What’s in a dance? Dalkhai: from a religious community ritual, to a pro-scenium performance

An educational international project, initiated by a Romanian organisation, comprising folk dances from around the world, has challenged me to go deeper into understanding one of the most popular dance forms of Western Odisha, Dalkhai. Traditionally a religion-based folk dance connected to the agrarian culture of local Adivasi communities, it has been gradually developed into a cultural pattern of Odisha, Eastern India. Considering folklore as intangible cultural heritage of humanity, according to UNESCO definition, I explore the expression of this ritual-dance, in connection to the Adivasi culture, as Dalkhai is considered the goddess of fertility, initially worshipped by the tribal people/Adivasi like Mirdha, Kondha, Kuda, Gond, Binjhal, etc., but also in its recent metamorphosis into a proscenium representation. The Dalkhai dance is becoming visible and recognised at state, national and even international form of dance, while in the Adivasis communities it is noted that the ritual becomes less and less performed. Consulting the UNESCO definitions and documents on Intangible Cultural Heritage is useful for understanding how to approach a choric ritual, involving a tradition, music and dance, enhancing the importance of safeguarding cultural diversity while confronting cultural globalization. Its approach, in accordance with ‘universal cultural rights’, emancipatory politics concerning world culture and multiculturalism, opposes the disappearances and destruction of local traditions, indigenous practices. Heritage concerns the whole community, conferring an identity feeling, and supporting the transmission to the next generations, sustainable development, often involving economic stakes, becoming essential for developing the territories (Chevalier, 2000).

DANCE AS A MARKER OF NATURAL CYCLES CHANGE IN TERRY PRATCHETT’S FANTASY NOVELS

Against the background of a widespread tendency to diminish the sacred meaning of ritual actions, Terry Pratchett’s strive to shed light on the archetypal principles of mythological consciousness in contemporary folklore makes it possible to restorethe connection of the old rites, which have lost their original sense, with the worldview bases of modern society and to reacralize the profane. The Elements of mythological consciousness, manifested in ritual actions inherent in the modern functioning of English folklore, play a meaningful and compositional role in Terry Pratchett’s novels «The Reaper» (1991), «Lords and Ladies» (1992) and «Wintersmith» (2006). In Pratchett’s novels, Morris dance, which traditionally heralds the summer beginning, is balanced by a dance that marks the beginning of winter, indicating the natural cycles change. This manifests the functions of a sacred act: a dialogue between the world and a human, extracting the last from the flow of everyday life, and finalizing the routine work of a farmer. The study suggests the analysis of artistic means describing the Morris dance ritual as a marker of natural cycle changes and as evidence of a human establishing contact with natural forces, enshrined in the narrative and embodied in the dynamic form of dance. A common harvest festival turns into a Dance of the Death and a Maiden, which moves the process of harvesting and preserving the harvest into the realm of the sacred. The motive of the Death and a Maiden dance is being developed in the same compositional plane with the Morris dance motive, as an element of the narrative about the natural balance of life and death,fertility and harvest, about the cycle of the universe based on the love drive. The article examines the compositional elements of choreographic ekphrasis, highlights the significant elements of such a description, indicates the markers of the sacred and the profane, intrinsic to ritual dance in Pratchett’s novels. The conducted research allows to determine the role of dance in Pratchett’s literature work as a marker of the transition from one state to another, as well as season cycle changes.

Yakut Ritual Dance “Pattern”: concepts of life and death

This article reviews the Yakut ritual dance called “Pattern” which is connected to archaic funeral rite and to the concepts of life and death intrinsic to Yakut culture. The purpose of this article is to find in this dance symbolic and image-bearing elements indicating major concepts in the Yakut consciousness — concepts of life and death; to show the exceptional value and significance of “life” constant in ethnos consciousness; to address the Yakut ritual dance “Pattern” as one of the ways to display life in dance images; and, analysing the meaning of dance structure and choreography, to demonstrate transformation of “death” into a new quality, a symbol of “life”. The present study reveals the meaning of ritual movements by which death “changes into” life. The methodological basis of the article consists of the analysis of bibliographic sources on Yakut ritual dance. The content and meaning of the dance movements are identical to the worldviews of the ancient Turkish people and their concepts of life and death.

