The Metrical Structure of Macedonian Dance

Abstract

METRICAL PATTERNS In essence, the theory to be presented here states that dance forms are generated by the encoding of abstract metrical patterns into an organized sequence of movements. The theory further suggests that a single set of abstract metrical patterns is actualized in the music and song lyrics, as well as in the dances, and that parallel, but not necessarily identical, sets of correspondence rules relate each form to the pattern. This hypothesis is derived from the linguistic analysis of poetic meters by Halle (1970a, 1970b), Halle and Keyser (1971), Kiparsky (1968), Maling (1973), and others. Halle and Keyser separate the study of meter into two parts, the analysis of abstract patterns and the discovery of correspondence rules which allow a particular instance to be viewed as an example of the pattern: To make clear our intention here let us consider a very simple example. One of the most rudimentary metrical patterns is one which consists of entities of a single type repeated some number of times. Examples of such patterns are given in (2): (2) XXX XXXX XXXXX XXX XXXX XXXXX XXX XXXX XXXXX 383 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:50:07 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms ETHNOMUSICOLOGY, SEPTEMBER 1974 It is obvious that there is an infinity of arrangements of physical objects that can be said to realize one of these patterns-flowers in a flower bed, desks in a classroom, windows on the side of a house. A correspondence rule which said that each X was to be realized by a particular object (a flower, a desk, a window) would then tell us where to look for the patterns.... There is no need to instantiate the patterns by means of a static arrangement of objects, however; they could be equally well actualized by means of phenomena organized by a temporal sequence, as a series of drumbeats, a series of light flashes, a series of dance steps. All that would be required is that the correspondence rule be appropriately modified. (1971:140). The correspondence between the X's of a metrical pattern and the syllables of a line of poetry is illustrated by the following French verse: 0 bruit doux de la pluie Par terre et sur les toits! Pour un coeur qui s'ennuie O le chant de la pluite! (Verlaine; quoted in Halle 1970a:65) In this verse, the underlying metrical scheme is XXXXXX, and the correspondence rule is one syllable to each X. Additional verses, however, show that the first approximation of the mapping rule, postulating a one to one correspondence, is inadequate. Consider, for example, the first verse of the