Ukrainian Folk Stage Dance as a Subject of Ethnochoreology

Abstract

Since ancient times, Ukrainian folk dance existed as an important form of human activity. Reconstructions of folk-dance phenomena are able to destabilize the distinction between artistic and academic spheres as they highlight the performative nature of «history making» and contempo rary modes of inquiry in a staged setting that include lectures,texts and documentation. Ukrainian folk dance, as a kind of relay of the system of moral norms and cultural values of Ukrainians, plays an important role in the formation of spiritual landmarks of modern society and preserves cultural memory. Folk stage dance is a subject of ethnochoreology, which investigates the essence, specificity, transformation of folk dance and creates its semiotic interpretation.The interdisciplinary nature of ethnochoreology enables the integration of various scientific research approaches to the study of the ethnic and regional specifics of traditional dance and also makes it possible to identify and investigate the factors that determined the dynamics of choreographic traditions and innovations in the context of cultural development.