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Videos by Selena Rakocevic

Starting from the short historical overview of disciplinary developing especially within post-soc... more Starting from the short historical overview of disciplinary developing especially within post-socialist realities after 2000, I will try to discuss basic issues of ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological research influenced by diverse multidimensional challenges of contemporaneity. Leaning on Appadurai’s theoretical concepts of global flows (Appadurai 1996), I will further try to consider how various modes of local and global socio-cultural processes influence our scholarly thinking and dealing with traditional music and dance. How do we draw disciplinary boundaries and reshape our scholarly identities, while constantly adapting to new circumstances?

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Papers by Selena Rakocevic

Shaping the Present through the Future: Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Contemporaneity, 2021

Историја истраживања музике је у европској и севереноамеричкој интелектуалној мисли дуга више од ... more Историја истраживања музике је у европској и севереноамеричкој интелектуалној мисли дуга више од сто година. Од самих почетака академског етаблирања научних промишљања музике, она су уобличавана као хетерогено поље различитих приступа, оштро подељених на историјска и фолклорна истраживања, која су дисциплинарно и институционално именована као музикологија и, са друге стране, упоредна музикологија (на западноевропским и америчким универзитетима) или музички фолклор (источноевропски универзитети), односно, од 1950. године, генерално – етномузикологија. Иако је у неким академским контекстима формирана пре етномузикологије као његова старија сестринска дисциплина усмерена на плес, етнокореологија је такође придружена арени универзитетских студија у многим европским земљама углавном након Другог светског рата. Без обзира на њихово успостављање као међусобно повезаних, али самосвојних научних области, свака од ових академских дисциплина се, у току последње две деценије XX века, разгранала у многа потподручја. Тенденција гранања области истраживања је последњих година интензивирана под утицајем преовлађујућих постмодерних тенденција за партикуларизацијом, интердисциплинарним дискусијама и успостављањем трансдисциплинарних перспектива. Чини се да је, у првим деценијама XXI века, вишеструка бифуркација иманентна карактеристика свих научних и академских подручја, укључујући истраживање музике и плеса. Ове околоности свакако делују као збуњујући и дезоријентишући фактор за сваког истраживача, а посебно за младе, који, на почетку својих академских каријера, тек треба да одреде и успоставе индивидуалне истраживачке путеве.
Као етномузиколог фокусиран на етнокоролошка истраживања, образован на темељима вишедеценијске традиције обеју дисциплина у Србији, у овом чланку разматрам основна питања ових сестринских наука које у интелектуалној и академској сфери опстају као самосталне, упркос унутрашњем гранању и растакању дисциплинарних граница које је узроковано императивним фаворизовањем методолошких концепата интердициплинарности и трансдисциплинарности. Полазећи од кратког историјског прегледа развоја етномузикологије и етнокореологије посебно у постсоцијалистичком времену након 2000. године, у овом тексту рефлексно преиспитујем аспекте њихове дисциплинарне специфичности, а потом, ослањајући се на теоријски концепт глобалних токова антрополога Арџуна Ападураја (Arjun Appadurai), разматрам видове утицаја различитих локалних и глобалних социо-културних процеса на дисциплинарно специфична, етномузиколошка и етнокореолошка бављења традиционалном музиком и плесом. Посебан акценат постављен је на турбулентна дешавања изазвана пандемијом коронавируса у току 2020. и 2021. године, која су преокренула све токове друштвеног поретка на глобалном нивоу утичући на преобликовање свих пет димензија културних токова које дефинише Ападурај користећи метафору „крајолика“ – етнолика, медијалика, технолика, финансолика и идеолика – а чији су поједини аспекти у домену етномузикологошког и етнокореолошког деловања разматрани у тексту.
У условима пропагираног физичког раздвајања, у току 2020. и 2021. године, комуникација у виртуелном простору је била готово једина опција за успостављање професионалних релација. Не само теренски рад, већ и сви други аспекти научног рада, наставе, истраживања, размене сазнања и искустава у оквиру симпозијума и конференција, фестивалске и концертне активности, прилагођавани су новој ситуацији, која још увек, у тренутку када пишем ове редове средином јуна 2021. године, није окончана. Сходно томе, дигитална етнографија постаје примарна метода истраживања у свим хуманистичким наукама, укључујући етномузикологију и етнокореологију. Емитовање музике и плеса путем интернета као готово једина опција њихове јавне праксе утицало је на широку трансформацију унутар медијалика и покренуло бројна питања која се односе на преиспитивање онтолошких и епистемолошких основа етномузикологије и етнокореологије с обзиром на то да се перцептивни и сензорни потенцијали музике и плеса мењају у условима непоузданог, често неусклађеног екранизованог преноса. Све ово утиче и на радикалну трансформацију колективних извођачких пракси.
Укидање средстава за различита финансирања пројеката, укључујући организовање
виртуелних конференција, опште преуређивање финансијског система и неизвесност економске будућности на глобалном нивоу, покрећу питања везана за положај научника у локалним универзитетским и академским круговима, али и за глобалну мрежу академских размена знања. Вишедимензионални концептуални простор заједничких идеја, појмова и слика постао је сложенији, посебно са становишта националних идеологија и политике, где поједине државе успостављају контролу и апсолутни ауторитет не само унутар својих граница, већ и око њих, контролишући проток људи и добара. Супротно ранијој општој мобилности људи широм света, неповредивост државних међа потенцира обновљени значај jасно омеђених територија. Чини се да, на нивоу државних идеологија, овај тренутак историје генерише нове национализме, које свакако не треба мешати са патриотском солидарношћу. Следећи размишљања аустријског филозофа Конрада Паула Лисмана (Konrad Paul Liessmann), може се рећи да је онтолошка амбивалентност појма границе у „доба короне“ подигнута у фокус колективне свести, јер је у ширем смислу, повлачење маркационих, граничних линија између „мене“/„нас“ и „њих“, постало основа људског деловања.
Све ово несумњиво утиче на преуређивање медијалика, технолика, финансолика, етнолика и идеолика на различитим нивоима, а самим тим на профилисање нових етномузиколошких и етнокореолошких тема и тумачење семантичких потенцијала музике и плеса. Ове, до сада у историји невиђене околности друштвене егзистенције, означавају почетак нове ере у нашим приватним и професионалним животима и, реферирајући на идеје филозофа Томаса Куна (Thomas Kuhn), можемо рећи, промену научне парадигме. Период „нове нормалности“ у професионалном смислу означава прилагођавање, односно проналажење нових идејних смерница и методолошких алата унутар и изван наших дисциплинарних поља, које би потенцијално могле, макар на одређено време, да задовоље нашу етномузиколошку и етнокореолошку радозналост.

