The role of the kinetic motif in determining the form and time of dance through the dance "Tis Marias"

Abstract

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)IntroductionCultural elements and practices constitute points of reference of the collective identity and show not only but also what we are (Tsaoussis, 1978). Undoubtedly, dance constitutes a significant cultural practice of a group, which, according to Royce (2002), functions as a determiner-indicator of identity. Panopoulou (2001) supports that dance is not simply considered a notional expression or part of culture; on the contrary, it participates in the construction of national identity, because of the fact that dance is performed by people for other people, thus depending on connections between them (Craw, 1995) and, generally, on the overall context within which the above connections are formed and reproduced.Focusing our attention in the kinetic motif of dance and how this is presented within the narrow limits of the community, we observe that every community spots those dance elements which it considers suitable for it. Thus, it forms its own dance repertoire, its own ways of expression and interpretation, resulting in the formation of a special profile in the place and time of their dance tradition (Filippou, 2002).The purpose of this paper was to research the role of the kinetic motif in the shaping of form and duration of dance in Rumluki (Alexandria - Gidas), prefecture of Imathia through the dance Tis Marias, as well as compare and contrast its performance with that of its presentation by local folk dance clubs during their representations.By kinetic motif we mean a small kinetic unit, which, most of the times, coincides with the musical meter; by dance motif we mean a larger kinetic unit consisting of two or more kinetic motifs, the repetition of which, or its potential variations, compose the complete choreography, i.e. the dance (Prantsidis, Prantsidis Prantsidis 2007).When we refer to Rumluki (Alexandria), we refer to the section of the Imathia plain, which the Aliakmon river crosses, and stretches from the northern part of the foot of the Pieria mountains to the reed thickets of the marshland of Giannitsa and below the hills of Veria to the Ludias river and the estuaries of the Aliakmon in the Thermaicos Gulf, while others claim that it stretches up to the Axios river (Moschopoulos, 2004).The collection of the necessary data for the paper was carried out on the basis of the ethnographic approach (Gefou- Madianou, 1999; Buckland, 1999; Giurchesku, 1999; Kaeppler, 1999) and the active observation on the part of the researcher; it was based on the use of primary and secondary sources. Particularly, the primary factual data of the research derives from on-the-spot investigation (Lange, 1984); it involves the collection of material regarding the place of dance in the traditional and modern society of the area and consists mainly of oral testimonies, using open-ended questions for partly-controlled (Thompson, 2002) and on-the-spot recordings of the dance Tis Marias. Five women, between the ages of 85 and 88, danced separately and at different times the dance Tis Marias, being simultaneously recorded on video camera. The secondary data comes from the recorded performance of the dance by three folk dance clubs of the area of Alexandria during the presentation of the dance on stage.We consider the performance of the dance by the five women its form. For a thorough understanding of the place and function of dance in traditional society, we conducted partly-controlled interviews of elderly women who used to perform the dance at a young age.The findings of the research were analyzed with the use of the structural- morphological method, as this is suggested by Martin & Pessovar (1961), the International Folk Music Council (I.F.M.C., 1974) and applied to the dance practice (Koutsouba, 1997; Koutsouba, 2007; Tyrovola, 2008). The use of the structural- morphological method was deemed necessary, since the subject is studied through the analysis of the structure and the form of the dance along with the parallel development of its structural levels with those of the music accompaniment (Tyrovola, 2008). …

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