Embodying Black Religions in Africa and Its Diasporas

The contributors to Embodying Black Religions in Africa and Its Diasporas investigate the complex intersections between the body, religious expression, and the construction and transformation of social relationships and political and economic power. Among other topics, the essays examine the dynamics of religious and racial identity among Brazilian Neo-Pentecostals; the significance of cloth coverings in Islamic practice in northern Nigeria; the ethics of socially engaged hip-hop lyrics by Black Muslim artists in Britain; ritual dance performances among Mama Tchamba devotees in Togo; and how Ifá practitioners from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, and the United States join together in a shared spiritual ethnicity. From possession and spirit-induced trembling to dance, the contributors outline how embodied religious practices are central to expressing and shaping interiority and spiritual lives, national and ethnic belonging, ways of knowing and techniques of healing, and sexual and gender politics. In this way, the body is a crucial site of religiously motivated social action for people of African descent. Contributors. Rachel Cantave, Youssef Carter, N. Fadeke Castor, Yolanda Covington-Ward, Casey Golomski, Elyan Jeanine Hill, Nathanael J. Homewood, Jeanette S. Jouili, Bertin M. Louis Jr., Camee Maddox-Wingfield, Aaron Montoya, Jacob K. Olupona, Elisha P. Renne

The Cham ritual of Padmasambhava in Tibetan Buddhism

This paper discusses the origins of Cham or ritual dance in Tibetan Buddhism, structure»and components of the Cham ritual of Pamasambhava. The first part of the paper explains the Cham ritual dedicated to Padmasambhava and its three main sections ： the ritual of making offerings and reading scriptures; the performing of the ritual dances; and the empowerment of Padmasambhava»known as “Light of the Lotus”. The second part of the paper gives some details of the Padmasambhava Cham, which takes place on the ninth and tenth days of the eleven day ritual»with the Cham on the ninth day known as kya'cham and that on the following day as the dngos gzhi. The Padmasabhava Cham has eighteen parts and one of these parts has seventeen sub-sections»so all together there arc thirty-seven parts performed on the tenth day.

LANSARAN ETNIK MURUT TAHOL: PERMAINAN ATAU TARIAN TRADISIONAL?

Lansaran ialah salah satu persembahan tradisional etnik Murut Tahol yang tinggal di pedalaman Sabah. Kajian ini bertujuan menyelesaikan permasalahan sama ada lansaran ialah sejenis permainan ataupun tarian. Bagi mengumpul data kajian, pengkaji telah menjalankan kerja lapangan di daerah Kota Kinabalu, Tenom dan Nabawan. Kaedah pengumpulan data yang digunakan ialah kaedah temu bual, pemerhatian dan kajian perpustakaan. Analisis yang dilakukan terhadap data kajian adalah berasaskan interpretasi dan perbandingan antara ciri-ciri permainan tradisional dan ciri-ciri tarian. Kajian ini telah menyelesaikan permasalahan dalam kalangan pengkaji tarian, yang tidak pasti sama ada lansaran ialah sejenis permainan ataupun tarian. Hasil analisis mendapati etnik Murut Tahol mempunyai tiga jenis lansaran, iaitu pada asalnya lansaran ialah sejenis permainan kanak-kanak. Pada zaman mengayau pula, lansaran ialah sejenis tarian ritual. Akhir sekali, lansaran jenis olahan didapati adalah sejenis tarian sekular. Lansaran is one of the traditional performances of the Tahol Murut reside in the interior of Sabah. The aim of this research is to address the research problem related to whether is lansaran a type of traditional game or dance. Field trips have been conducted in the districts of Kota Kinabalu, Tenom and Nabawan to collect data. The methods employed in collecting data are interviews, observations and library research. Interpretation and comparison between the characteristic of traditional games and dance have been used in analyzing the research data. More importantly, this research has addressed the research question on whether lansaran is a type of traditional game or dance. The analysis found that there are three types of lansaran of the Tahol Murut. Originally, lansaran was a type of children game. In the era of head-hunting, it was a ritual dance. Finally, the newly adapted lansaran is a type of secular dance.

Teatro japonés y religión: dos facetas del rito

La danza ritual de la diosa Uzume se considera como la fuente legendaria del teatro nacional japonés. La descripción de cómo fue creado este género forma parte de la narrativa del Kojiki, la primera compilación japonesa de estas características, que data del siglo VIII de nuestra era. En este artículo se presta especial atención a la relación entre el teatro tradicional japonés y el Shintō, la religión autóctona, para hacer así una aproximación al origen mitológico de ambos fenómenos. También se indaga en la compenetración estética y filosófica entre el teatro japonés y las religiones llegadas desde el continente a las islas japonesas en tiempos posteriores.Japanese Theatre and Religion: Two Aspects of the RitualAbstractGoddess Uzume’s ritual dance is considered the legendary source of Japanese national theatre. The description of how this genre was created is part of the narrative contained in Kojiki, the first Japanese compilation of its kind, from the 8th century A.D. Special attention is paid in this article to the relationship between traditional Japanese theatre and the native Shintō religion, addressing the mythological origin of both. Attention is also paid to the aesthetic and philosophical rapport between Japanese theatre and the religions that travelled from the mainland to the Japanese archipelago.Recibido: 05 de agosto de 2020Aceptado: 19 de enero de 2021

