When it comes to Russian folk dances, an image of something bright, energetic, rollicking and groovy arises. But to call such a dance a mere entertainment, the show will be wrong. This is part of the culture. Each movement, each figure has a meaning that is transmitted from the depths of centuries from generation to generation.
Types of dancing
Russian folk dances are divided into types depending on the genre, choreographic structure, songs used, and the number of performers. The main ones are round dances and tanks, dances and dances, quadrille.
Round dance
Round dance is a favorite pastime of youth, starting from the end of the XVII century. This is a symbiosis of dance, songs with the addition of elements of the game. A round dance symbolizes friendship, the unity of people and their strength, cohesion. A round dance is led under the accompaniment of a song or dialogue of participants, in a circle, holding each other's hands, scarf or belt.
The round dance form has a sacred meaning, the circle is a symbol of the sun and the corresponding deity, which our ancestors worshiped. For this reason, round dances were an integral part of the Slavic holiday and favorites of festivities. Inside, a plot can be played out with any theme: love, everyday, or a staging of the content of the song. Dances are ornamental and play.
Ornamental Dances
The name contains the meaning of the dance, from the word "ornament". Participants seem to weave a round dance chain of patterns that seamlessly replace each other. Round dance figures reflect folk art - delicate drawings of lace craftswomen, wood carvers. In such a dance there is no pronounced plot or key action. The songs that accompany the ornamental round dances describe nature, lifestyle, and a lyrical motif is possible. Wishing people of all ages, from young to old, were involved in such round dances, conveying to each other the joy and power of the sun.
Game Dances
In contrast to the ornamental, the basis of the game dances is a plot with characters and specific actions. Through dance, facial expressions, gestures, the character of the hero is manifested, the composition is built. With the help of hands, bends of bodies represent animals, trees, flowers. Love, work, a fairy tale plot - the main motives of the songs, under which such round dances lead. Round dance "Veretenitsa" - a tale about girls needlewomen, "Swan" depicts the grace of a bird.
Types of game dances:
- A circle. Even small children can drive such a dance, the main rule is that at least three people must take part in it.
- Circle in a circle. This is a small round dance inside the big one. They can move in different directions, a large circle, according to tradition, rotates clockwise (in the sun).
- Tartlet. This is also a circle in a circle, but both consist of the same number of people. Outside are young people, inside are girls. Both dances are facing the center. The male circle, moving through the heads of the girls, connects its hands with the hands of partners, forming a “basket”.
- Eight is obtained from two circles with an equal number of participants. Dances are sent in different directions, having a common point of contact. At a certain point, the round dance breaks, and their participants through one flow from circle to circle. It turns out a figure that looks like a figure eight.
- Snail. With such a dance, a large common circle is broken and a new round dance chain is opened inside. It can be repeated several times, resulting in a round dance in the form of a spiral.
- Gates are obtained when couples consisting of young people move in a certain order, passing under raised arms (gates).
- Crest. With this construction, two lines of dancers move towards each other and freely pass through each other.
Tank
Ritual dance, rooted in South Russian (Kursk, Belgorod region) and Ukrainian mass dance, accompanied by song and play. A tank is referred to as a round dance, “drive tanks” means “drive round dances”. This type of dance has specific features: it is accompanied by the singing of participants in a round dance, and the chapel, and moves in lines opposite each other.
Dance
The dance is also attributed to the early ritual dances, which degenerated into everyday ones and became favorites among folk dances. Improvised various movements - a distinctive feature of dance. Each dancer himself chooses which figure to use to express his emotions. The most popular dances in Russia: "Barynya", "Kamarinskaya", "Matanya", "Trepaka", "Mad", "Golubets", "Toptusha", "Troika". Real Russian dance tells an interesting, emotional story. “Kamarinskaya”, for example, plays out the peasant “drunk”, whose legs themselves “go to the dance”, “Troika” is a dance that depicts the image of a Russian three horses harnessed to a wagon.
The most famous types of Russian dance:
- Single female and male dance.
- Pair dance.
- Dance.
- Dance in a circle.
- Group dance.
- Mass dance.
- Dance improvisation.
A single dance reflects the individuality of the performer, his character and skill. Solo dances usually begin with moving in a circle (penetration) or moving into a circle and performing a figure (antics).
A couple dance is performed by a young man and a girl; its meaning is in the dialogue of loved ones. The most striking example of pair dancing is wedding, but sometimes such a dance is used to express other feelings, jealousy or resentment.
