University of Alberta Bereznianka: Becoming Symbolic by Vincent Arthur Rees © A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Ukrainian Folklore Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Edmonton, Alberta Fall 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-46977-4 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-46977-4 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract Ukrainian folk dances change as they move from their earliest recorded context, a particular place in Ukraine, to the context of the Ukrainian Canadian stage dance community. This thesis focuses on one particular dance, Bereznianka. Bereznianka has gone through several stages of development, first in Ukraine and later in Canada. I classify these choreographic variants as "standard," "adaptation" and "remnant." "Standard" variations involve an attempt at being faithful to the established composition by Klara Balog and Pavlo Virsky. "Adaptation" variations involve changing the established dance while maintaining a strong connection to Bereznianka. "Remnant" variations involve a great deal of change, with only a few key elements of the "standard" Bereznianka remaining. I explore several factors influencing instructors as they choose to make a "standard," "adaptation" or "remnant" variation in a given situation. This dance has become a key symbol of Transcarpathian Ukrainian dance. Acknowledgements To Andriy Nahachewsky for helping me understand that this thesis is not only about Bereznianka or even Ukrainian dance but rather it's about understanding, knowing, evaluating and thinking about the world and how we live, move, breathe and interact within it. Andriy, I also thank you for your patience and perseverance. To my students and my teachers in the world of Ukrainian dance. Sometimes I cannot tell you apart, for you both inspired and guided me on this road trip of discovery. To Brian, Nadya and Maria for countless favors, patience and putting up with my endless queries and making this experience more fun I could have expected. To Les, who provided technical support for this thesis and who was a constant sounding board throughout this process. To Sasha, who supported me in many ways and made buckets of tea during my writing. To my parents and family who have always supported and encouraged me. To Klara Balog and my many other informants who assisted me in peeling off the layers of stage folk dance. Your openness and generosity was great and I thank you. Finally, to the people from the county of Velykyi Bereznyi, who unknowingly had a large impact on the Ukrainian dance scene in Ukraine and Canada and rarely receive any mention. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I - VELYKYI BEREZNYI: DANCING TO ITS OWN TUNE 10 Context 10 History of Transcarpathia 10 Music & Dance in area around Velykyi Bereznyi 17 A Wedding in the county of Velykyi Bereznyi 21 Form 24 Dance-Like Activity 24 Clothing 28 Meaning 29 Velykyi Bereznyi Today 32 CHAPTER II - ON STAGE IN UKRAINE 34 Context 34 Stage Folk Dance in the Soviet Union, Ukraine & Transcarpathia 34 Revival Theory 39 Form 42 Klara Balog's Bereznianka 42 Pavlo Virsky & Bereznianka 46 Music 50 Clothing 51 Meaning 55 Summary - the first series of filters 58 CHAPTER III - JOURNEY TO CANADA 60 Context 60 History of Ukrainians in Canada 60 History of Ukrainian Dance in Canada: as it relates to Bereznianka 62 Bereznianka Journeys to Canada 68 Manifestations of Bereznianka in Canada 70 Standard 70 Adaptation 84 Remnant 94 CHAPTER IV EVOLUTION 106 Whose dance is it? 109 Instructors 112 Degrees of Separation 114 Source material 116 Practical Considerations 118 Spheres of Influence 118 CONCLUSION: TOWARDS SYMBOLIC 127 BIBLIOGRAPHY 136 INTERVIEWS 143 Table of Figures Figure 1. Photo -Entering town of Velykyi Bereznyi 11 Figure 2. Map of Transcarpathia. Danylo Husar-Struk, ed., Encyclopedia of Ukraine, p. 261 (Toronto: University of Toronto, Vol. V. 1993). 