DANCE

DANCE. D. among the Bashkirs has been associated with ancient religious beliefs: collective female, ceremonial, game, mass, and other dances. (ref. Folk dance). Hunting, shepherd and military D. were performed by men only. (e.g., Baik, Perovsky). Expressiveness and originality were characterizations of solo D. (related to wedding, epics, games, etc). Originally having verbal and song accompaniment and performed usually during holidays, the Bashkir D. gradually becomes an independent art form supplemented by a certain set of costumes and having a collection of requisites necessary to be performed properly. In Bashkortostan, the formation of professional stage D. began in the 1930s and was associated with the activities of F.A.Gaskarov in Bashkir State Ensemble of Folk Dance (ref. F.Gaskarov Folk Dance Ensemble). In the dances presented by him (Dance of the Bashkir Eget, Bishbarmak, Gulnazira, Friendship, Zarifa, Muglifa, The Game, etc), the techniques and movements inherent in folk D. are beginning to be seen. Also, a certain set pattern of development of dramatic actions becomes apparent. In the 1960s, ballroom, pop, and modern D. appear. In the 1970—80s, the on-stage folk D. was formed. In the 1990s, an increased interest in folk D. contributed to the formation of new dance collectives in philharmonic, and a creation of new dances and dance forms such as certain unique choreographic compositions and dance miniatures.