Text 8
Pre-reading activity.
Discuss the following questions.
1.What do you understand by saying “Folk dances”?
2.What Falk dances are you familiar with?
3.What Armenian Falk dances do you know?
Folk Dances
A folk dance is developed by people that reflect the life of the people of a
certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, ritual
dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances
are usually called "Religious dances" because of their purpose. The terms "ethnic" and
"traditional" are used when it is required to emphasize the cultural roots of the dance.
In this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic ones. If some dances, such as Polka,
cross ethnic boundaries and even cross the boundary between "folk" and "ballroom
dance", ethnic differences are often considerable enough to mention.
They share some or all of the following attributes:
Dances are usually held at folk dance gatherings or social
functions by people with little or no professional training,
often to traditional music.
Dances not generally designed for public performance or
the stage, though they may later be arranged and set for
stage performances.
Execution dominated by an inherited tradition from various
international cultures rather than innovation (though folk
traditions change over time).
New dancers often learn informally by observing others or
receiving help from others.
More controversially, some people define folk dancing as dancing for which there
is no governing body or dancing for which there are no competitive or professional
institutions. The term "folk dance" is sometimes applied to dances of historical
importance in European culture and history typically originating before the 20th
century. For other cultures the terms "ethnic dance" or "traditional dance" are
sometimes used, although the latter terms may encompass ceremonial dances.
People familiar with folk dancing can often determine what country a dance is
from even if they have not seen that particular dance before. Some countries' dances
have features that are unique to that country, although neighboring countries
sometimes have similar features. For example,
the German and Austrian Schuhplattling dance consists of slapping the body and
shoes in a fixed pattern, a feature that few other countries' dances have.
Folk dances sometimes evolved long before current political boundaries, so that
certain dances are shared by several countries. For example, some Serbian, Bulgarian,
and Croatian dances share the same or similar dances, and sometimes even use the
same name and music for those dances.
International folk dance groups exist in cities and college campuses in many
countries, in which dancers learn folk dances from many cultures for recreation.
Ball folk events are social dance events with live music in Western and Central
Europe, originating in the folk revival of the 1970s and becoming more popular since
about 2000, where popular European partner dances from the end of the 19th century
such as the Schottische, Polka, Mazurka and Waltz are danced, with additionally other
European folk dances, mainly from France, but also from Sweden, Spain and other
countries.
Glossary
To reflect արտացոլել, պատկերել
Ritual ծիսական, ծեսի պարեր
Religious dances կրոնական բնույթի պարեր
To emphasize շեշտել, ընդգծել
Cultural roots մշակութային արմատներ
Sense իմաստ
To cross boundaries անցնել սահմանները
Considerable զգալի, բավականաչափ
Execution կատարում, կատարման վարպետություն
Inherited traditions ժառանգված ավանդույթներ
Innovation նորություն, նորամուծություն
To observe զննել, դիտել
Controversial վիճելի
Competitive մրցակցային
To encompass պարունակել, պարփակել
Slap ափահարված
Recreation զվարճանք, զբաղմունք
Feature առանձնահատկություն, բնորոշ գիծ
Post–reading activities.
Task 1. Answer the following questions.
1. How are Falk dances characterized according to the text?
2. What are the differences between folk and ritual dances?
3. What attributes do Folk dances share?
4. Why are some Folk dances shared by two or more countries?
5. What are Ball Folk dances and where did they originate from?
Task 2. Are the sentences True or False?
1. Some Serbian, Bulgarian, and Croatian dances share the same or similar
dances, but do not use the same name and music for those dances. ………
2. Folk dances are not generally designed for public performance or the stage,
though they may later be arranged and set for stage performances. ………
3. The terms "ethnic" and "traditional" are used when it is required to emphasize
the religious roots of the dance. ………
4. It is sometimes very difficult to determine what country a dance is from even if
you have not seen that particular dance before. ………
5. In Folk dances new dancers often learn the dance informally, by observing
others or receiving help from others. ………
Task 3. Match the words with their definitions.
1. Informal a. typical of a particular cultural group
2. Boundary b. a recovery
3. Ethnic c. a quality regarded as a natural or typical part of
4. Revival Boundary d. a line that marks a limit, a dividing line
5. Attribute e. not official, not following established
procedures
Task 4. Fill in the gaps with the following words or word-combinations.
(Evolved, contemporary folk music, classical styles, folk revival,
revivals)
Folk music includes traditional folk music and the genre that evolved from it
during the 20th-century ………………………….. Some types of folk music may be
called world music. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music
transmitted orally, music with unknown composers, or music performed
by custom over a long period of time. It has been contrasted with commercial
and ……………………….. The term originated in the 19th century, but folk music
extends beyond that.
Starting in the mid-18th century, a new form of popular folk music
………………… from traditional folk music. This process and period is called the
(third) folk revival and reached a zenith in the 1960s. This form of music is
sometimes called ……………………………….. or folk revival music to distinguish
it from earlier folk forms. Smaller, similar revivals have occurred elsewhere in the
world at other times, but the term folk music has typically not been applied to the new
music created during those ……………………….. This type of folk music also
includes fusion genres such as folk rock, folk metal, and others. While contemporary
folk music is a genre generally distinct from traditional folk music, in Romanian it
shares a different name, and it often does not share the same people and animals as
traditional music.
Task 5. Translate the following sentences.
1. Ժողովրդական պարերը հիմնականանում ներկայացվում
կամ կատարվում են հասարակական բնույթի
միջոցառումների կամ հավաքների ժամանակ, ոչ
պրոֆեսիոնալ կամ սիրողական կատարողների կողմից:
2. Ժողովրդական պարերը չունեն հատուկ պարային ոճ կամ
շարժումներ, որոնք բնորոշում են տվյալ ծողովրդի պարերը,
սակայն դրանք մեծապես արտացոլում են տվյալ ժողովրդի
մշակույթն ու սովորույթները:
3. Ժողովրդական պարերի մեծ մասը զարգացել են մինչև
քաղաքական ներկայիս սահմանների որոշելը, և այդ
պատճառով հաճախ դժվալ է լինում որոշել, թե այս կամ այն
պարը որ ժողովրդին է պատկանում:
4. Ժողովրդական պարերը ի սկզբանե նախատեսված չեն եղել
բեմի վրա կամ հասարակական նշանակության
միջոցառումների ժամանակ ներկայացվելու համար, սակայն
հետագայում ամեն ինչ փոխվել է:
5. Պետք է հստակ պատկերացնել, որ ժողովրդական պարերը
չեն կարող նույնացվել կրոնական կամ ծիսական բնույթի
պարերի հետ, քանի որ նրանցից յուրաքանչյուրն ունի
միանգամայն ուրույն նպատակ:
Task 6. Speaking activity.
Get acquainted with the material and answer the questions.
Places, Dancers, Preparations and Reasons for the Performance of Folk Dances
Folk dances are performed at weddings, engagement ceremonies, when sending
young men off to perform their military service, at national and religious festivals and
after victories.
Dances are generally performed in all suitable open areas, but may also be performed
in close areas as well.
People who enjoy reputations as good folk dancers are especially invited to wedding
ceremonies. These are respectable people who have knowledge of that region’s music
and folk dances. Folk dances owe their rich variety of moves to such people, who
happily improvise while performing in order to show off their skills. In this way,
dances are successfully passed on to people who may or may not be capable of
dancing themselves, especially the young ones.
1. Where are Folk dances usually performed according to the text?
2. What are the main reasons of Folk dance performances?
3. What is the attitude of people towards skilled dancers of Folk dances?
4. Are there any similarities or differences between our Folk dance nature and
characteristics and the one you have read about?