Invisible and Visible Dance. Crossing Identity Boundaries. Proceedings. 23rd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology. Eds Placida Staro. Tvrtko Zebec and Elsie Ivancich Dunin., 2008

The term kolo could be found in most of vocabularies of South Slavic languages back since 17th ce... more The term kolo could be found in most of vocabularies of South Slavic languages back since 17th century. Several possible meanings of word kolo existed in Serbian traditional dance practice. In the book Kolo among South Slavs, which has been the only scientific study on this topic in Serb language so far, Olivera Mladenović distinguished five of them:
The meanings of kolo, according to Olivera Mladenovic’s analysis,3 are:
1. In its basic meaning, the expression kolo was related and used for the cyclic space arrangement of dance (round-shaped dance);
2. It could be also used for the group of people participating in dance;
3. The dance event itself;
4. The kind (type) of dance which was performed in accordance with specific melody, besides having its round shape (Olivera Mladenović gave the example of slavonsko kolo, stating that “it could not be used for other types of Slavonic kolo-dances which had separate names like dere, kalendara and other); and, finally,
5. Round-shaped dance having its own melody, characteristics and style that could distinguish it as the distinct expression of the ethnic group (for example Serb, Bulgarian or Croat kolo).
All meanings of the term kolo distinguished by Olivera Mladenović were present in the dance tradition of today's Vojvodina. However, meanings of the expression kolo were not equally presented in the traditional practices of this region, neither their importance in dance heritage was same. Some meanings were more frequent while some other quite rare. Some of them had been present more in the past while some have been characteristic for dance culture in 20th century. Dynamic history of today's Vojvodina affected traditional heritage of Serbs in outstanding trans-cultural manner. In that respect, densely knitted net of possible meanings of kolo appeared. Its surface was shaped in accordance with cultural circumstances of this region.

Shaping the present through the future: Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Contemporaneity, 2021

This article discusses basic issues of ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological research influen... more This article discusses basic issues of ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological research influenced by diverse multidimensional challenges of contemporaneity, starting from a short historical overview of disciplinary development especially within post-socialist realities after 2000. Drawing from Arjun Appadurai's theoretical concepts of global flows, it further considers how various modes of local and global socio-cultural processes influence our scholarly thinking and the ways we deal with traditional music and dance. No matter the fact that the thoughts expressed here mostly reveal my personal reflexive account of practicing ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological research since the mid-1990s, the basic methodological approach tends to polyvocality, including views and standpoints of colleagues from Serbia and other former Yugoslavia countries. How do we keep drawing disciplinary boundaries and reshape our scholarly identities, while constantly adapting to new circumstances? How do we cope with re-establishing the overwhelming requirements of academic work and permanent remodelling of available technological capabilities? While most of this article will tend to answer previous questions through historical and comparative perspectives, it will also include some reflections on how the latest period of thorough rearrangement of all segments of life and global establishment of what is called the "new normality" caused by the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021 affects our ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological practice.

