The history of the development of ballroom choreography in the Republic of South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze trends in the development of ballroom choreography in the Republic of South Africa. Research methodology is an organic set of basic principles of research: objectivity, historicism, multifactorial, systematicity, complexity, development, and pluralism, and to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem-chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical- analytical. Scientific Novelty. An attempt was made to research the topical issues of the history of the development of ballroom choreography in the Republic of South Africa. Conclusions. The versatility of the choreoplastic language of ballroom dance leads to the fact that even in those regions where ballroom choreography was historically regarded as the art of outsiders (conquerors and colonizers), which contradicts local artistic and aesthetic traditions, ballroom dancing becomes a part of the local dance culture. In addition, it is the ballroom choreography that is the very integrative element that connects local cultures that are quite far from Western thinking with the global worldview system. International cooperation between amateur dancers and professionals is promising in terms of cultural interaction and exchange of experience in the field of choreographic art. In general, the analysis of the African experience allows us to conclude that after passing through the stage of a kind of "nationalization" and adaptation by local ethics and aesthetics, ballroom choreography organically merges into the system of organizing leisure time, scenic screen art, and sports. To date, from the point of view of the development of ballroom choreography for Africa, only the overcoming of economic difficulties remains relevant. In the context of government support, ballroom choreography functions as an important resource for recovery, education, socialization of the population; it is able to fit into the national system of education, leisure, culture, and sports in the vast majority of African countries.

Keywords: ballroom choreography, ballroom dance, competition dance.