Gergana Panova-Tekath | Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Papers by Gergana Panova-Tekath

Българска академия на науките институт за изследване на изкуствата Bulgarian academy of sciences ... more Българска академия на науките институт за изследване на изкуствата Bulgarian academy of sciences Institute of Art Studies

Interdisciplinary Studies in Musicology, Dec 29, 2022

The following article is dedicated to the changes in folk dancing caused by the Covid pandemic an... more The following article is dedicated to the changes in folk dancing caused by the Covid pandemic and presents the author's theoretical ideas on dancing in the digital world. The examples concern the phenomenon of dancing the Bulgarian way by Bulgarians and non-Bulgarians in urban settings, which the author has been studying for years and now diagnoses the emergence of a new virtual model and defines virtual authenticity. On the one hand it relates to the fluid notion of authenticity and organises self-reflection, free expression and rediscovering of one's own identity in cyberspace. Distance-dancing the Bulgarian way provides a psychosomatic environment with previously unknown online effects and paradoxical dichotomies. In this notion of subjective authenticity, the memory of the social intimacy of circle dancing helps with the social intimacy in the online communication and supports the belief in the whole world as an open community. On the other hand, in addition to focusing on themselves through constrained aloneliness, dancers also engage with themes of the political past, cultural essence and national determination. The verbal discussions in social networks, at virtual folk dance camps and in university classes reveal the solid notion of authenticity. Transparency leads to more knowledge about Bulgaria and its interpretations; endless accessibility improves the correctness of the sources. Nevertheless, the new roles and hierarchies in digital Bulgaria provoke vulnerability and emotion. Recognising the phenomenon as persuasive and flattering communication, the increased verbal exchange connects both the individual and community aspects of authenticity. Even if the dance enthusiasts from Bulgaria and from abroad are not yet fully united in the socalled imagined or digital Bulgaria, the phenomenon participates more than ever in the idea of a global village. Distance-dancing the Bulgarian way creates third spaces of protection and resistance and establishes a global community that has a future beyond the pandemic.

Yearbook for Traditional Music, Nov 1, 2020

Traditiones

Българско музикознание, 2000

Gergana Panova-Tekath Kommunikations-choreologische Forschungen im neuen Europa: Ьber die Identit... more Gergana Panova-Tekath Kommunikations-choreologische Forschungen im neuen Europa: Ьber die Identitдt im Ьbergang ........................................ 37 Гергана Панова-Текат Комуникационно-хореоложки проучвания в Нова Европа: идентичност по време на преход ............................................................................. 66 Иванка Влаева Понятието класическа музика в контекста на някои азиатски култури .......................................................................................................................... 72 Ivanka Vlaeva The Concept of Classical Music in the Context of Some Asian Cultures Summary ........................................................................................................................................... ............................... 84

Yearbook for Traditional Music, 2020

The urban interest in traditional Bulgarian dances constructed different communal realities in Bu... more The urban interest in traditional Bulgarian dances constructed different communal realities in Bulgaria and abroad before and after 1989. The author discerns subtle protest in dancing the Bulgarian way and elaborates the meaning of this resistance in four contexts, whereby even the Soviet period is analyzed with great nuance. The phenomenon is defined as a reflexive expression of identity that allows fluid concepts of nationality. It persists as a survival strategy even during this pandemic.Urbano zanimanje za tradicionalne bolgarske plese je oblikovalo različne resničnosti v Bolgariji in v tujini pred in po letu 1989. Avtorica razkriva subtilne proteste v bolgarskem načinu plesanja; pomen upora razloži s štirimi različnimi konteksti, posebej niansirano pa analizira sovjetsko obdobje. Ples kot pojav je opredeljen kot refleksivni izraz identitete, ki omogoča fluidno narodno pripadnost, in je zdaj v času epidemije tudi ena od pomembnih preživetvenih strategij