Ethnomusicology Forum

Rakočević, Selena; Mellish, Liz (editors) 2016. Dance, field research and intercultural perspecti... more Rakočević, Selena; Mellish, Liz (editors) 2016. Dance, field research and intercultural perspectives: The Easter customs in the village of Svinița. Pančevo: Selena Rakočević, Kulturi centar Pančevo. ISBN 978–86–918261–1–6

Зборник радова Дани Владе Милошевића (Conference Collection Days of Vlado Milošević), ур. Димитрије Големовић, Academy of Arts Banja Luka & Vedes Belgrade, Banja Luka 2004, 96-118., 2004

У српском језику се веома разнородни облици човековог кинетичког испољавања називају − игра. Упо... more У српском језику се веома разнородни облици човековог кинетичког испољавања називају − игра. Употреба једне речи за међусобно различите облике људске комуникације, упућује на то да су сви они у традиционалном сеоском друштву сматрани врстом испољавања једног обухватног феномена у коме, без обзира на различиту структуру, функцију и значење, доминира физичко или ментално кретање. У тексту се разматрају различити аспекти употребе овог термина у етнокореологији.

Trapped in folklore? Studies in music and dance traditions and their contemporary transformations. Drago Kunej and Urša Šivic (eds.), Berlin: LIT Verlag, 121-134., 2013

According to ethnographical sources, until the mid of the 20th century, the custom revena has bee... more According to ethnographical sources, until the mid of the 20th century, the custom revena has been spread between the Serbian population all over Vojvodina. It has been practiced on the so-called Clean Monday (the first Monday of the period of the Easter Lent) as one segment of the carnival celebrations. After a so-called big cleaning of the kitchen, which included fet dishes especially, women would gather together in the house of one of them and start their feast (each women brought a lot of food and alcoholic drinks). On one feast – revena, there were ten to twenty women from the same part of the village (mostly neighbors and relatives), which mean that those persons very well knew each other so they could behave freely during the celebration. The only man who was allowed to join was the player (bag-piper or accordion player).
During the revena all limits of the womens’ behavior imposed by patriarchal society could be exceeded. Beside the collective, unlimited overeating and even getting drunk, the obligatory part of this custom was theatrical performances by masked women. The themes of those performances could be various, but as constant theatrical motives there appeared: introduction of the new godmother of the revena, diverse wedding scenes as well as the so-called lamenting of the dead. No matter what the content, all theatrical presentations included lascivious behaviour, off-colour stories and gestures with metaphorical sexual connotations.
While it is almost forgotten in the regions of Srem and Bačка, the revena custom is still practiced in the villages of Taraš and Kumane in the Northern Banat. The content of this paper is based on the revena custom which has been video recorded in the village of Taraš in April 2008. Further on, the focus of the paper will be directed toward the examination of the forms and semantics of the lascivious theatrical presentations of the women during the revena in the past, but also in the contemporary village society of this part of Serbia.

Tradicija kao inspiracija. Zbornik radova sa naučnog skupa „Vlado Milošević etnomuzikolog, kompozitor i pedagog“ (Tradition as inspiration. Proceedings of the scientific conference "Vlado Milosevic, ethnomusicologist, composer and pedagogue). , 2013

The village of Svinica or Svinjica (Romanian: Sviniţa) is situated in the southern area of the Ro... more The village of Svinica or Svinjica (Romanian: Sviniţa) is situated in the southern area of the Romanian Banat, which is known as Dunavska klisura (Romanian: Clisura Dunarii). According to historical sources the village of Svinica was founded immediately after 1738 and was inherited by the Serbs. The geopolitical possition of the village (it is the most eastern settlement in the Dunavska klisura, which belongs to the Mehedinţi County, while other villages in Klisura belong to Caraş-Severin County) influenced that it was separated from the other villages in this area. The isolation of the villagers was enlarged by the endogamy which was practiced until late 1960’s. Even mixed Serbian/Romanians merriages are numerous nowadays, and few Gypsie families live in the village too, Serbis are still majority population.
Field research of the dance and musical practice of the village of Svinica, which was held in August 2011 included participatory observation of the so-called Figs festival (Festival smokava) and the evening dance event (igranka). It revealed heterogeneous and complex contemporary dance practice. By mixing diverse repertoire, but also diverse dance structures as predictable dance texts, performers interpolate different dance practices: Traditional Serbain and Romanian dances from Banat, traditional dances from Central and Northeeastern Serbia, but also couple and solo dancing typical for contemporary Romanian society.

New Sound, 2020

Due to the impossibility of holding the thirty-first regular symposium at the Lithuanian Academy ... more Due to the impossibility of holding the thirty-first regular symposium at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater in the city of Klaipeda, dance researchers from all over the world gathered within the Study Group for Ethnochoreology of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM), reassembled in the virtual space on July 20 and 21 in a large number and with special energy caused by impossibility for direct communication and physical contact. The organizer of this historical meeting, which marked the beginning of a new era in ethnochoreological and anthropological research on dance, and which gathered 94 dance researchers from 34 countries from all over the world from Hawaii to Australia, was a Serbian institution, the Department of Ethnomusicology at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. The aim of program co-chairs, Selena Rakočević (Serbia) and Anne von Bibra Wharton (USA) was that the virtual symposium fully resonates with current pandemic events in the world. That was the reason that they decided to dedicate it to consideration of various aspects of performing, transmitting and researching dance in global conditions of social distance and physical separation caused by the virus Covid 19. Therefore, the thematic focus of the meeting was succinctly expressed in the title "Ethnochoreology in a time of social and physical distance".

