CZ 107911 EUROPEAN FOLK DANCE EUROPEAN FOLK DANCE .-<:, t "* ,,-SS.fc' HUNGARIAN COSTUME most elaborate costume in Europe EUROPEAN FOLK DANCE ITS NATIONAL AND MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS By JOAN LAWSON Published under the auspices of The Teachers Imperial Society of of Dancing Incorporated WITH ILLUSTKATIONS BY IRIS BROOKE PITMAN PUBLISHING CORPORATION NEW YORK TORONTO LONDON First published 1953 AHSOOrATKI) SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS. I/TT>. London Mblbourne Johannesburg SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS (CANADA), LTD. Toronto MADB IN QIUtAT DRTTACN AT TTIK riTMAN PRBSB^ BATH For DAME NZNETH DB VALOIS With Gratitude and Admiration Hoping it will answer in some part Iter a the request for classification of historical and musical foundation of National Dance Preface MrlHE famous Russian writer has said: and warlike Gogol "People living proud lives I that same in their a free life that express pride dances; people living show same unbounded will and of a diniate A poetic self-oblivion; people fiery express in their national dance that same and passion, languor jealousy," There is no such as a national folk dance that a dance thing is, performed solely within the boundaries as are known political they to-day. Folk dances, like all other folk arts, follow it would be to define ethnological boundaries; perhaps possible the limits of a nation from a of the dances the and the arts study people perform they practise. The African native of the Bantu tribe who asks the do great stranger "What you dance?" does so because he that the dance will knows, perhaps instinctively, stranger's him to understand of that man's life. help something country, customs, and ways of is more the dance he also What important, through may discover some elements that will link him to the not in the social of -movement visitor, only activity making together, also of ancient but by way some family traditions reflected in those movements. This of movements occurs the mass linking people through despite migrations, wars, other which are the balance the varied ethnic and upheavals continually changing of It is still to find certain and movements combined with groups. possible steps specific characteristics in the dances of areas. are also found musical many widely dispersed They the modern folk and which with the and among country dances, originated patriotic the late and nineteenth centuries. These nationalistic movements of eighteenth early to the ancestors of the modern nations who features belonged originally swept through and Africa before settled down and intermarried. Dances and round Europe, Asia, they built from such movements therefore reflect something of the many influences that to form a habits and work have helped people's customs, Among the many elements which can be said to fill in the background of folk dances are these still performed fcxlay its climate and which to 1. The situation of the country, physical features, help work the and of movement determine the type of done, quality style performed. of the inhabitants and the influence of 2. The racial origins subsequent immigrations and of wars. and the churches' attitude towards the dance, the 3. The forms ofreligion relationship and their between the people government. between the sister arts of music, drama, literature, and 4. The relationship painting. cover some of the of dance, and to This book is an attempt to background European viii PREFACE a help others to understand how dances will interpret people's origins, character, lives, customs, and traditions. The book is divided into two parts. Part I deals with the development of European folk dance in general, and describes how the various peoples are linked together by way of in the rituals and movements. Part n deals with particular characteristics found folk dances of each European country, which are associated with those specific musical features that constitute its national form of music. These later chapters are admittedly uneven but the dances of some countries arc so much more interesting than those of others. Moreover, I have preferred to spend more time on those countries whose dances I have taken part in as a performer. It is for this reason that the dances of Portugal and the Basques are dealt with in very general terms. their I have only watched these as a spectator, and then not in the country of origin, which is essential if one is to get a real insight into their significance, meaning, and close relationship to the music. To illustrate this book fully would make its cost prohibitive. Maps would be required for at least to show the movements of people and the changing political boundaries to the every fifty-year period, and many illustrations would be needed cover variety of costumes to be found in each country. Hundreds of dances, with their music, would have to be annotated. The aids given, it is hoped, will help students to realize the enormous ground to be covered in a study of folk dance. Map i shows some