Ukrainian folk-stage dance "Hopak": scientific-theoretical and artistic-critical aspects

Abstract

Purpose of the article is to identify the main problems of the scientific-theoretical and
artistic-critical discourse of the Ukrainian folk-stage dance “Hopak.” Methodology. The
combination of methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, discourse analysis
allowed to conduct research and make objective conclusions. Scientific novelty. It is reasonable
that there is no basis for revealing the direct connections of the folk-stage hopak with the folkloric
concrete primary source (an independent dance artifact), the present state of the art-critical
discourse of folk-stage choreography in Ukraine is analyzed. Conclusions. The modern folk-stage
dance “Hopak” has retained a certain connection with the general lexical fund of Ukrainian folk
choreography and elements of the figurative content of folk sources. Among the destructive factors
of the genetic relationships of original folk sources and stage variants of the hopak is the lack of a
universal system for recording dance movements and a high degree of improvisation. The author,
stylized hopak dominate the repertoire of professional and amateur groups of folk-stage dance in
modern Ukraine. Today, it is possible to distinguish second-order stylization – an imitation of the
compositional, stylistic features of the world-famous folk-stage work “Hopak” by P. Virsky. The
archetype of the hopak was fixed, the associative connection between the hopak and the
characteristic features of the Ukrainian nation: courage, love of freedom, strength, perseverance,
decisiveness, etc. took root in the minds of Ukrainians. The underdevelopment of contemporary
artistic and critical discourse in the sphere of folk stage choreography confirms the absence of
reasonable judgments, ratings, reviews, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of folk-stage
dance phenomena in the media pages, the predominance of short abstracts and promotional
materials.
Key words: Hopak, Ukrainian dance, folk stage dance, scientific and theoretical analysis,
art criticism, choreography