Based on field research in Grebenac (Serbia) and Moldova Veche (Romania) in Southeastern Banat si... more Based on field research in Grebenac (Serbia) and Moldova Veche (Romania) in Southeastern Banat since 2014, this paper will provide a comparative ethnographic review of dance and dance movements performed during presentational evening performancs and participatory dance events called the “balls” within contemporary manifestations of the carnival celebrations (Serbian fašanke, Romanian farsang) which, together with carnival parades, continue to be practiced in these villages. In both villages, the evening performances and masked balls are organised by local institutions on Tuesday, the second day of the Easter Lent and/or on the following Saturday, as the closing segment of the carnival celebrations. Starting from the structural and stylistic analysis of dance and dance movements which are incorporated in these dance events, this paper will aim to focus on the socio-political implications of their various ironic and parodic connotations. This potentially leads into exploring general questions of dance and dance movements in carnivalesque performances as important mediums for socio-political expression.
Keywords: dance, dance movements; socio-political implications; carnivals; Southeastern Europe.

Zbornik radova Muzika u društvu , 2012

Vojvodina is the multiethnic area that extends across northern Serbian territory. At the same tim... more Vojvodina is the multiethnic area that extends across northern Serbian territory. At the same time, it is the historical region of the Central Europe and the Pannonia Plain, which was a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of the First World War, when this territory was added to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, i.e., Kingdom of Yugoslavia (in 1929). There exist a lot of historical inscriptions about the traditional dance practice of this region starting from the second part of the 18th century. Beside them, numerous programs of different social gatherings and dance parties could also be found in many books and church or city archives all over Vojvodina. The critical valuation of those historical sources has not been discussed in the recent ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological writings. It should reveal many details of the cultural history of this region as well as provide a possibility for reconstructing the traditional dance practice of Vojvodina during the second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries in the light of the multiethnic and multicultural influences.

Acta Ethnographica Hungarica 65(1), 13–26, 2020

As independent scholarly discipline grounded in folkloristics, ethnochoreology was predominantly ... more As independent scholarly discipline grounded in folkloristics, ethnochoreology was predominantly founded within the state institutions of the socialist regime of former Yugoslavia after World War II and was consequently molded theoretically and methodologically in accordance with the prevailing ideology of the ruling socialist political system. In post-socialist regimes established in former Yugoslavian republics after the 1990s, which led to emerging market economies and caused huge modifications in the official social and educational policies of each country, ethnochoreology continued to be linked with state institutions. At the same time, however, it has been subject to extensive remodeling which included changes within the discipline itself along with its repositioning in the academic and educational system. This article examines political facets of ethnochoreological research in former Yugoslavian republics, comparing the experiences of many individual dance scholars. Based on interviews with colleagues from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro, the study will explore the general position of ethnochoreologists as well as their attitudes toward the relationships between dance research and the concrete political situations in each of their countries. Questions discussed encompass standpoints about how the political realities we are living in influence the remodeling of ethnochoreology in epistemological and methodological terms, but also its position in academic, educational and research contexts.

Novi zvuk 54/II

Коло или, у научној литератури, коло у три, најраширенији је плесни жанр у Србији након Другог св... more Коло или, у научној литератури, коло у три, најраширенији је плесни жанр у Србији након Другог светског рата, који последњих деценија представља витални симбол националног идентитета те, последично, добија придев српско. Без обзира на то што су многи истраживачи записали образац покрета кола Лабановом кинетографијом више пута од 1980-их година и што су његове микроструктуралне и формалне одлике биле предмет етнокореолошких анализа у Србији, извођачке посебности и захтевности записивања покрета испружања и савијања ногу који утичу на вертикалне помераје тежишта тела, тзв. поцупкивање, а који су његова препознатљива одлика, нису дискутоване до сада. Овај чланак, стога, истражује аспекте извођања и нотације поцупкивања у српском колу. Кључне речи: српско коло, образац покрета, поцупкивање, идентификација, кинетографија Увод Коло или, у научној литератури, коло у три, најраширенији је плесни жанр у Србији након Другог светског рата. То је колективни ланчани плес који изводе плесачи повезани за руке спуштене низ тело крећући се кружном путањом кретања. Будући да га изводе на различитим приватним, породичним и колективним светковинама једнако у сеоским и градским срединама, без обзира на социјалну и верску припадност или професионално опредељење, извођачи га сматрају виталним симболом српског националног идентитета и последично му додају придев српско последњих деценија, нарочито у вишеетничким срединама и ситуацијама када је потребно диференцирати га од других плесова са етничком или националном.

