HOW TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON ESTONIAN FOLK DANCE TODAY? (Kuidas uurida eesti rahvatantsu tanapaeval?)

• Authors: Kapper Sille
• Languages of publication: ET

Abstracts

EN

The article presents a selection of contemporary theories and methods of ethnochoreology. The selection was made based on the present reality of research into Estonian dance, which is currently at its very beginning. The need to bring into play recent theoretical and methodological approaches emerged in connection with project 'Original Choreographic Text and Style of Performance of Estonian Folk Dances on the Basis of Recorded Audiovisual Material', which aims at studying the authentic style of performing folk dance and at the identification and explanation of the changes that take place in folk dances during different periods and in revival processes. In the article, the concept of 'folk dance' is used in its broadest meaning which incorporates the ritual and social dancing of people in the past and present, and the changing meanings that have been attributed to the concept of 'folk' (Estonian: rahvas), as well as author works which elaborate and stylize the genres of folklore. Participatory and presentational dancing are discussed in connection with the concepts of the first, second and third existence of folklore. The author aims to stress the importance of specific research into the real use of the key concepts and terms in the field of folk dance and how they are understood by different groups of Estonian-speaking people. The article briefly addresses the historical research into folk dance studies, revealing some current problems in the history of European social and traditional dance and introducing the theory of dance paradigms. The author points out that next to studying local peculiarities in the Estonian dance tradition, more attention should be paid to parallels with the dance history of other nations and trends in the international dance practices.

Keywords

EN

DANCE'S ANALYSIS; ESTONIAN FOLK DANCE; ETHNOCHOREOLOGY; FOLK/ETHNIC DANCE; TRADITIONAL DANCE

Discipline

• ETHNOLOGY: ETHNOLOGY

• Publisher: Folk Belief and Media Group of the Estonian Literary Museum, Estonian Institute of Folklore, EKM Teaduskirjastus
• Journal: Mäetagused
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 41
• Pages: 75-98
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Kapper Sille

• Sille Kapper, Institute of Fine Arts of Tallinn University, Lai 13, 10133 Tallinn, Estonia

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

09EAAAAA062113