Professional Folk Dancing as a Political Mission. The Bulgarian Pre- and Post-1989 Model. (original) (raw)
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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.
This paper discusses the role of the Bulgarian folk dance choreographer in creation and dissemination of cultural knowledge. The overview of the period 1944-1989 (with the foundation and development of folk choreography institutions and folk dance ensemble activities) is followed by remarks regarding the folk dance activities in the post-socialist era. Attention is drawn to teaching methodology and the general impact of professional choreography training on both stage ensemble and recreational folk dance activities. As either an ensemble leader or recreational folk dance instructor the choreographer became the figure responsible for introduction of traditional dances (old "texts") and choreographies based on folklore. These became new texts for cultural memorization.
On the Bulgarian Folk Dance Club Movement
This essay is composed of three parts. 1 The first provides a general picture of the Bulgarian folk dance club movement's birth and development. The second elaborates on the club's genre and the national genre spectrum. And the third addresses the club's performances abroad, the Bulgarian national image, and the today's "branding of Bulgaria." The Bulgarian folk dance club movement is a complex 21st-century phenomenon that is dynamic. The observations below only address a few particular aspects of this movement as observed in 2008-2018. - To be included in the Bulgarian Dance in Migration book project, with Liz Mellish as the editor. BULGARIAN DANCE IN MIGRATION Essays on Bulgarian dance in Bulgaria and in the United States Content I. Introduction Why am I writing this book? II. Bulgarian dance: picture at large Introduction to Bulgarian dance: Bulgarian dance in 20 pages III. Bulgarian dance in Bulgaria (Notes from the Socialist and Post-socialist periods) 1. Bulgarian folk dance ensemble model: establishment and development 2. On choreographer. Coming of age as a choreographer in Bulgaria 3. Giving a name – giving a life: Bulgarian folk choreographer speaking 4. Wedding as a stage: examples from the Bulgarian urban wedding scene 5. “Rachenitsa! Try to outdance me!” On Improvisation in Competition Settings 6. “Something exotic from the past”: nestinarstvo and nestinari in present-day Bulgaria 7. On the Bulgarian folk dance club movement IV. Balkan folk dance phenomenon in the United States 1. A Balkan folk dance phenomenon in the United States: a few analytical observations 2. Shopska syuita forever? Bulgarian folk stage repertoire in the U.S.A. 3. The South Slavic Club of the North American Midwest: Živio folk dance group repertoire 4. Bulgarian dance in Seattle. Field studies among the International folk dance community in Greater Seattle 5. “There will not be another Koleda:” (folk dance) narratives and the study of dance 6. No illusions, music matters: the role of Balkan Night NW in bringing communities together 7. Bulgarian dance style(s) in migration: fieldwork in Bulgaria and the United States V. Bulgarian dance re-discovered 1. Folk dancing abroad: Bulgarian folk dance activities in the United States today 2. Performing Bulgarian dance in Minnesota 3. Bulgarian folk dance (re)discovered: examples from Californian Bulgarian community 4. Go folkdance! Folk dancing as vital vs. folk dancing as obsolete 5. Verea – Chicago Bulgarian festival: who are these people and what they are doing there? 6. “What's your name?” Names and cultural representation of Bulgarian folk dance groups in North America 7. “Bravo, Bulgarians!” Observations on performer-audience connection via social media Concluding remarks Notes Bibliography Index
Bulgarian Folk Dance Ensemble Model: Establishment and Development
This essay is a two-fold retrospection. It traces the Bulgarian folk ensemble history and dynamics and defines the Bulgarian ensemble model’s peculiarities. Simultaneously, this review on research conducted nearly two decades ago (and contoured for another decade) exposes the author’s first fascination with the ethnochoreological discipline, offering an opportunity to dialoguing with oneself by adding up-to-date data and approaches. This exercise aims to provide an overall record of the folk dance urban scene since the 1950s and up to the beginning of our century, facilitating at the same time the author’s current research on Bulgarian dance in migration. ... Proofreading and editing: Liz Mellish. BULGARIAN DANCE IN MIGRATION, Essays on Bulgarian dance in Bulgaria and in the United States, book project.
PROFESSIONAL FOLK DANCE ENSEMBLES IN EASTERN EUROPE AND THE PRESENTATION OF FOLK DANCE ON STAGE
The professional dance ensembles in Eastern Europe, which are often the national folk ensembles of their countries, have been the target of many critics regarding their method of work, their popularised representation of traditional music and dance. These are the institutions that 'professionally' present the cultural heritage of their countries, and differ from any of the other similar institutions because of their well-practiced theatrical presentations. But is professionalism only presented through the unified performances on stage? Who decides what makes these ensembles more professional than the village groups that have presented their own cultural heritage for much longer? This paper will reflect on the practice of the Eastern European folk ensemble and their effort towards building professionalism through presenting folk dance on stage. This text focuses on the creation of folk dance ensembles and their artistic mission, as well as the creation of choreographed works and the manipulation of folk dance.
Bulgarian Folk Dance Ensemble Model: Establishment and Development (Updated October 2023)
This essay is a two-fold retrospection. It traces the Bulgarian folk ensemble’s history and dynamics and defines the Bulgarian ensemble model’s peculiarities. Simultaneously, this review of research conducted twenty years ago (and contoured for another decade) exposes the author’s first fascination with the ethnochoreological discipline, offering an opportunity for self-dialogue by adding up-to-date data and approaches. This whole endeavor aims to provide a concise record of the urban folk dance scene in Bulgaria from the 1950s up to the beginning of our century, facilitating at the same time the author’s current research on Bulgarian dance in migration. … Part of Bulgarian dance in migration book project
This text summarizes more than a decade of fieldwork throughout the States, researching the dynamic development of Bulgarian folk dance outside the homeland. Under investigation is the common ground between: 1) American Bulgarian recreational folk dance repertoire and the folk dance repertoire of the Bulgarian communities living in the States, and 2) American Bulgarian performance repertoire and performance repertoire as observed in 2011-2016 during the Chicago’s Bulgarian Folk Fest, “Verea.” The researcher suggests, and develops her arguments in the analyses, that the “meeting venue” for the Bulgarian and American recreational repertoire is the so called “generic patterns.” Performance repertoires of both Bulgarian and American groups mirror to a great extent the model of the Bulgarian folk ensemble tradition. The nature of the repertoire of Bulgarian groups, on the other hand, could be properly understood only by taking into account the remarkable folk dance club movement inside Bulgaria, facilitated by YouTube and social media. Key words: Bulgarian dance, Bulgarian groups, American Bulgarian folk dance repertoire, performance, USA.
On the Bulgarian folk dance club movement (last updated February 2024)
This essay is composed of three parts. 1 The first provides a general picture of the Bulgarian folk dance club movement's birth and development, with its historical and political background; the second elaborates on the club genre and the 'national genre spectrum,' and the third addresses the club's performances abroad, the Bulgarian national image, and the 'branding of Bulgaria' today. How does the 21st-century Bulgarian folk dance club/group for recreational dancing differ from the ensemble model and folk dance clubs for recreational dancing in other parts of the world? And why?