Professionalizing of “folk dances” was part of the state policy of Bulgaria in the years 1950- 19... more Professionalizing of “folk dances” was part of the state policy of Bulgaria in the years 1950-
1989. However, did the professional dancers and choreographers view their work as a
political mission? How did this novel genre of the performing arts in Bulgaria serve to boost
national identity by combining diversity with homogeneity, and spontaneity with intention?
The instrumentalization of folklore and the changed understanding of authenticity is
illustrated by the first professional ensemble for folk dance and songs, the “Philip Koutev
Ensemble”. Its dance troupe established a role model for the phenomenon which grew
immensely and became a business card of the country.
With the advent of democracy, innovative ideas emerged in the field through Neshka
Robeva’s troupe, “East Wind”, “Chinary” and “Bulgare”. In the model of Pluralization,
Bulgarian professional folk dancing responds to the free market. Its experiments reflect on the
old myths of monoculturalism and offer insights into new hybridity. The phenomenon still
participates in the dynamic contemporary processes of national identity design.
Using “reflexive participation” as a research method, the author determines three central
political missions of professional folk dancing: cultural determination, intercultural
reconciliation and transcultural inspiration. They all relate to the ambassadorial role of the
phenomenon and the power of its symbolism. Professional folk choreography survived the
transformation in the history of Bulgaria, constructing a social frame for the individual and
collective memory, establishing the cultural uniqueness and aligning it with the world.

This is the Ethnomusicology chapter in the first English issue of “Papers of BAS. Humanities and ... more This is the Ethnomusicology chapter in the first English issue of “Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences”.
Following the longstanding experience of the journal “Proceedings of BAS” (devoted to mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, engineering sciences as well as scienc-es exploring Earth and Space), the Governing Body of the Bugarian Academy of Sciences made a decision in the mid 2013 to publish a new journal: “Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences”. It was expected the new edition (published on paper – in English, and electronically – in English and Bulgarian) to present scholarly achievements in this area, to expand and facilitate the access to research results, as well as to stimulate critical reflection on the novelties within the fields of humanitarian and social thought.

Ambassadors and Emissaries: The very first in the line of propagators of Bulgarian dances abroad. In: MUSIC and DANCE in SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE Migrations, Carnival, Sustainable Development., 2020

The urban “dancing the Bulgarian way” creates a national image and assists the communication betw... more The urban “dancing the Bulgarian way” creates a national image and assists the
communication between “home” and “abroad” through stage performances, seminars,
workshops, folk festivals and online courses. The following key figures of the
phenomenon are briefly commemorated in connection with the ‘models’, defined by the
author in previous publications: Margarita Dikova, who was the first choreographer of
the professional State Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances in the times of the Soviet
Model; Yves Moreau, who is the champion of the ‘American model’ on five continents;
the first Bulgarian lecturers as intermediaries in the West and precursors of the
Democratic Model in Bulgaria; the emigrants who founded three kinds of Bulgarian
folk festivals in the U.S. All of them fulfil the role of the leading personality of a cultural
interpreter and emissary in the process of introducing changes in the lives of the dancing
individuals and history.

FOUR TIMES “CONTRA”: THE SOVIET, AMERICAN, DEMOCRATIC, AND EMIGRANT MODELS OF DANCING THE BULGARIAN WAY, 2020

We encourage deep engagement through the transformative experiences of dancing and dance making. ... more We encourage deep engagement through the transformative experiences of dancing and dance making. Hone your creative voice and benefit from an extraordinary breadth of resources at a leading research university. Two-year MFA includes full tuition coverage, health insurance, and stipend. smtd.umich.edu/dance GET YOUR MFA IN DANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN School of Performing Arts performingarts@um.edu.mt +356 2340 3524 um.edu.mt/performingarts um.edu.mt/admissions Off ering programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels on Dance, Music, Theatre and Performing Arts. School of Performing Arts DEPARTMENT OF DANCE dance.osu.edu | (614) 292-7977 | NASD Accredited PhD, MFA, BFA, Minor

Thesis Chapters by Gergana Panova-Tekath

Folklore Revival Movements in Europe post 1950. Shifting Contexts and Perspectives.l, social and political contexts , 2018

This chapter examines the professional stage art of “Bulgarian Folk Dances” which, even in the co... more This chapter examines the professional stage art of “Bulgarian Folk Dances” which, even in the context of Eastern Bloc folk ensembles, is notable on account of its unusual scale and contribution in the construction of national identity. I focus on the creation of the State ensemble, followed by 19 regional professional ensembles and 15000 amateur groups, together with reference to educational institutions, key choreographers and theoretical understanding of the new genre. Why and how did the “folk dance” matter so much and why and how it still matters in Bulgaria, are my main questions. Through application of the Semantic Star, a strategy designed to facilitate reflection on past experience, the phenomenon is analyzed as a form of culture in historical time, geopolitical space and social life. Bulgarian specifics such as the mythology of folklore and the roots of Russophilism are discussed. In conclusion, I emphasize the power of inspiration that evokes authenticity as an expression of national identity.

