This dance….
is called: "Розийдыся туманочку"
лиричный хоровод украинского полесья.
"Disperse the fog"
lyrical round dance of the Ukrainian woodland.
This dance belongs to the family of Khorovod dances. Khorovod (literally translated as “Round dance”) is an ancient ritual dance of the Eastern Slavs that also includes games, singing songs and playing musical instruments. In Khorovod dances text, dance and melody are organically combined and dramatized.
Societal relevance
Khorovod is an echo of old syncretic ritual elements of folk culture.
In the old times, the performance of Khorovod was related to traditional rituals of welcoming spring, celebrating Ivan Kupala (summer solstice), starting New Year. Khorovod is danced by many people standing in a large circle that symbolizes the Sun. Nowadays, Khorovod dance has almost lost its ritual meaning. After the establishment of Christianity, traditional Khorovods underwent changes and became bound to the ecclesiastical calendar.
Music
The song is supposedly a female love song about a girl watching her beloved boy or man (see text below). Traditional Ukrainian music is basically pagan, it reflects people who communicate with nature like singing or talking about fog, spring, wind etc.
Розійдися Туманочку (2)
Розійдися Туманочку Оре Милий із Раночку (2)
Оре Милий Мій у Полі (2)
Оре Милий Мій у Полі на Широкому Роздоллі (2)
Оре Милий ще й співає (2)
Оре Милий ще й співає серце моє завмирає (2)
Розійдися Туманочку (2)
Розійдися Туманочку Оре Милий із Раночку
Fog go away (2)
Fog go away for my darling boy/man is plowing from the morning (2)
My darling is plowing in the field (2)
My darling is plowing in the wide-open field (2)
My darling is plowing and singing (2)
My darling is plowing and singing and my heart flutters (2)
Fog go away (2)
Fog go away for my darling boy/man is plowing in the garden (2)
Costume
The dancers wear the traditional Ukrainian hairdress, a white embroidered blouse, checked colorful skirts with an embroidered apron, red boots and a red necklace. The checked skirts are traditionally checked white/red or white/blue. The embroidered apron have correspondingly a red or blue background with embroidered flowers on it. The costumes in the video are merely a stylistic copy of traditional Ukrainian clothing.
or further detail of traditional clothing and its implications click here.
[1] Talks with MAVKA (Artist Collective from Ukraine)
[2] Wikipedia, Letzter Zugriff: 24.02.2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khorovod
How to dance the dance
The dance consists of geometrical patterns in spaces such as circles and lines and consists of movement patterns and figures that derive from traditional folkloric dance steps of Ukraine. Throughout the dance the group performs as a total body. In the course of the dance the dancers perform as unison group although they disperse into couples or smaller groups at times. The movement patterns and figures introduced are repeated in different combinations throughout the dance. The movements are performed in a very delicate and graceful manner. The dramaturgy of the dance follows the pattern of the music which is slow and pretty regular.
Excerpt from minute 01:20
Dancers- Starting position
8 female dancers
Traveling from the left to the right side of the stage in a chain: The dancers face front while performing cross-over steps in a chain.
5 Cross-over steps:The left leg crosses behind the right leg -The left leg is thereby turned-out and bent in plié. The left legs steps behind the right leg stepping on the toes to perform a relevé on démie point where the leg gets stretched, while the right leg follows and is then place before the left foot in plié with whole sole of the foot ready to perform the next cross-over step. The left arm rests on the hips. The right arm travels in a circular movement in a rounded shape from underneath over the front of the body, over the head unto the side of the body. The head follows the movement of the right hand. The right arm circles in front of the neighbouring dancers.
With the last circle of the arm, the dancers place their right arm on the lower back of the dancer standing to their right, thus interlocking the chain. In this formation the group travels one round anti-clockwise with tippling steps on their toes around their own axis.
In this formation they then take six steps forward to the front of the stage: right-left-right , left-right-left with interval in between closing this sequence with a temps lié front and back with the right foot stepping forward whereby the weight is transferred from the left leg to the right leg through a plié and then back again unto the left leg. The upper body thereby bends forwards and backwards - This pattern is then performed in reverse, travelling to the back of the stage, starting with the right leg.
The group splits in half
The right side of the chain goes to the right traveling two rounds clockwise with tippling steps on their toes around their own axis. The left side of the chain goes to the left traveling two rounds anti-clockwise with tippling steps on their toes around their own axis.
After the second round the dancers loosen their grip and run on their toe tips another circle: the left group anti-clockwise, the right group clockwise. After they performed the circle the dancers slow down and the two group join into a single line in a zipper procedure.
