YES!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: OUR LAST STOP HERE IN BUKOVINA BRINGS ME TO TUDOR'S OWN FAMILY, HIS MOTHER GABRIELA ALONG WITH HIS FATHER MIHAI OWN A BED AND BREAKFAST, AND THEY WELCOME GUESTS INTO THEIR HOME ALL YEAR LONG.

TONIGHT WAS A SPECIAL NIGHT FOR ALL OF US AS WE ARE CELEBRATING BOTH MIHAI'S BIRTHDAY AND ANDA'S BIRTHDAY.

[GIRLS SINGING IN ROMANIAN] TUDOR'S FAMILY'S HOSPITALITY WAS NEVER-ENDING, AND ON TOP OF THE FOOD AND FAMILY, THERE WAS OF COURSE MUSIC, SINGING, AND DANCING!

HEY!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: FAMILY AND TRADITION ARE WHAT THRIVE HERE IN BUKOVINA, AND AFTER BECOMING AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF TUDOR AND ANDA'S FAMILY, I MEET WITH UP WITH THE ANSAMBLUL BALADA HUMORULUI TO UNDERSTAND HOW DANCE IN THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE.

MALLOZZI: I'M GONNA DANCE WITH YOU, YES?

SO I THINK BEFORE I DANCE WITH YOU I NEED TO CHANGE.

LOTS OF LAYERS.

LOTS AND LOTS OF LAYERS.

I'M ROMANIAN!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE FIRST DANCE I TRY IS THE HORA.

THE HORA IS THE MOST COMMON FOLK DANCE DONE IN ROMANIA AND THROUGHOUT THE BALKANS, AND THE ROOT OF THE SLAVIC TRANSLATION CAN MEAN "CIRCLE" BUT ALSO "CELEBRATION."

CIRCLE DANCES USED TO CELEBRATE WITHIN COMMUNITIES ARE FOUND IN MOST TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD.

MALLOZZI: HOW DID YOU LEARN THESE DANCES?

WE ARE JUST GOING THROUGH THESE-- LOT OF SIMPLE STEPS, BUT THEN THEY KEEP ADDING A LITTLE HOP.

CAN WE DO THAT ONE AGAIN WHERE IT'S A LITTLE... ♪ DA DA ♪ DEE DA ♪ OF COURSE.

♪ DA DA DA ♪ DA DA DA ♪ ♪ RA DA DA ♪ RA DA DA ♪ OH, I'M GETTING DIZZY.

AAH!

OH, JEEZ!

HA HA!

OH, GOD!

HA HA HA!

OK!

HA HA!

WAIT, WAIT.

AAH!

MALLOZZI: THE BOYS SHOW ME THE SARBA DANCE, A VERY FAST DANCE THAT IS MEANT TO SHOW OFF THE LEGWORK OF THE MEN, HENCE THE OUTFITS THE MEN WEAR IN ORDER TO REVEAL THEIR MOVEMENTS.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DANCE THAT REMINDS ME OF THE CLASSICAL ROND DE JAMBES DONE IN BALLET CLASS.

IT WAS REALLY AMAZING TO SEE THESE YOUNG KIDS KEEPING THEIR TRADITIONS ALIVE AND REALLY ENJOYING THEMSELVES.

NOW I KNOW WHY I FEEL SO CLOSELY CONNECTED TO THIS BECAUSE MY DNA IS FROM THIS PART OF THE WORLD, SO IT'S REALLY AMAZING TO UNDERSTAND WHY I LOVE THESE DANCES SO MUCH.

THE ANSAMBLUL BALADA HUMORULUI PERFORMS NIGHTLY TO VISITORS COMING TO BUKOVINA WITH A MISSION TO KEEP THESE TRADITIONS ALIVE, PASS THEM DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF ROMANIANS, AND ALSO SHARE THEM WITH THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE THAT COMES FROM THIS AREA.

FROM THE TRADITIONS OF THE NORTH IN BUKOVINA, I MAKE MY WAY SOUTH TO ROMANIA'S CAPITAL CITY OF BUCHAREST.

I MEET WITH MY DEAR FRIEND MONICA SUMA, BUCHAREST LOCAL AND FORMER EXPAT OF THIS CITY.

BUCHAREST IS KNOWN AS LITTLE PARIS OR THE PARIS OF THE EAST, AND ITS ARCHITECTURE REFLECTS ITS HISTORY AND THE MANY EMPIRES THAT INFLUENCED ITS POLITICAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE COMMUNIST-ERA RULE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY.

MONICA: WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS CORNER IS THE DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.

YOU HAVE THE PARISIAN STYLE, YOU HAVE MODERNISTS, YOU HAVE ART DECO, YOU HAVE, LIKE, A BIT OF SOVIET.

