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Feb 9, 2024 · Folk Dance Traditions Worldwide. To truly appreciate folk dance traditions worldwide, you should immerse yourself in the vibrant rhythms and captivating movements that showcase the rich cultural heritage of different communities. Regional dance styles are a testament to the diversity and beauty of human expression.
Jun 7, 2021 · 8. Polka dance: Originated in the Czech Republic, this popular folk dance form is performed all over the world. The Polka is a fast-paced routine usually danced by a couple, who rotate in a circle in the same direction, smoothing out any rough bounces in their quick steps. 9. Square dance: Originating in England, this traditional American dance ...
- Overview
- What makes a dance a folk dance?
- Operational definitions
folk dance, generally, a type of dance that is a vernacular, usually recreational, expression of a past or present culture. The term folk dance was accepted until the mid-20th century. Then this and other categories of dance were questioned and their distinctions became subject to debate.
For the purposes of this article, the designation folk dance will be used for convenience, without the extended discussion of terms that a more scholarly treatment would require. It is important, however, to examine other ways to write and think about the types of dances that might be characterized as traditional. It is also essential to note that people in many non-Western cultures do not themselves describe any activity as dance in the way that English speakers do. This article examines possible ways to look at and define folk dance, how various groups might conceive of their dances, and how the study of folk dance was born and developed. See also dance, for a general treatment of dance as an art form. For further treatment of the folk arts, see folk music; folklore; folk literature; folk art.
Logically speaking, the adjective folk should modify the noun dance to indicate a certain kind of dance and dancing and perhaps the style or some other distinguishing feature of the dance or performance. It should also imply who the performers are. However, the term folk dance, which has been in common use since the late 19th century, along with its parent term folklore, which was coined in 1846, is not as descriptive or uncontroversial as it might seem. Much of the problem lies in the attitudes and purposes of early scholars and their audience.
Usually, the designation folk was used by those who did not consider themselves to belong to the folk and were confident that they knew which other people were the folk. Some of these observers described folk communities with condescension as peasants, simple or quaint people who were illiterate and unselfconscious, carrying on supposedly unsophisticated and ancient traditions. Such writers concluded that “true” folk dances were created anonymously and transmitted from person to person. Many scholars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries postulated a sort of Darwinian social evolution that passed from imagined beginnings through existing folk dances to arrive at modern recreational dances. This attitude, which fell out of favour by the 1930s, was part of a larger worldview that sometimes went so far as to place certain other groups of people farther down the human evolutionary tree from themselves and their peers.
Not surprisingly, a backlash developed, and since the middle of the 20th century the word folk has often been avoided because of the condescending attitude its use is thought to represent. Many cultural groups around the world demanded that their performing arts not be characterized by the term. Thus, some archives and organizations found it expedient to change the word folk to traditional in their names. For example, in the 1960s the Folk Music Archives at Indiana University was renamed Archives of Traditional Music. Similarly, in 1980 the International Folk Music Council, a nonprofit organization supported by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), changed its name to International Council for Traditional Music. Its study section on dance broadened in scope from folk dance to ethnochoreology, the study of all dance forms in a culture.
Although many academics in the 21st century avoid any use of the word folk because of its past misuse and possible offensiveness, those who do accept the term often mean “traditional,” “authentic,” or “from olden times.” Those who want to avoid implying that culture is static may refuse to use any such categorical term.
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Of major significance, a point that is critical to the understanding of folk dance is the following fact: folk dance is not a universal genre of dance. When folk dances are compared from one culture to another, they have in common no universal movement, figure, form, style, or function. Neither does a specific movement, figure, form, style, or function identify a dance as a folk dance. The simplest approach to definition might be to say that folk dances are those dances identified with and performed by folk dancers. By the same reasoning, folk dancers are those persons who perform folk dances.
Yet these circular definitions are inadequate. Some persons who perform what outsiders define as folk dances do not themselves identify their dances as folk dances. And some persons who perform such dances do not identity themselves as folk dancers. Others reject the word folk entirely, as having nothing to do with who they are or what dances they do.
Apr 14, 2022 · During the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines, a traditional folk dance was created called Tinikling. This dance is composed of four people. Two people sit on the ground holding two bamboo poles at each end. The two other participants followed specific steps and danced according to the rhythm of the music.
Mar 21, 2023 · Despite these challenges, the influence of folk dance on contemporary dance continues to be strong, with many festivals and events around the world celebrating and promoting traditional folk dance. These folk dance festivals provide a platform for both professional and amateur dancers to showcase their skills and keep the traditions alive.
Aug 6, 2024 · In an increasingly globalized world, Philippine folk dances serve as cultural ambassadors, introducing the richness and diversity of Filipino culture to international audiences. Through these dances, we can share our stories, values, and traditions with the world, fostering greater cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
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Mar 21, 2023 · For example, some traditional folk dances in South America now include elements of hip-hop or electronic music, adding a modern twist to the traditional steps. In India, Bollywood-style movements have been added to traditional folk dances, creating a fusion of new and old. Another aspect of modernization is the use of storytelling in folk dance.