In a line 4 cross over steps on the spot and 1 temps lié front and back
Back together in a line the dancers face front and perform four cross-over steps on place with the right foot in front. There while their arms reach forward in a V- Position bending the torso over on the first step, reach with their arms above their heads in a V- Position on the second step and turn towards the right, placing their right hand on the shoulder of the dancer in front of them and their left hand on their right shoulder while performing another two cross-over steps. They close this sequence with a temps lié front and back (see explanation above).
They then loosen their grip, reach with their arms above their heads in a V- Position and turn towards the opposite side- the left, placing now their left hand on the left shoulder of the dancer in front of them and their right hand on their left shoulder. This is done while performing another four cross-over steps on the spot. They close this sequence with a temps lié front and back with the right foot stepping forwards. (see explanation above).
The chain now takes four steps backward opening their left arm to the back with the head following the movement of the hand and six steps forwards with the right hand placed back on their left shoulder. They close this sequence with a temps lié front and back with the right foot stepping forwards (see explanation above).
With another four cross-over steps on the spot they turn back to the right, reaching with their arms above their heads in a V- Position and placing their right hand on the right shoulder of the dancer in front of them and their left hand on their left shoulder.
They take another four steps forward and then run of the stage in a line which marks the end of the dance.
The dance consists of geometrical patterns in spaces such as circles and lines and consists of movement patterns and figures that derive from traditional folkloric dance steps of Ukraine. Throughout the dance the group performs as a total body. In the course of the dance the dancers perform as unison group although they disperse into couples or smaller groups at times. The movement patterns and figures introduced are repeated in different combinations throughout the dance. The movements are performed in a very delicate and graceful manner. The dramaturgy of the dance follows the pattern of the music which is slow and pretty regular.
Excerpt from minute 01:20
Dancers- Starting position
8 female dancers
Traveling from the left to the right side of the stage in a chain: The dancers face front while performing cross-over steps in a chain.
5 Cross-over steps:The left leg crosses behind the right leg -The left leg is thereby turned-out and bent in plié. The left legs steps behind the right leg stepping on the toes to perform a relevé on démie point where the leg gets stretched, while the right leg follows and is then place before the left foot in plié with whole sole of the foot ready to perform the next cross-over step. The left arm rests on the hips. The right arm travels in a circular movement in a rounded shape from underneath over the front of the body, over the head unto the side of the body. The head follows the movement of the right hand. The right arm circles in front of the neighbouring dancers.
With the last circle of the arm, the dancers place their right arm on the lower back of the dancer standing to their right, thus interlocking the chain. In this formation the group travels one round anti-clockwise with tippling steps on their toes around their own axis.
In this formation they then take six steps forward to the front of the stage: right-left-right , left-right-left with interval in between closing this sequence with a temps lié front and back with the right foot stepping forward whereby the weight is transferred from the left leg to the right leg through a plié and then back again unto the left leg. The upper body thereby bends forwards and backwards - This pattern is then performed in reverse, travelling to the back of the stage, starting with the right leg.
The group splits in half
The right side of the chain goes to the right traveling two rounds clockwise with tippling steps on their toes around their own axis. The left side of the chain goes to the left traveling two rounds anti-clockwise with tippling steps on their toes around their own axis.
After the second round the dancers loosen their grip and run on their toe tips another circle: the left group anti-clockwise, the right group clockwise. After they performed the circle the dancers slow down and the two group join into a single line in a zipper procedure.
In a line 4 cross over steps on the spot and 1 temps lié front and back
Back together in a line the dancers face front and perform four cross-over steps on place with the right foot in front. There while their arms reach forward in a V- Position bending the torso over on the first step, reach with their arms above their heads in a V- Position on the second step and turn towards the right, placing their right hand on the shoulder of the dancer in front of them and their left hand on their right shoulder while performing another two cross-over steps. They close this sequence with a temps lié front and back (see explanation above).
They then loosen their grip, reach with their arms above their heads in a V- Position and turn towards the opposite side- the left, placing now their left hand on the left shoulder of the dancer in front of them and their right hand on their left shoulder. This is done while performing another four cross-over steps on the spot. They close this sequence with a temps lié front and back with the right foot stepping forwards. (see explanation above).
The chain now takes four steps backward opening their left arm to the back with the head following the movement of the hand and six steps forwards with the right hand placed back on their left shoulder. They close this sequence with a temps lié front and back with the right foot stepping forwards (see explanation above).
With another four cross-over steps on the spot they turn back to the right, reaching with their arms above their heads in a V- Position and placing their right hand on the right shoulder of the dancer in front of them and their left hand on their left shoulder.
They take another four steps forward and then run of the stage in a line which marks the end of the dance.