III. International Music and Dance Studies Symposium 17-20. October (proceedings), 2018

Implementation of UNESCO’s “Convention on the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage” has b... more Implementation of UNESCO’s “Convention on the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage” has been in use for ten years (since 2008). Since the preparation of nomination files and application forms by the “State parties” directly depends on concrete, very diverse cultural, social and, at the first place, political circumstances, it is clear that the experts, who are primarily engaged in this work, face different challenges. Along with providing archival material for identifying dance/musical genre as an “element” of intangible cultural heritage, experts face various theoretical and practical challenges in defining it clearly enough to be understandable globally, vindicating its geographical and historical ties with the nominating state and demonstrating its continuous vitality in local communities. As scholars on the one hand and activists in applied work in the other, experts are mediators between bearers of the “element” and the state administration at the national and global level. In this sense various scholarly as well as ethical aspects of the usage of archival material appears in this process.
The aim of this article is to present work on the nomination file “Kolo, traditional folk dance” of the Republic of Serbia, which has been included in the UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. Since the authors actively took part in this nomination process, this application will be presented from the perspective of an active participants – experts responsible for the content of the application form.

Ethnomusicology matters: Influencing social and political realities, Ursula Hemetek, Marko Kölbl and Hande Sağlam (eds.), 2019

In most Southeastern European countries the beginnings of ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology as ... more In most Southeastern European countries the beginnings of ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology as independent scholarly disciplines were inextricably linked with the state institutions of socialist regimes after World War II. In these countries ethnomusicological and ethnochoreological research, grounded in folkloristics, was sponsored under the ideological constraints of socialist systems, hence had strong national orientations in the service of the ideological and political agendas of the state parties. After the collapse of the socialist regimes which caused broad social and cultural transformations, ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology generally continued to be linked with state institutions (universities and academic institutes), but at the same time have been subject to extensive remodeling, including disciplinary orientations, methodological approaches, applicable domains of professional activities, and broadening of available financial resources for research and work. The notion that science should be market-oriented has become one of the most dominant hallmarks of the current ethnomusicologies and ethnochoreologies in this part of Europe.
In this presentation I would like to explore the views of many individual researchers (including myself) about their professional work with the aim of understanding the position of ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology in the contemporary society of post-socialist Serbia, and thus the socio-political relevance of these disciplines from the perspective of the scholars themselves. Based on interviews and questionnaires I will try to compare answers to the following questions: What are the basic attitudes concerning the realities and potentials of our disciplinary relevance within the societies in which we act? What are our experiences in “practicing” ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology in various, educational, research and applied contexts? What difficulties are we facing? How do we feel about our professional relevance? What efforts do we make to increase and widen our relevance in society?
The current experiences of scholars from Serbia will be compared with the attitudes and apprehensions of colleagues from other countries of former Yugoslavia by drawing on connections made during shared socialist pasts. This project will try to provide a platform for critical reflection on the contemporary position of scholars from this part of Southeastern Europe and to reveal the difficulties and challenges they are currently facing, but also to reveal their innovative ideas and professional challenges.

Folkloristika 4 / 2, 2019

Стручњаци као медијатори између државе и носилаца пракси нематеријалног културног наслеђа: Номина... more Стручњаци као медијатори између државе и носилаца пракси нематеријалног културног наслеђа: Номинацијски досије "Коло, традиционална народна игра" Селена Ракочевић и Здравко Ранисављевић Унескова Конвенција о очувању нематеријалног културног наслеђа примењује се већ више од десет година (од 2003). Будући да расписивање апликацијских формулара и припрема номинацијских досијеа од стране држава потписница непосредно зависи од конкретних, веома разноврсних културних, друштвених и, најпре, политичких околности, јасно је да се стручњаци, који су у првом реду ангажовани за овај посао, суочавају с различитим изазовима. У овом тексту се представља номинацијски досије "Коло, традиционална народна игра" из перспективе стручњака као активних учесника који су одго-ворни за садржај апликационог формулара и као такви препознати у аплика-ционом процесу као званични представници тзв. компетентних тела. Аутори текста, који су учествовали у припреми овог досијеа, у рефлексивном нара-тиву базираном на непосредном искуству разматрају терминолошке полива-лентности метајезика Конвенције, феноменолошке аспекте идентификације и дефинисања плеса/плесног жанра као "елемента" нематеријалног култур-ног наслеђа, као и непосредне проблеме везане за ангажовање "носилаца" извођења кола у савременој плесној пракси Србије у изради номинацијског досијеа. Кључне речи: стручњаци, етномузиколози/етнокореолози, немате ри јално кул-турно наслеђе, плес, коло, Србија Унескова Конвенција о очувању нематеријалног културног на-слеђа (у даљем тексту: Конвенција) (UNESCO 2003) примењује се већ више од десет година-усвојена је 17. октобра 2003. и потом рати-фикована у потребном броју земаља (30) 2006. године. У теоријским експликацијама овог амбициозног и, у основној замисли, глобалног пројекта акценат је стављен на извођаче и носиоце нематеријалног културног наслеђа односно на, како је то у Конвенцији дефинисано,