IT'S VERY ECLECTIC.

IT'S NEVER BORING, SO THERE'S A LOT TO SEE.

WE'RE IN REVOLUTION SQUARE NOW, WHERE THE ROMANIAN REVOLUTION STARTED IN 1989.

YOU HAVE THE LIBRARY, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, WHICH IS VERY BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT.

FORMER ROYAL PALACE.

NOW IT'S THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART.

THERE'S THE ATHENEE PALACE HILTON, WHERE THERE WERE SPIES FORMERLY GETTING INFORMATION.

WOW!

[MAN SINGING IN ROMANIAN] I WANT TO SHOW YOU PALATUL UNIVERSUL, WHICH WAS A HISTORICAL PRINTING HOUSE THAT'S NOW REOPENED AS A CREATIVE HUB.

MONICA: ON EACH FLOOR, YOU FIND ALL SORTS OF SPECIALTY COFFEE SHOPS, CONCEPT STORES, CO-WORKING SPACE, AND IT'S BECOME PART OF THE CREATIVE QUARTER OF BUCHAREST.

ROMANIA'S STILL KIND OF TRANSITIONING, AND IT'S KIND OF UP AND DOWN, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE NOW IN TERMS OF BUSINESS, AND THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL, THERE ARE SO MANY BUILDINGS LIKE THIS.

IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC AND CHANGING CITY, AND I REALLY LIKE THAT.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: AS MONICA SUGGESTED, BUCHAREST IS A CITY WHOSE HISTORY IS DIRECTLY INFLUENCING ITS EVER-CHANGING AND EVOLVING FUTURE.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT RECAPITULATION OF THE ROMANIAN IDENTITY IS THROUGH THE WHIMSICAL WORK OF MADALINA ANDRONIC, ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR BASED HERE IN BUCHAREST.

MADALINA IS KNOWN FOR HER COLORFUL WORK THAT DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE PAST WHILE CREATING MODERN PIECES THROUGH THE LENS OF HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

MADALINA: THE MAIN INSPIRATION FOR EVERYTHING WAS MY GRANDMOTHER BECAUSE SHE'S FROM MOLDOVA.

SHE USED TO TELL ME A LOT OF DIFFERENT STORIES AND TALES AND CUSTOMS, AND WE USED TO MAKE TINY RITUALS TOGETHER WHEN I WAS A YOUNG CHILD.

THE LATEST TWO BOOKS I'VE BEEN ILLUSTRATING AND WROTE ARE "FAIRY DUST" AND "LOVE AND FATE FOR GIRLS WHO CAN'T WAIT."

THOSE TWO WERE VERY MUCH INSPIRED BY LOCAL MYTHOLOGY AND TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS.

MALLOZZI: MADALINA'S APPROACH TO STORYTELLING THROUGH HER ILLUSTRATIONS HAS BEEN USED WORLDWIDE FOR HOUSEHOLD NAME BRANDS INCLUDING NIVEA, "GLAMOUR MAGAZINE," AND NETFLIX.

MADALINA: I TRY TO RETELL OLD STORIES THROUGH NEW WORDS AND IMAGERY SO THAT PEOPLE NOWADAYS CAN STILL REMEMBER SOMETHING.

YEAH.

THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

MULTUMESC.

THIS IS GORGEOUS STUFF.

WE LOVE IT.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING US COME TO YOUR STUDIO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND YOU ARE WELCOME.

[MAN SINGING IN ROMANIAN] HELLO!

HEY!

HA HA HA!

HOW ARE YOU?

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: MY LAST STOP BRINGS ME TO THE VILLAGE OF CLEJANI TO MEET WITH TARAF DE CALIU, A SELF-PROCLAIMED TZIGAN BAND OR GYPSY BAND.

[PLAYING TRADITIONAL MUSIC] THE WORD "GYPSY" ITSELF HAS BECOME CONTROVERSIAL, AND DEPENDING ON WHO IS IDENTIFYING THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE, THE WORD MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCEPTABLE.

FOR MOST, THE TERM ROMA NOW REPRESENTS THIS RACE OF PEOPLE, BUT CALIU, THE BAND LEADER, IS PROUD TO CALL HIMSELF, HIS FAMILY, AND THIS VILLAGE TZIGAN.

LAUTAREASCA MUSIC COMES SPECIFICALLY FROM THIS AREA IN SOUTHERN ROMANIA, AND IT IS KNOWN FOR ITS COMPLEX MELODIES, DENSE HARMONIES, AND VIRTUOSIC EXECUTION.

THE LAUTARI, OR THE MUSICIANS WHO PLAY THIS MUSIC, ALSO IMPROVISE OVER THIS INCREDIBLY FAST AND DIFFICULT STYLE OF MUSIC.

