Page 28 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2017. Glasbene migracije: stičišče evropske glasbene raznolikosti - Musical Migrations: Crossroads of European Musical Diversity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 1
P. 28
glasbene migracije: stičišče evropske glasbene raznolikosti
To watch these rehearsals is to witness up close just why this highly
stylized model of folklore (positively balletic in its poise, elegance and art-
istry) can function so effectively as a means of reconstructing a cultural
identity. It homogenizes team behaviour, unifies group ideologies, encour-
ages pride in the group, demands commitment, and promotes a work eth-
ic. These dance ensembles, with their elaborate choreography, conformant
costumes and routines of rehearsal, constitute structures of sociability and
solidarity. They work to affirm and reinforce the attitudes and prejudices
associated with Circassian identity, and at the same time they bolster re-
sistance to any undermining of that identity by assimilationist pressures.
And it all starts young. Small children have little investment in the cause,
and as any advertising agent knows, the lower the investment in the prod-
uct, the more effective the propaganda. And by the way, there is a further
consequence of this strengthened collective identity. It renders the group
an easy target for exoticist agendas on the part of the host community. Sev-
eral Turkish acquaintances of mine told me how much they enjoy these
full-costume dance performances, just as they appreciate Circassian food,
and the fair complexions of the (mythically beautiful) Circassian women.
The performances I witnessed in Kayseri and Ankara were polished
and professional. They were highly formalized, mixing line and (open) cir-
cle dances with couple dances, but also allowing for bravura male solos, no-
tably en pointe (Adygean “lheperischw”). Gender separation was instantly
apparent, with the positioning of the woman at once symbolic of domes-
tic centrality and modesty, and suggestive of a traditional obligation on
men to protect the women. In Kayseri I saw mannered depictions of sev-
eral stages of the wedding ceremony, including the procession of the bride
as she is escorted to her new home and the “Niseyiish” dance, where she is
welcomed by her future inlaws. In Ankara I observed the stately Knight’s
dance “Qafe”, the fast tempo “Shishan”, and numerous versions of the ritu-
al dance “Wuig”, some performed as circle dances, others as couple danc-
es. In all cases, the accompaniments, lively if unvaried, were provided by
the familiar duo of Pshina (accordion) and Pxachich (clappers), but with the
occasional addition of a Shik’epshine (similar to a kemençe) in Kayseri, and
with energetic input from the Doul (frame drum) of Samil Dinçer in Anka-
ra. There was a frisson when Dumanish Auledin, one-time director of the
Nalchik state ensemble Kabardinko, visited the dernek in Kayseri on the
Sunday afternoon following genocide day and briefly participated in the
dancing.
26
To watch these rehearsals is to witness up close just why this highly
stylized model of folklore (positively balletic in its poise, elegance and art-
istry) can function so effectively as a means of reconstructing a cultural
identity. It homogenizes team behaviour, unifies group ideologies, encour-
ages pride in the group, demands commitment, and promotes a work eth-
ic. These dance ensembles, with their elaborate choreography, conformant
costumes and routines of rehearsal, constitute structures of sociability and
solidarity. They work to affirm and reinforce the attitudes and prejudices
associated with Circassian identity, and at the same time they bolster re-
sistance to any undermining of that identity by assimilationist pressures.
And it all starts young. Small children have little investment in the cause,
and as any advertising agent knows, the lower the investment in the prod-
uct, the more effective the propaganda. And by the way, there is a further
consequence of this strengthened collective identity. It renders the group
an easy target for exoticist agendas on the part of the host community. Sev-
eral Turkish acquaintances of mine told me how much they enjoy these
full-costume dance performances, just as they appreciate Circassian food,
and the fair complexions of the (mythically beautiful) Circassian women.
The performances I witnessed in Kayseri and Ankara were polished
and professional. They were highly formalized, mixing line and (open) cir-
cle dances with couple dances, but also allowing for bravura male solos, no-
tably en pointe (Adygean “lheperischw”). Gender separation was instantly
apparent, with the positioning of the woman at once symbolic of domes-
tic centrality and modesty, and suggestive of a traditional obligation on
men to protect the women. In Kayseri I saw mannered depictions of sev-
eral stages of the wedding ceremony, including the procession of the bride
as she is escorted to her new home and the “Niseyiish” dance, where she is
welcomed by her future inlaws. In Ankara I observed the stately Knight’s
dance “Qafe”, the fast tempo “Shishan”, and numerous versions of the ritu-
al dance “Wuig”, some performed as circle dances, others as couple danc-
es. In all cases, the accompaniments, lively if unvaried, were provided by
the familiar duo of Pshina (accordion) and Pxachich (clappers), but with the
occasional addition of a Shik’epshine (similar to a kemençe) in Kayseri, and
with energetic input from the Doul (frame drum) of Samil Dinçer in Anka-
ra. There was a frisson when Dumanish Auledin, one-time director of the
Nalchik state ensemble Kabardinko, visited the dernek in Kayseri on the
Sunday afternoon following genocide day and briefly participated in the
dancing.
26