New Sound 54, II/2019, 2019

Kolo or kolo u tri, as it is termed by scholars, is the most widespread dance genre in Serbia sin... more Kolo or kolo u tri, as it is termed by scholars, is the most widespread dance genre in Serbia since World War II, which has been considered as a vital symbol of Serbian national identity in recent decades and, consequently, got the adjective srpsko (Serbian). The movement pattern of kolo has been notated in Rudolf Laban's kinetog-raphy many times by various researchers since the 1980s and its microstructural and formal shaping has been the subject of ethnochoreological analysis in Serbia. However,

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Shaping the Present through the Future: Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Contemporaneity, 2021

Invisible and Visible Dance. Crossing Identity Boundaries. Proceedings. 23rd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology. Eds Placida Staro. Tvrtko Zebec and Elsie Ivancich Dunin., 2008

Shaping the present through the future: Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Contemporaneity, 2021

Ethnomusicology Forum

Trapped in folklore? Studies in music and dance traditions and their contemporary transformations. Drago Kunej and Urša Šivic (eds.), Berlin: LIT Verlag, 121-134., 2013

New Sound, 2020

Zbornik radova Muzika u društvu , 2012

Acta Ethnographica Hungarica 65(1), 13–26, 2020

Novi zvuk 54/II

III. International Music and Dance Studies Symposium 17-20. October (proceedings), 2018

Ethnomusicology matters: Influencing social and political realities, Ursula Hemetek, Marko Kölbl and Hande Sağlam (eds.), 2019

Folkloristika 4 / 2, 2019

New Sound 54, II/2019, 2019

Yearbook for traditional music 47, 27-44., 2015

Although ethnochoreology maintained continuity as a methodologically and theoretically grounded d... more Although ethnochoreology maintained continuity as a methodologically and theoretically grounded discipline for last several decades, there is an ongoing need among scholars to reevaluate its traits and achievements and (re)position it within both social sciences and/or the humanities. This is even more evident in scholarly traditions in Southeastern Europe within which ethnochoreology as independent academic discipline was mostly developed from the field of (ethno)musicology. Based on the triad field research-transcription-analyses of primarily local rural practice i.e. folk dance/music material, epistemological basis of ethnochoreological research was rooted in the concept of dance as a syncretic unity of dance movement and dance music.
This paper historically traces main methodological orientations in scholarly traditions of Southeastern Europe, particularly Serbia with emphasize on determination of the fluctuating boundaries between etnochoreological and ethnomusicological research. The questions which will be raised are directed toward discussing some of the heuristic traits of ethnochoreology as independent scholarly discipline.

Keywords: ethnochoreology, Serbia and Southeastern Europe, methodology, scholarly discipline

INTERWEAVING DANCE STRUCTURES Traditional dance and dance music of the Banat Serbs in the light o... more INTERWEAVING DANCE STRUCTURES
Traditional dance and dance music of the Banat Serbs
in the light of their mutual relationships

The dance practice of the Serbs from all over the Banat can be surveyed throughout the entire 20th century. Beside the ethnographic details pertaining to certain dance events, one can find data about the dance repertoire, as well as descriptions of particular dance structures and the ways of their performance in several ethnochoreological writings about the dance practice of the Serbs from this region (Janković 1949; Crum 1974, 1976, 1993; Ilijin 1971, 1978; Putnik 1991; Felföldi 2003). In addition, there are many video recordings of traditional village dancing made, since the early 1980’s. The video clips have been recorded by Dimitrije Golemović and Olivera Vasić during the 1980’s and within the field research of the Northern Banat (Serbian and Romanian) as part of the summer "Ethno Camps" for ethnomusicology students from Belgrade, Novi Sad and Banja Luka, which have been organized by the Academic Society for Music Cherishing "Gusle" from Kikinda since 2002.
Beside the engagement as the field research leader of the students’ "Ethno Camps", my personal fieldwork on the dance and musical practice of the Serbs from Banat started in 1994.

With the aim of a systematically-based assessment of the traditional dance practice of this region, which encompasses its choreological as well as semantic traits, the (re)construction of Banat dance genres during twentieth century implies an emic-etic conceptualization of two basic dance genres: the kolo and couple dances.
The conceptualization of kolo and couple dances as basic genres in Banat dance practice of the twentieth century enables us to perceive them as separate dance systems. The interpretation of dance genres as distinct systems also implies the possibility of their segmentation into certain subsystems, that is, subgenres, which can then be examined as independent phenomena of traditional dance practice.