Exploring Community Art and Its Role in Promoting Health, Social Cohesion, and Community Resilience in the Aftermath of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, followed by hundreds of aftershocks that led to physical destruction, loss, and negative mental health outcomes. Yet, in the days, months, and years following the disaster, numerous forms of community art rose from the rubble, such as urban murals, spoken word poetry, public dance performances, and sacred art. This study explored the relationship between community art and health, social cohesion, and community resilience in postearthquake Nepal. We utilized photography and audio recorders to capture 19 unique artworks/projects created in the aftermath of the earthquake and conducted in-depth interviews with 19 artists and/or experts about the relationship between art and health in postdisaster contexts. The 19 postearthquake artworks/projects ranged from contemporary paintings to Buddhist ritual dance and reflected the unique combination of the traditional and contemporary necessary for salvaging and restoring Nepali heritage. Findings revealed three key themes regarding linkages between art and mental health in the context of postearthquake Nepal. First, community art offers relief and is a mechanism for coping, through the creation or observation of art. Second, community art can be used as a means of communication, both as a tool for promoting connections and conversations in the community and by communicating messages of hope. Third, community art can promote community cohesion and ultimately serve as a tool to create physical and emotional safe spaces. Overall, there is promise for initiatives that engage artists and communities in arts-based initiatives following traumatic events, such as natural disasters, which can positively affect health. Funding support and development of partnerships with grassroots artists and creators should be promoted in health and development programming, especially for risk reduction and recovery after disasters.

Angguk Warga Setuju sebagai Tari Ritual Desa Bandungrejo Kecamatan Ngablak Kabupaten Magelang

ABSTRAK Tari Angguk Warga Setuju merupakan tari yang bertemakan ke Islaman yang digunakan untuk ritual bersih Desa Bandungrejo. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mendeskripsikan pelaksanaan pertunjukan Tari Angguk yang digunakan untuk kegiatan ritual desa setempat.Penelitian Tari Angguk menggunakan metode kualitatif, seluruh data yang diambil berupa kegiatan seperti adat istiadat, pendukung pertunjukan. Tekhnik pengumpulan data menggunakan prosedur observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Tekhnik analisis data menggunakan analisis bentuk fungsi dan makna.Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh Pertama, Masyarakat Desa Bandungrejo, secara umum merupakan masyarakat tradisional yang masih dipengaruhi nilai-nilai tradisi leluhurnya. Masyarakat sebagian besar menganut agama Islam akan tetapi sisa-sisa kepercayaan animisme, dinamisme dan totemisme yang berbaur kepercayaan Hindu dan Budha masih terasa, hal ini tercermin pada sesaji dan doa-doa yang disajikan. Aktivitas dalam upacara merupakan suatu kebiasaan yang dilakukan secara adat yang didasari oleh ajaran-ajaran para leluhur untuk mencapai tingkat selamat.Kedua, Para pelaku Tari Angguk dan penonton menjadi bagian integral seni pertunjukan ritual dan bukan nilai estetis yang akan dicapai tetapi berupa nilai religius yang ditujukan kepada pencipta alam agar dengan tari mendatangkan kedamaian, kesuburan tanah pertanian, dan kebahagian. Tari Angguk selalu dikaitan dengan kekuatan magis simpatetis sehingga menarik minat penonton. Gerak tari bersifat energik, dengan iringan vokal berisi doa-doa dan musik terbangan. Keyword: angguk, ritual, tari, bersih desa. ABSTRACT Angguk Warga Setuju Dance is a dance with Islamic theme for ritual bersih desa at Bandungrejo Village. This research proposed to describe how to perform Angguk Warga Setuju Dance as ritual activity at local.The research about Angguk Dance is conducted by qualitatively method, which is collection data included all activities such as customs and supporting performance. Data sampling techniques are observation, interview, and documentation. This research uses analysis for function and meaning as its technique of data analysis.Research results shows: Firstly, generally, people of Bandungrejo Village are traditional societies which still affected by their ancestor’s tradition value. Most of them are belief in Islamic. However, there is remaining belief from animism, dynamism, and totemism that blend in Hindhu and Budha belief that still feel; it reflected in sesaji and prayer presented. Activities within a ceremony have been customary habits based on ancestor’s belief to get safety.Secondly, performers and audiences of Angguk Dance are integral part of ritual performance; which is not to reach aesthetic value but religious just for Creator, at mean, a dance will result in peace, field fertility, and happiness. Angguk Dance always in relation with magical sympathetic strength, so it attracts audiences’ interest. Dance movements are energetic and accompanied by vocal included prayers and terbangan music. Keywords: angguk, ritual, dance, bersih desa