WOMAN: THERE WERE A LOT OF MUSICIANS.

THIS STREET IS CALLED LAUTAR STREET.

MALLOZZI: AND LAUTAR MEANS MUSICIAN?

ALL THE MUSICIANS WERE VERY COMPETITIVE.

HMM.

EVERYBODY WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HE'S THE BEST.

RIGHT.

WEDDINGS ARE THE START FOR EVERY MUSICIAN HERE.

IT'S LIKE A TRADITION EVERY CHILD TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT OR THE VOCALS, SO THEY TOOK THE CHILDREN TO THE WEDDINGS IN ORDER TO PLAY LIKE LIVE SESSIONS WITHOUT ANY REHEARSAL... HMM.

WOW!

BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME, SO IT'S LIKE THE BEST SCHOOL EVER.

I MEAN, YOU HAVE HUGE FANS.

JOHNNY DEPP IS A BIG FAN OF YOURS.

I MEAN, THERE'S HUGE FANS AROUND THE WORLD.

KRONOS QUARTET.

YEAH.

KRONOS QUARTET.

KRONOS QUARTET.

OH!

30 YEARS AGO, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE TOURING AND THEY MET A LOT OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE AND BLAH, BLAH, THEY EARNED A LOT OF MONEY, BUT STILL, THEY ARE THE SAME.

YEAH.

THEY DON'T PRETEND TO BE ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY ARE.

SO THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE ANYTHING ELSE.

ANYTHING ELSE.

YEAH.

I'D COME TO YOUR SCHOOL, BE YOUR STUDENT.

[SPEAKS ROMANIAN] YES!

[SPEAKS ROMANIAN] MALLOZZI: YES!

OH, MY GOSH!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: ROMANIA'S EASTERN EUROPEAN IDENTITY MIXED WITH ITS CULTURALLY RICH BALKAN ROOTS HAVE GIVEN ME A GLIMPSE INTO THE DIVERSITY THAT IS MY OWN DNA MAKEUP.

THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY AND TRADITIONS ARE NOT ONLY ALIVE AND WELL, BUT THEY ARE DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ROMANIANS, WHO PROUDLY KEEP THEIR HERITAGE ALIVE THROUGH EVOLUTION AND IDEATION.

THESE TRADITIONAL MOTIFS CONTINUE AND REMAIN WITH ROMANIANS IN THEIR ART, MUSIC, AND DANCE.

THE HARDSHIPS OF COMMUNIST-ERA RULE REMINDS THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ONE'S OWN IDENTITY AND THE PRESERVATION OF THESE TRADITIONS, AND THE STRONG SENSE OF FAMILY, HERITAGE, AND TRADITION PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, DNA STRAND TO DNA STRAND IS UNDENIABLE WITH EVERYONE WE MEET.

MULTUMESC, ROMANIA.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING ME IN AS PART OF YOUR FAMILY AND LETTING ME DISCOVER MY OWN EASTERN EUROPEAN AND BALKAN ROOTS.

AND I'LL SEE YOU ON MY NEXT "BARE FEET" ADVENTURE, WHEREVER IT MAY TAKE ME!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED WITH US AT TRAVELBAREFEET.COM, WHERE YOU'LL FIND EXTRA BONUS VIDEOS, JOIN OUR "BARE FEET" SERIES CONVERSATIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND STAY UPDATED WITH OUR NEWSLETTER.

WELCOME TO ROMANIA!

AAH!

WELCOME TO ROMANIA!

IS THAT GOOD?

HA HA HA!

WELCOME TO ROMANIA!

WELCOME TO ROMANIA!

MAN ON P.A.

: WELCOME TO ROMANIA.

NAILED IT.

[BRAKES SQUEAKING] ANNOUNCER: "BARE FEET" IS FUNDED IN PART BY... ANNOUNCER: THE ISLAND OF IRELAND.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.

FILL YOUR HEART WITH IRELAND.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN THROUGH THE YUEN FOUNDATION, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES; AND BY THE ANN H. SYMINGTON FOUNDATION.

ANNOUNCER: THE FARMERS AND PRODUCERS AT LANDCRAFTED FOOD IN GRAYSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, ARE DEDICATED TO SUSTAINING AND SERVING OUR FARMS AND COMMUNITY WITH A GOAL OF PRODUCING FOODS THAT ARE AS GOOD FOR THE LAND AS THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO EAT THEM.

LANDCRAFTED FOOD-- STUBBORNLY REAL, FARMER OWNED.

ANNOUNCER: TAUCK, GUIDING TRAVELERS AROUND THE WORLD SINCE 1925 BECAUSE WE BELIEVE ONCE IN A LIFETIME ONLY HAPPENS ONCE.

HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD MATTERS.

[CHILD BABBLING]