Structural and formal analysis of „dance texts“ has been developed in ethnochoreology over the last fifty years mostly among European scholars. The basic analytical tool within that method is Labanotation.
Because of the fact that this method is directed only at the movement structures and forms, I have slightly modifed it in the direction of developing comparative analysis of dance and dance music and applied it to Labanotation and musical transcriptions of traditional dances and dance music of the Banat Serbs. My basic intention was not to make an universal system of analysis, but to understand what exactly is going on during the performance of complex traditional dance and dance music I was observing. I was also interested in understanding and defining general structural and formal charactersitices of the traditional practice of the Banat Serbs on the level of the dance genres and subgenres, which facilitate their analysis within the historical perspective. Further on, one of my main interests was focused on the understanding of the mutual relations between dance and music during the performance itself. That is the reason why I conceptualized the traditional dance genres holistically, as a coherent and syncretic unity of movement and sound, i.e. dance and dance music structures.
The analysis of the dance and music structures is applied to the dance and music transcriptions – Labanotation and musical notations which have been mostly made from the video and audio recordings (approx. 90% of analyzed material). Some of the examples have been made according to the written descriptions of the dances done by the Janković sisters and Duck Crum and some of the examples have been taken from other published sources. All notations which have been made from video and audio recordings are made in total, meaning that the whole performance or at least the bigger part of it is written and analysed. Because of the limited scope of this book the Labanotation and musical transcriptions are cut, but the extended notations could be consulted in the original text.
The analytical procedure included two main shrifts: 1. Analysis of particular dances (for example veliko kolo or mađarac) on the level of movements, music, movements and music analysis and, 2. Generalization of the paradigmatic features of particular subgenres and genres.
By developing a system for the comparative analysis of dance and dance music structures and forms, I tried to overcome essential differences in the immediate physical manifestations of the two basically different phenomena of human expressive behavior – dance and music. Structural units of dance and music have been ordered in the way which enabled making analogies between them. Those analogies are not and cannot be absolute. The aim of each structural method is to enable the understanding of different systems and their representation as homologous, parallel units whose order can be changeable. It has basically operational character, and its aim is focused toward finding conclusions on the general level of observation.
According to my comparative method of analysis, movements and music within one particular dance can be observed on several, hierarchically and comparably established levels. On the highest level of investigation, they are treated as systems of the complex parameters utilizing a synthesis of the universal components: kinetics-space-time/sound-space-time.

The next level of comparative analysis is the level of comparing the movement and melorhythmical patterns. In the case of the traditional dance practice of the Banat Serbs, the dance process is made mostly by limited number of weight transference i.e. supports, and "free" leg movements i.e. gestures. That is why the movement pattern consists mostly of leg movements.
The interior structures of leg movement and melorhythmical patterns are treated in the holistic way as the triads: (leg)movement-space-time/music-space-time.

The morphology of the musical and dance patterns as a third level of investigation is determined through the analysis of comparative units of dance and dance music: element, cell, motive, phrase, part and totus (macro form of the dance/dance music).

The results of the separate dance and dance music analysis (third and fourth chapters) revealed many interesting conclusions about structural and formal characteristics of the individual dance and dance music pieces, but also a lot of paradigmatic conclusions about characteristics of the particular dance subgenres and genres. This time I shall not write about all that, but will concentrate on explaining the main results of the comparative dance and dance music approach.

TRADITIONAL DANCES OF THE BANAT SERBS SUMMARY Almost twenty years ago, in the spring of 1994, I... more TRADITIONAL DANCES OF THE BANAT SERBS

SUMMARY

Almost twenty years ago, in the spring of 1994, I started exciting and intriguing field research of traditional music of the Banat Serbs. As an undergraduate student of ethnomusicology I initially focused on the singing practice in the surroundings of my native town, the city of Pančevo . Eventually, the geographical area of my research significantly expanded. The next ten years I devoted to examining the singing practice in the area of the Lower Banat. During those years, I also started to go to the Banat villages in Romania. My initial focus on the vocal practice extended not only to the instrumental music, but also to the dance practice of the Banat Serbs. In my PhD dissertation I explored the performance of their traditional dances, their structure, and the dance process itself in the light of its relation to music. However, numerous and heterogeneous data about dance events and individual dances from this region, as well as verbal descriptions of the style of their performance, have not been systematized yet and introduced to the wider public. The aim of this ethnographic book is to overcome this lack and to offer a historical overview of the summarized data and interpretations from literature and field research about traditional dances of the Banat Serbs. It is intended not only for experts from the field of ethnochoreology and dance ethnology, but also for dancers, dance teachers and choreographers, who perform these traditional dances on stage. That is the reason why the transcriptions of the most significant traditional dances of the Banat Serbs made in Labanotation and musical notation are added at the end of this book. The dance transcriptions have been made from video recordings. The singular performances of the individual dances from the video recordings I considered and interpreted as particular “dance realizations” , which I further on transcribed and analyzed.

With the aim of a systematic assessment of the traditional dance repertoire of the Banat Serbs and its positioning within the traditional culture of this region diachronically, certain dance genres could be conceptualized. Each of them have their own structural and semantic characteristics . Among kolo dances, the dance genres are: autochthonous kolo dances from Banat (autohtona banatska kola), town-craft dances (varoško-esnafska kola) and kolos from Šumadija (šumadijska kola). Among couple dances, the dance genres are: so-called 'in two' dances (po dvoje) and so-called turning dances (okretni plesovi).
It is necessary to note that turning dances (waltz, tango, step, fokstroۥ, rumba), are not explored in this book because of the lack of data about their structural and formal characteristics.
Besides dancing in pairs, some of the couple dances can be performed in trios formation (man and two women). Additionally, some dances can be performed only in trios. Dancing in trios, however, cannot be conceptualized as a separate dance genre. Because of their numerous structural common characteristics, dances in trios and ‘in two’ will be discussed together.
In addition to kolos and couple dances, in the first half of the 20th century and before a separate dance genre performed only by males also existed. This dance genre can be termed as male competitive dances.

