Dance in culture: the anthropological context of Ukrainian folk dance in the Polish literature of the nineteenth century

Abstract

Purpose of the article is to study the anthropological context of Ukrainian folk dance in the Polish literature of the nineteenth century, due to the need to emphasize the role and diverse functions of dance in the life of man and society. A methodology of the research based on the application of methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, and generalization, which gave an opportunity to reveal the understanding of Ukrainian dance by Polish researchers and to show its cultural content and connection with other aspects of culture. Scientific novelty lies on the fact that the interpretation of Ukrainian folk dance by representatives of another (Polish) culture is presented for the first time, and the accentuate of many observations important to the dance anthropology is highlighted. The analysis involves considerations of several outstanding foreign dance anthropologists. Conclusion. Dance is just as fascinating object of research as literature, music, art, film. It has several distinguishing features, among which the most important - one-time location in space and time, elusiveness, complexity in the record and description. Ukrainian folk dance has always played an integrative, magical, recreational, psychological role in the life of society, which the Polish ethnographers and artists of the XIX century tried to fix. The anthropological context of dance study helps to reveal its connection with other cultural phenomena, such as feast, fun, competition, war, death.