Drafts by Gergana Panova-Tekath

The 10th (Joint) Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Minorities & Music and Gender, Vienna, Austria, July 23-30, 2018, 2021

You don't look like a Bulgarian!?!" (M.S.)-"What do Bulgarians look like?" (G.P.-T.)-"Dark ... da... more You don't look like a Bulgarian!?!" (M.S.)-"What do Bulgarians look like?" (G.P.-T.)-"Dark ... dark skin, dark hair ... like the Roma are. Sorry! Aren't you Roma there?" (M.S.) 1 I have had this kind of conversation very often in Germany-without conflicts or obviously bad intentions on the part of my German interlocutors in the situational contexts of everyday life. It reminds me of studies that describe stereotypes and conflicts based on prejudices, but also prompts me to consider the concept of "fluid minorities". In this article, I will not primarily address Roma and the power of their relationship with Bulgarians. I would rather like to discuss self-determination as a minority or majority and concentrate on individuals and groups that minority research is not usually concerned with. I believe that in the global risk society, in which "everyone lives in direct and universal neighborhood with everyone else" (Beck 2017: 363), minority researchers need to increase their interest in dominant cultures in order to be capable of understanding contemporary shifts. We have to react sensitively to the flexible (self-)identification of individuals, communities and nations and even be ready for a new discussion on the term "minority". My answer to the questions about my looks and nationality could be "Who are We?-And Should it Matter in the 21st Century?" which is the title of a book by Gary Young. He stresses that "if you look at the broad trajectory of equality and human rights, then women, gays, black people, religious and national minorities and the disabled-the majority of humanityare all doing better than they were a century ago". At the same time the black author admitted that "there are no straightforward answers and few basic universal truths as to when the politics of identity can be elevated to great and worthy purpose and why it may descend into venal, vile bigotry." (Young 2011: 228) In my dance examples there is no bigotry and even no evidence of "the harsher interpersonal climate" (Gauck 2019: 9) that prompted former Unfortunately, I have authored only a few publications on hybridity and transitive identity in English (i.e.

Books by Gergana Panova-Tekath

Talks by Gergana Panova-Tekath

Виртуалният модел: Пандемията и танцуването по български, 2022

This text was written for the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic and intr... more This text was written for the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic and introduces the then new, sixth model of urban Bulgarian folk dancing. In the previous volume of "Bulgarian Musicology", the author presented the current state of her systematology, and analyzed, discussed and compared all the other five models.
The claim of a new model was based on observations of changes that have manifested themselves both nonverbally and verbally: in practical online exercises at virtual camps, festivals and webinars ("social dis-dancing the Bulgarian way") and in public discussions on various Internet platforms and social networks such as Facebook and others. Many interesting peculiarities were discovered that forced ethnochoreology onto completely new scientific paths and gave the author innovative ideas. They cannot all be listed in this abstract, but they are associated with a survival mode and raised general questions about human existence and technology. Intimacy and anonymity were suddenly related in the "third" virtual space. Verbality at all levels of participation took on a phenomenon-defining quality for the first time.
The unexpected foreign media and formats rescued the phenomenon and made it a rescue strategy in itself, but also penetrated it and changed not only its external appearance and the number of its carriers. New places were created and old ones rediscovered, new personalities emerged and old ones were recognized, new ethics were followed and old worlds mourned, new associations were formed and old ones put to the test, new content was developed and old ones glorified. Much of the new seemed unstable and unsustainable, but it did not disappear after the pandemic. In summary, the sixth model has successfully summarized the paradigms of all the other models, playing a testing, developing and connecting role both for concrete individuals and communities and for the ideal of dancing the Bulgarian way as a culture of collaboration.

Interdisciplinary Studies in Musicology, 2022