Characteristics of national distinction in the dance day of the world Lithuanian song festival

Abstract

Introduction. Song Festival is a special tradition of Lithuanian nation. In 2003 together with Latvian and Estonian song festivals it was included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Dance Day became a composite part of the Song Festival since 1950. The Aim of the Study. To analyse World Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Day as an avenue to convey national aspect through professional performance. Materials and Methods. Analysis, comparative analysis and, generalization of scientific and methodological literature, analysis of five World Lithuanian Song Festivals Dance Days, personal creative experience analysis, qualitative analysis of data. Results. Four aspects of national thematics, use of ritual in mass dances, ethnical symbols and expression of national character in the choreography of Dance Days of World Lithuanian Song Festivals were analysed. Conclusions. World Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Days were based on national thematics of solidarity, bridge, world as a tree, road of flax, relationship of national history to present time. Rituals reveal the world-outlook of the nation, the significance of choreographic picture, to impart the impression of theatricality and verisimilitude to the festival. Ethnic symbols are encoded in thematics or rendered in different forms through drawing of massive dance itself. National character is expressed by specific choreographic expression of introvert movements stemming from matriarchal culture and an agricultural world-outlook.