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The Contribution of Individual Dancers to a Community Dance Tradition This paper was originally presented at the 18th World Congress on Dance Research, Argos, Greece, November 2004. The Congress had the general theme "The Preservation of Diversity".
A community is made up of individuals, and even
in a small Greek village they do not all dance in exactly the same
way. The dances regarded as characteristic of a village are the
shared creation of the individual dancers, past and present, who
dance there. Individuals dance in a way that comes from their own
experience of seeing other dancers in the village and Observation of individual dancers in a community reveals a marked difference between the dancing of those who have been taught, and of those who have learned in the traditional way. Taught dancers and display dancers are drilled and rehearsed to perform choreographed routines, but dancers who have learned in the traditional way move more freely, improvising, and showing more individual diversity. They draw on their long experience of seeing other dancers in the community and dancing with them. This paper is based on twenty years' observation
of Greek folk dancers, mostly, but not exclusively, in villages
in Central and Western Lesvos. Its findings are supported by the
observation of dancers in other parts of Greece.
Greece is known for the diversity of its traditional
folk dances. The dances of the Ionian Islands are very different
from those of Crete; those of Macedonia are different from those
of the Dodecanese; those of Epirus are different from those of the
Peloponnese. There are also differences in the way people dance
in different parts of these regions. Folk dances, in fact, Even within one village there is often considerable
variation. The generalisations that form the basis of much teaching
of Greek folk dance, and the books that describe with such confidence
the "right way" of doing dances from particular parts
of Greece, are not a reliable guide to the way in which individuals
dance in a particular district or village. Visitors who have studied
such books, or attended dancing lessons where they have been taught
local dances, are often surprised to discover how the locals This is not really surprising. Every dancer is
an individual, who has his own way of dancing, based upon his experience
of dancing in the village throughout his lifetime, and influenced
by the way he saw his parents and grandparents dancing. But although
dancers in a particular village are likely to have a similar experience
of dancing, there are many differences in their individual experiences,
and so there are many differences in the way individuals dance.
Nowadays, of course, an individual's experience may include attending
dancing classes in school or club, with a teacher.
Dancing in a particular village or community has characteristics of its own, which make it different from dancing in other communities.First there is the music. In each village some tunes are more popular than others, and the dance is determined by the music, especially the rhythm of the music, and so some dances are more often performed than others. Anyone who has been to several panegyria and dancing events should not find it difficult to tell which tunes (and consequently which dances) are the most popular; these are the tunes that the musicians are most frequently asked to play. The same musicians may play the same tunes in different villages, but the way in which the villagers dance to them often varies from village to village. It is frequently even possible to tell which village dancers come from by the way they dance. It is the style and bearing of the dancers that
is most characteristic. The timing of the steps and other moves
is determined by the rhythm of the music, but the way in which the
steps are related to the rhythm, and the exact way the steps are
done often vary from individual to individual. The handhold between
the dancers has a big influence on the way a dance is done. When
dancers are dancing close together, the individual's freedom of
movement is more limited than with a more flexible handhold. In
those dances where there is no handhold (such as Zeimbekikos, Karsilamas
and Ballos) the dancer is much freer to do his own dance, with his
own steps, variations and improvisations.