13 Figure 3. Map of County of Velykyi Bereznyi. P.T. Tron'ko, ed., Istoriia mistisil Ukrains'koi RSR, Zakarpats'ka oblast' [History of towns and villages of Ukrainian RSR, Province of Transcarpathia] p.168 (Kyiv: Institute of History, Academy of Sciences, 1970). 14 Figure 4. Photo - "Complexes of folk clothing of Transcarpathia" is displayed at the Ethnographic museum in Uzhhorod. 17 Figure 6. Photo - Musical trio from unknown location in Transcarpathia is displayed at Ethnographic museum in Uzhhorod 24 Figure 7. Photo - Kurahu from Uzhhorod Museum 27 Figure 8. Photo - Kurahu from Uzhhorod Museum 27 Figure 9. Sorokolet, Anna. Photo of man with wedding stick. August 29,2008. <http://www.hudaki.org/images/vodicia/index.htm> 27 Figure 10. Photo - Female dress from village of Perechin 28 Figure 11. Photo - Female costume from village of Uzok. 28 Figure 12. Photo - Female costume from viUage of Vyshka 29 Figure 13. Photo - Leaving the town of Velykyi Bereznyi 32 Figure 14. Photo - Contemporary Wedding in the county of Velykyi Bereznyi 2006 33 Figure 15. Photo - Decorated tree branches outside restaurant where wedding was held 2006 33 Figure 16. From a brochure of the Transcarpathian Ensemble [n.d.]. 34 Figure 17. Chart of model for folk dance in Soviet Union, (based on Vasylenko) 37 Figure 18. Photo - Klara Balog, Artistic Director of the Transcarpathian Ensemble 2006 39 Figure 19. Transcarpathian Ensemble. Cherkashyna, K. Zasluzhenyi Zakarpat'skyi Narodnyi Khor [Honoured Transcarpathian Folk Choir]. Kyiv: Derzhavne vydavnytstvo obrazotvorchoho mystetstva i muzychnoi literatury URSR. Kyiv. 1960. 51 Figure 20. Transcarpathian Ensemble. Cherkashyna, K. Zasluzhenyi Zakarpat'skyi Narodnyi Khor [Honoured Transcarpathian Folk Choir]. Kyiv: Derzhavne vydavnytstvo obrazotvorchoho mystetstva i muzychnoi literatury URSR. Kyiv. 1960. 51 Figure 21. Virsky Ensemble. Virsky Dance Company. Souvenir Program. 1988. 52 Figure 22. Virsky Ensemble. Virsky Dance Company. Souvenir Program. 1988. 52 Figure 23. Transcarpathian Ensemble. Khlata, Ivan. Pisnia nad Karpaty [The song over the Carpathians]. Uzhorod: Karpaty. 1994. 55 Figure 24. Photo - Alberta Zirka Ukrainian Dancers 2006 106 Figure 25. Chart of degrees of Separation 115 Figure 25. Chart outlining what Bereznianka symbolizes in various contexts: the signified. 128 Figure 26. Chart outlining CONTEXT of Bereznianka variations 131 Figure 27. Chart outlining FORM of Bereznianka variations: the signifier. 131 Introduction An ethnographer seeks to distill the essence of a people, a poetic sense of the wonder of who they are, the unique qualities that allow them to live, the pressures and challenges that urge them forward. Wade Davis1 As ethnographer Wade Davis suggests in the above quotation, dances have unique qualities that allow them to "live." As with individual people and cultures in general, it can be said metaphorically that they experience pressures and challenges that encourage their change and evolution. The dance Bereznianka has lived, lives and may continue to do so but perhaps in a continually changing form. I have attempted, in this thesis, to distill the essence of the dance Bereznianka as it floats down the river of culture. Bereznianka is the name of a stage dance by well-known choreographer Klara Balog, Artistic Director of the Transcarpathian State Folk Dance Ensemble of Ukraine. This stage dance has become very popular in Canada as well. This thesis will focus on how this dance has changed from its original context, as a "dance-like activity" during weddings in the villages in the area around Velykyi Bereznyi, across Ukraine and in Canada. Each time the dance Bereznianka moved from one context to a new one, it passed through a series of filters. By analyzing the