Dance, Love, and National Awakening in Late Nineteenth-Century Lithuania

Abstract

By the end of the nineteenth century, Lithuania's national awakening in the sphere of the emotive life had resulted in the strengthening of folk traditions, songs, and games (dances). In the initial stages of the awakening, there was no doubt as to the relevance of folk singing and music. The case for folk dancing was less certain. If dancing was not discarded altogether on moral grounds, was it possible to make it into an important cultural and political tool, like singing? In romantic novels, published in the earliest Lithuanian national newspapers, one can identify various challenges that young people experienced while they fell in love, engaged in the activities of the national awakening, and considered whether or not to dance.