4.1. PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES There are considerable physical differences between
one dancer and another. The first and most obvious difference is
that between boys and girls. Boys do not dance in the same way as
girls; girls do not dance in the way as boys. But there are also
many other physical differences between individual dancers, leading
to their dancing in different ways. Young dancers do not One only has to watch village dancers at a panegyri or other dancing event to see how many differences there are between them, and how many variations there are in physique and physical ability. 4.2. HABIT AND TRADITION Individuals dance in the way they are in the habit of dancing. The idea of 'habit' has similarities with the idea of 'tradition', though on the whole the word 'tradition' is used of communities, while 'habit' is used of individual members of communities. People's habits are established over a period of time. They "get into the habit" of doing something in a particular way. So it is with dance. A tradition, too, becomes established over a period of time. Traditions are not normally laid down in advance by authority. They just develop. A living tradition continues to develop. Attempts are sometimes made to codify a tradition into formal rules, but this may threaten the life of the tradition. 4.3. EXPERIENCE An individual's habits, and a community's traditions,
are formed and shaped by experience. No two dancers have exactly
the same experience of dancing. Some will have been "danced"
by their mother as babies, or carried by her when she danced in
the Square. Some will have danced with their family and friends
since childhood, learning to dance with their parents at family Not all will have had positive experiences. Some may have been mocked for their efforts to dance, or compared unfavourably with a brother or sister, or other dancers in their group. Some may have been discouraged by a chance comment. Many of these may give up dancing forever, deciding that they are no good at it, and it is not "for them". Much depends on a person's idea of dance. This too is based on experience. Some people may have been led to feel that the important thing is not to make "mistakes". Others see dancing as an enjoyable opportunity for creative expression. 4.4. IMMEDIATE CIRCUMSTANCES Of course, the way a person dances is affected by factors present at the time of dancing: a. The music The rhythm of the music and the way it is played determine the timing of the steps and other moves. The same tune can be played in different ways, so that the dancers dance in a different way. Sometimes a piece of music is played at a different speed, which affects the way in which it will be danced. b. The place and occasion The place and occasion also affect the way people dance. Dancing in a public place is different from dancing in the home. And of course the actual space available may restrict the dancers. Dancers in a confined space need to dance differently from those in a more open space. c. The company The way people dance is very much affected by the people they are dancing with. When a group of people is dancing together there should be a mutual response between them, so that they can work together to create a good performance. Even when a lone dancer is dancing the Zeimbekiko, he is supported by his friends who crouch round him, clapping, and of course sensitive dancers in a display will be affected by the response of those watching. Most dancers find that they dance better when dancing in the company of sympathetic friends. d. Mood and atmosphere Last but not least, a dancer's performance is affected by his own mood, and the atmosphere of the occasion.
A community is made up of individuals. Though there are times when individuals dance on their own, they usually dance in groups, either in pairs or in larger groups. In groups the individuals collaborate to make the group dance, each contributing as an individual to the group's creation. This is how most Greek folk dances developed. In a group dance, individuals respond to each other. This mutual response is very important, making the dance more satisfying to the dancers and more attractive to the spectator. This is why dances that have been choreographed and rehearsed sometimes seem dead, lacking the spontaneity that comes from mutual response. People who often dance together in a community
come to know how their friends dance, their habits and figures.
They establish a dancing relationship, which makes it easier for
them to respond to each other when they are dancing together. Most
individuals dance better with some people than they do with others.
In a traditional village, children start learning to dance from a very early age. Even before they can walk, they see others dancing, and may sometimes be carried by dancing parents, or "danced" up and down to the music. As toddlers, they are often encouraged to do their own dances, and to join in the dancing circle with their family. Their own dancing is usually accepted and encouraged. From the first it is "their own dance". But as they dance with the others, they are both contributing to the group dance and are also learning way the dance is done in the community, adapting it to their own bodies and abilities, and adapting their bodies and habits of movement to the community dance.This way of learning takes a long time, of course, and nowadays people want "the best possible results in the shortest possible time". This is what teachers are expected to provide. The initiative for the children's learning is taken
over by the teacher, who determines the place and time of the lesson,
chooses the music, the dance, the way of dancing, and often who
dances with whom. The teacher is the only model, and the dance may
be one that the children have never seen anyone else do. The teacher
demonstrates the "steps", and the pupils are expected When people of all ages are dancing together, it
is not difficult to spot those who have been taught by a teacher:
they usually dance the same dance in the same way, using the sequences
of movements and steps they have been taught, whereas the others
dance more creatively, making up new combinations of movements every
time they dance, drawing on their long experience of dancing in
the village. Watch the really good traditional dancers in a village.
When they get up to dance, it is not a question of repeating a routine.
No two performances are the same. Each is a new creative act. For
them the conflict between novelty and tradition is not so much a
dilemma as the challenge that inspires their art.
However dancers learn to dance, and whatever dances
they may learn to do, it is important that they "make the dance
their own". Dancers who have learnt a dance in the traditional
way have little difficulty with this, but even learners who are
presented with a new dance by a teacher need to work out how to
do it themselves, "re-inventing" the dance to fit their
own body and capabilities, so that they can dance it as if it were
their own.
In any community one finds a diversity of ways of dancing. The timing of the steps and other moves may be determined by the rhythm of music, but the precise way in which these moves are executed often varies from dancer to dancer. It is important to individuals that they should dance in their own individual way, and that even when dancing in a group they should be making their own individual contribution to the group's dance.It is important to the community that they should make their own contribution, since it is based on their personal experience of dance in the community, and helps to enrich and strengthen the tradition of that community. It is also important to the tradition. "Tradition should be something living, not something dead," said Seferis, when he was awarded his Nobel Prize. It is the contribution of individuals that keeps a tradition alive, contributing their own "traditions" to the tradition of the community.
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