Monday, May 3, 2021

Balkan Folk Dance in Japan

Education must, be not only a transmission of culture but also a provider of alternative views of the world and a strengthener of the will to explore them.
Jerome Bruner

Today's post features the Kyoto Folk Dance group from Japan. They are very big on Balkan dance (as well as dance from other cultures), and they have numerous videos on YouTube.

Video #1 is Rustemul from Romania. The choreography and music are different what I've seen in North America. Also notice that there is a female leader wearing a man's costume.  They have amazing energy!

   

Video #2 is an athletic performance of Postupano  from North Macedonia.  According to the notes, this is a men's dance.  It looks like they could get only two dancers to do this one, so there's a young woman in here, and she's wearing a women's costume (unlike the female dancer in Video #1)

 

Video #3 is Dzinovsko from Bulgaria. At 4:35 there is a dance that is part Salty Dog Rag, part swing dance; not Bulgarian, but fun (the audience loved it).

   

Video #4 is Itia,  from Greece. dance. We usually dance Tsamikos to this music.  This looks like a variation under a different name. According to what I read in the comments, the young people are students at Kyoto University.  

   

 If you enjoyed this you may also like: Bulgarian Folk Dance Around the World