CHOREOGRAPHY

CHOREOGRAPHY, the art of dance in all its varieties. Before the Revolution of 1917, the Bashkir folk dance developed under the influence of the historical and social living conditions of the people. In its epics and legends one finds quite a few references to folk dances, which are also described in the works of such writers as I.I.Lepyokhin, P.S.Pallas, S.I.Rudenko, and S.G.Rybakov. In Bashkortostan, professional choreography started developing from the first half of the 20th century. Bashkir dances were presented for the first time on the stage by the artists of the Shirkat theatre troupe and by V.Murtazin‑Imansky, B.A.Yusupova and others. The first research, systematization, the processing of the sources and the forms of Bashkir dance was done by F.A.Gaskarov, who revived the popular dance on professional stage. His performances formed the basis of the repertoire of the F.Gaskarov Folk Dance Ensemble. The growth of popularity and interest in dance contributed to the appearance of amateur dance groups Enzhe (Pearl), Shatlyk (Joy; both – Ufa), Agidel, Lyaysan, Yeshlek (Youth; Abzelilovsky Raion), Irendyk (Baymak, Ufa) and other ensembles of pop and ballroom dance. There also appeared such troupes as Rhythms of Time (Oktyabrsky), Victoria (Neftekamsk), Eldorado (Agidel) and others. Further development of the Bashkir dance led to the creation of professional ensemble of dance Miras, the Dance Theatre, and dance collectives of Uchaly, Neftekamsk and the Sibay Philharmonias. The formation of a ballet art (ref. Ballet) in Bashkortostan began in the 1940s and is associated with the opening of the Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The first national ballet titled Crane Song which organically combined the academic and classic traditions and forms of Bashkir traditional dance, had a great influence on the development of choreographic art. The most important step in the improvement of professional choreography was the opening of the Ufa Choreographic School in 1986 (ref. R.Nureyev Choreographic College) and Departments of choreography in the republican universities.