Tradition and Fakelore: A Case Study in Greek Traditional Dance

Abstract

The ethnographic context of this paper is the community of Pentalofos in the region of Thrace in Greece. In the community of Pentalofos, the dance is being experienced and being revived by the same people, who actively participate both in the public dance of the community festival, and in revivals of customary circumstances on stage. Therefore, in this community, the coexistence of dance is observed in its primary environment and its transfer to the dance scene by the same people, who are both members of the community and members of the cultural club. In other words, the simultaneous "first" and "second existence" of dance is observed. The aim of this paper is to compare the traditional and the folkoric dance in Pentalofos of Evros, in order to determine whether they are identical or different, through the example of the dance ‘Babisios’. The collection of ethnographic data was based on the ethnographic method. Laban's notation system was used to record the choreographic compositions of Babisios dance, while for the analysis of their structure and form, as well as their codification, the structural-morphological and typological method of analysis was used, as it is applied in the Greek Τraditional Dance. From the data analysis was found that, although the traditional and fakelore form of Babisios dance is performed by the same people, who are both members of the community and members of the cultural association and often even happen to dance in the same place with both their qualities, show a number of differences. These differences reflect the dance expression of the same people in a specific context and at a given time. Thus, Babisios dance in its "first" existence includes a simple form, being an integral part of the life of the inhabitants of Pentalofos, while in its "second" existence the dance follows the rules of stage presentation, aiming to impress the audience, constituting a choreographic creation.