Vēstures reprezentācijas latviešu tautas dejā un skatuviskajā tautas dejā

The history of dance allows us to explore different aspects of dance, the people, events, environments, and other associated phenomena, including choreographies. However, the genre of dance has hardly been used at all in the Latvian research environment for historical research. Therefore, the aim of the article “Representations of history in Latvian folk dance and stage folk dance” is to look from this little-known point of view – what historical scenes, features or reflections can be seen in dances and their records, focusing on the materials found in the Archives of Latvian Folklore (ALF). The article deals with the dance records and contextual descriptions from the 20th and late 19th centuries. The article does not include the collection of games, which also belong to the ALF’s choreographic genre records. It looks at several dance-related elements that are key reflectors of historical realities and how these elements allow us to know and interpret history. The material is examined within a micro-historical framework, analysing and highlighting the most vivid descriptions of dance. This approach has been found to be valuable because everyday events, people, their entertainments and activities, all reflected in dance-related material, show which events were relevant at the time, how they were recorded then and how they allow us to see the different perspectives on history today. It also shows how historical events, realities, and the ideas of different political systems are reflected in dance, often turning it into a propaganda tool. It also shows that the stage folk dance shows different historical realities more clearly. In contrast, folk dance carries information from earlier times, which can be interpreted more abstractly because folklore tends to be richer in different means of artistic expression. The article gives insight into dances associated with various periods and ethnic features and, thus, the spread of dances. It is also clear that major political events, personalities, and wars also appear in dance material.