Vietas nozīme stāstījumos par dejošanu Pārdaugavā

Abstract

It is important for people to structure the space around them and give it meaning, and this is evident in the stories of people involved in dance, not only talking about the process of dancing itself but also about the place and space where they dance. The project “Urban Experiences: Narratives, Memories and Place Heritage” (lzp-2020/1-0096), implemented by researchers from the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art at the University of Latvia and launched in 2021, includes a study in Rīga, Pārdaugava. It involved interviews with representatives of folk dance and stage folk dance groups working in Pārdaugava. In order to deepen the understanding of an important community of practitioners of Latvia’s intangible cultural heritage – dancers and dance teachers – the aim of this article is to find out where folk dance and stage folk dance perform today, which are the places they pay attention to and highlight as important, and how they shape their everyday dance life. Experiencing different places and spaces in the city shapes both the identity of dancers and dance teachers and the perception of a particular place. In other words, there is a two-way interaction: the person shapes the place, and the place shapes the person. Through semi-structured interviews with members of the dance community and subsequent analysis, the place where classes and concerts take place is crucial in sustaining their everyday practices. Rehearsal spaces create an atmosphere for everyday activities and are also important for socialising and maintaining a sense of community. Although most dancing takes place indoors, in recent years, there has been more dancing outdoors. And although this experience has not always been seen as a success, it has provided a different perspective on the space around us, and an opportunity for people who do not dance to be exposed to different dance practices. The article “The importance of place in narratives about dancing in Pārdaugava” analyses the contexts in which places appear in the narratives of people involved in dance, the meanings they attach to them and what they highlight as important characteristics of the dance environment, which in turn constitute this important part of the intangible cultural heritage.