Dance is a competition in the skill, ingenuity, endurance of a dancer or dancers (you can compete in groups). The meaning of the game is to accurately reproduce the movements of the enemy, which become more difficult with each round. The winner is the one in whose arsenal was the largest supply of dance figures. Sometimes the rules allowed you to dance “till you drop” in the literal sense of the word.
The dances in a circle came out of the round dances. In this form of dance, the skill of the performers and the action of key persons that are different from the bulk (“Polka”, “Matanya”, “Akulinka”) are distinguished. The meaning of the song accompaniment is comic, funny, sometimes lyrical, the tempo is fast.
Group dance is a mass dance without concrete complex drawings and constructions, mainly round dance transitions, improvisations. A large number of performers can take part in group dance. Group dance includes both the main program (common motive, transitions), and a personal performance with elements of improvisation. Examples of group dancing: “Shen”, “Asterisk”, “Carousel”, “Shuttle”, “Trickle”. Each such dance contains a meaning that is understandable to participants and spectators.
Mass dance is a dance in which there are no restrictions: gender, age, number of participants do not matter - everyone participates.
Dance-improvisation: the main figures of such dances are passed from the older generation to young girls and guys who take movements from famous dancers and then change them, adding new “rings” - this is the meaning of improvisation. The most popular examples of improvisation dance: “Lady”, “Valenki”, “Dance with Spoons”, “Circular-Dance”, “Dance with Shawls” - Russian folklore very capaciously conveys the design and meaning of each dance.
Quadrille
The Russian quadrille - a dance whose French ancestor became the progenitor, originated in Russia in the era of Peter I, at the beginning of the XVIII century. Starting in 1718, the Peter's assemblies consolidated the position of a ball square dance, which was gradually mastered by the noble estates, who received information about the dance from the stories of servants. Particularly remembered figures showed each other and remade in a new way. As a result, the adapted dance quickly spread to cities and villages and became very popular. True, from the original source - the ball square dance - there are very few elements left in it. Many figures are borrowed from dance, dance and dance, waltz and polka.
In the Russian quadrille, the number of figures varies from three to fourteen. The names of Russian folk dance either reflect its essence (“Acquaintance”, “Girls like hot cakes”), or place (“Klinskaya”, “Davydkovskaya”, “Shuiskaya”). Types of quadrille: four (six, seven, eight), lance and others. Most of the figures conclude with a rotation of the pairs and a bow, each following is marked by the announcement of the leader, pause, clap.
Russian folk music for dancing
Music is the soul of dance. Musical accompaniment was created by the people and carefully transmitted from the older generation to youth. Russian folk song for dance is both a quick rollicking and slow melodic composition, reflecting the temperament, national features and character of the people. It focuses energy, expressiveness, inner strength. Today, a popular direction is the arrangement of Russian folklore, breathing new life into old tunes.
Costumes
The costume for the Russian folk dance was of great importance for the embodiment of the idea of ​​this action. The stage costume was a light version of the folk, which was changed for ease of movement. Colorful clothes made of linen, cotton or silk, decorated with embroidery with ornaments, lace, often passed by inheritance from mother to daughter and from father to son.
Young people wore shirts-shirts with belts (sashes) and canvas pants decorated with stripes, boots, and a vest.
The main clothes of the girls for the dance are an embroidered long sundress, mostly red, with brocade and silk ribbons. They put on a “curtain” from above - a color apron, down - a shirt made of white fabric. As decoration used beads, necklaces made of pearls or amber. The headdress - the kokoshnik and the back of the head - was sewn from brocade, tied with a bright scarf and attached flowers, silk bows.
The cut of the costume depended on the place of residence of its owner, each village, village, city had its own distinctive signs, manifested in decoration, color, embroidery.
Children's Russian folk dance
Folk dance is an opportunity to familiarize kids with the culture and traditions of their ancestors with the help of dance images in an accessible playful way. Russian folk dances for children do not require strict restrictions and too serious a burden, as in a ballet school, for example. But at the same time, they propose to master the exercises for all muscle groups, form a posture, and develop coordination. "Matryoshka", "Clapperboard", "Trickle" - the names of these dances are familiar from the manger. Children's folk dance ensembles exist in almost every city, many groups take part in federal and international competitions.
Folk dance today
Contemporary Russian folk dance is one of the most popular areas of choreography. Specialized schools and studios are engaged in teaching folk dance, both classical and updated, with rhythms, costumes and movements from the present. A new meaning, character is manifested in the works of choreographers of our time, attracting viewers and performers to this genre. Thanks to the instrumental processing of folklore material, modern dance music has also undergone significant changes. Themes of love, friendship, experience gain a new meaning. Old and new styles complement each other, creating a new image of Russian folk dance with preservation of its roots and origins.