Autochthonous kolo dances from Banat are: veliko kolo, veliko banatsko kolo, mаlo kolo, bаnаtsko kolo, mаlo bаnаtsko kolo, Kolo vodi Vаsа, sitno kolo, gаjdаško kolo, pаorsko kolo, retko kolo, oro baba i ore.

Town-craft dances are: mаjstorsko kolo, trgovаčko kolo, bečkerečko kolo, libаde, krecаvi ketuš, Vidino kolo, kraljevo kolo, radikal i Srpkinjа.

Kolos from Šumadija are: seljаčicа, Kad se Cigo zaželi, đurđevka, Rukаvice s prstimа, ruzmarinka, zaplet. Ej, Bože, seko, prkos, kukunješće, Žikino kolo, vranjevka, šestica, užičko kolo, morаvаc, i plesovi tipа lаko kolo.

Dances ’in two’ are: mаđаrаc, lidana, po dvoje, Cigančica, vlaški, čardaš, momački, ficko, siroticа, Dara trndara, Oj, devojko, lepa si, grabac, erdeljаnkа i dubаj.

Dances which are performed in trios are: logovаc i Kаto, mi, Kаto.

Male competitive dances are: šaranac, numera (tri putarke), Todorovа ljubа and karaba.

Dance events

The ritual dance of the old women, known as oro baba (oro of grandmothers), has been performed in many villages in the southeastern Banat on Carnival Sunday (Poklade). This ritual dance is already described ethnographically. After the evening church service, women who have grandchildren (sometimes they may be in their fifties) dance the oro baba around the church. The dancer who leads the line could be a priest, a pregnant woman or a little girl. This dance event is recorded exclusively in southeastern Banat in Serbia. It is still performed in the villages of Vračev Gaj and Kruščica.
Within the wedding ritual the co-called “bride’s dance” is still popular all over Banat. This dance is usually performed around midnight. Everyone who wants to dance with a bride should pay for it. In the first half of the 20th century ficko in southeastern Banat or mađarac in northern Banat could be performed as a “bride’s dance”. In recent decades those dances are replaced with the waltz. In the Danube Gorge, the “bride’s dance” is performed during the afternoon and can be danced continuously for a few hours.
As a closing dance of the wedding ritual, the dance ore was performed in the villages of southeastern Banat in Serbia. It was described by the Janković sisters, but has also been recorded during field research.
Typical dance events, which were practiced all around Banat, were the balls (igranke). They were organized in the evening hours of the great Christian feasts (Christmas, Easter, the celebration of St. Sava and others). Although a diverse repertoire could be performed, balls usually began with some of the traditional dances: veliko kolo, malo kolo or Žikino kolo. The evening balls are still very popular in Romania and Hungary.

Finally the main data about the traditional dance music of the Banat Serbs should also be pointed out. According to ethnographic and historical data, in the early years of the 20th century dance music in Banat villages could be performed on bagpipes and solo tamburitzas (tambura samica, bisernica, dangubica), and to a lesser extent on the flute (frula), double flute (dvojnice) and violin. In the cities, even earlier in the 19th century ensembles and small orchestras performed at balls. Although it can not be proved historically, it could be said that tamburitza ensembles were also present in the rural dance practice in that period. After the First World War tamburitza ensembles were supplemented by the addition of the accordion. Since 1960s, amplified ensembles with mandatory accordion as the solo instrument have been spread all over Banat. Tamburitza ensembles remain as an indispensable part of traditional musical milieu of Banat until today.
All dances that are mentioned in this book have been continuously used in the complex processes of (re)construction of the ethnically and regionally distinctive traditional dance practice of the Serbs in Banat. In recent decades, these dances are mostly performed within the stage performances of the cultural-artistic and folklore groups. This, however, has not diminished, but instead increased and strengthened, their significance in the processes of reproducing the cultural identity of the Serbs in Banat, not only in Serbia but also, and especially in Romania and Hungary. Therefore it seems important that the summarized ethnographic and historical data about them are presented to and interpreted for the wider public.

by Vojislav Djordjević, Selena Rakocevic, Selena Vitezović, Josip Saric, Radmila Balaban, Dragan Milanovic, Adrian Ardet, Nikola Stepkovic, Ivana Pantovic, Dejan Radicevic, Dragan Jovanovic, Branko Music, Zoran Markov, Monika Milosavljevic, Albert Carmen, Biljana Markovic, Nicoleta Demian, and Zsuzsa Kopeczny