of the major movements of tribes during the first thousand years of this era only. The physical contours give some idea of the types of ground danced on. the the countries divided Map 2 shows present political boundaries (1952) and according to the language groups. This is not absolutely accurate. To avoid complications of symbol, Greece, the Basque Countries and Albania arc left blank as they arc not directly linked with other European groups; so is die Alpine area, because so many different dialects arc spoken. England is also left blank, for although she belongs to the Teutonic group her dances are Celtic. The Celtic-speaking areas have been shown to cover the whole of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany, which is no longer the case it is the dances that remain Celtic. the The costumes illustrate the general principles of the two chapters on development and influence of costume, and the drawings illustrate typical movements in the dances of the countries to which they belong. This book is published under the auspices of The Imperial Society of Teachers of authorized this Dancing, Incorporated, whose National Dance Branch Committee have work as the official text-book for the examination syllabus of their Branch. J.L. Acknowledgments book could not have been written without the valuable help given to me the to I by following people, whom offer my most grateful thanks P. first THISJ. S. Richardson, O.B.E., who suggested this book, and who generously lent me valuable material and allowed me to quote from many important articles in The Dancing Times, which appeared as part of his campaign "to teach Mary through the Dance"; Frank Howes, for his advice on musical problems and material from his book, Man, Mind and Music; Miss Iris Brooke, for her vivid illustrations and help on the in the costume chapters; John Bancroft, A.R.LB.A., for his work connection with pin- men; G. S. Holland, of the Royal Geographical Society, for making the maps; Carol Moverley, for her advice on Celtic dance and her continual help; Hamlyn Dennis, for valuable advice and, with Phillip Bate, the S.C.R., and Poul Elthorp of Copenhagen, for the loan of books; D. G. MacLennan, for permission to quote from Highland and Traditional Scottish Dances; The Clarendon Press, publishers ofdie OxfordJunior Encyclo- article Folk pedia, for permission to quote from my on Dancing; lijerka Sondic-Boenish, the Grand Council, and Mrs. I. Grandison Clark of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, for their encouragement; Messrs. Novello and Co., for permission to quote the late Edwin from the works of Cecil J. Sharp; finally Scraphina Astafieva, Evans, folk dance and and folk dancers everywhere, who taught me the secret of enjoying music and making it come alive. ix Contents CHAP. PACE Preface vii Acknowledgments be PART I >, THE DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN FOLK DANCE I. THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANCE 3 Gipiy folk dance tree-dwellen and their wonhip animal dancei guerrilla dance work dancei war dancei courtship dances recreational dance n. THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANCE PATTERNS 19 ^M"* The circle the rirr processional complicated pattrmi thr direction of die rircte DL THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEP 26 IV. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 29 V. GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATIONS 31 VI. THE DEVELOPMENT OF COSTUME 35 The apron or ovenkirt die overcoat and jacket the basic anode or ihirt the phid the tnnuen the development of die basic garment! head-dress deliberate coftnine design decorative motifi VII. THE INFLUENCE OF COSTUME ON DANCE 44 Footwear skirts, kilts and trousers head-dress corsets PART H NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS VHI. NATIONAL DIFFERENCES 51 LX. THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE TUREI-TARTARS 54 The Caucasus Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia X. THE GREBES 66 XL THE SLAVS 72 Yufloilnii TUinii Poland CTrrhnilnTalria Bulgaria XII. THE ALPINE PEOPLE 113 XIIL THE TEUTONS "9 Germany Holland Scandinavia Denmark Sweden Norway XIV. THE CELTS *43 France The British Ikies England Wales Ireland Scotland xii CONTENTS CHAP PAGB XV. THE FINNO-UGRIANS 191 Hungary Finland XVL THE LATINS 205 Italy Spain Portugal Romania XVII. THE BASQUES 227 Appendix I. Some places where types of dance are to be found . 229 Appendix II. Some composers who have introduced national music into their own compositions .......... 233 Appendix III. Short Bibliography 235 Index 237 Plates PLATO FACING PACE HUNGARIAN COSTUME Frontispiece I. BASIC PEASANT COSTUME OF MANY SLAV COUNTRIES .... 8 n. GEORGIAN COSSACK COSTUME 9 HI. BRETON COSTUME (LE PAYS DE QUIMPBR) THE GAVOTTE . .16 IV. COSTUME FROM INNSBRUCK (ALPINE AREA) 17 V. COSTUME FROM GRAZ (ALPINE AREA) 20 VI. THE SCOTTISH KILT AND PLATO 21 VH. DALMATIAN COSTUME 36 Vm. THE GREEK AND MACEDONIAN SOLDIER AND GUERRILLA COSTUME . .37 w Maps ^ FACING PACT I.