Événement

The Road of the Roma: from Rajasthan to Romania

This program gives the audience a unique opportunity to learn about the variety and dynamics of the dances of the "Gypsies" (Roma, Sinti, Kalderash, Nawar etc.) beyond the typical clichs of Gypsy dance. The Roma are a people of Indian origin (Romani, their language, is closely related to Hindi) who migrated west in the 11th century. By the 16th century they had spread through all of Europe, where they made important contributions, especially in the areas of music, entertainment, tin-smithing, horse trade, etc. In Europe they were discriminated against, held as slaves and otherwise exploited. In Hitlers Germany more than 60,000 (1/5 of all European Roma) were killed. After the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe they are increasingly seen as scapegoats for all sorts of problems, while at the same time the romantic vision of the noble, wild and passionately dancing gypsies persists. The Roma however, have incredibly rich traditions, which outshine all clichs, and which are different depending on the regions where they live. This program gives you the opportunity to see the dance traditions of the Roma from six regions : from Rajasthan, the cradle of Romany culture, through Turkey, Upper Egypt, Macedonia, Oltenia (southern Romania) and Transylvania (north-western Romania). Between the dances, slides will illuminate regional Roma cultures, costumes, music and instruments, dances and traditions.

Helene Eriksen is a dance ethnologist and dancer with over 25 years of field research and teaching experience. Her solo performances alternate expressive dances in colourful and elegant original costumes with informative slide shows, providing a complete cultural experience. Her emphasis is on learning the language of a dance to facilitate improvisation. Klmn Dreisziger, a Hungarian folkdance specialist, contributes a life-long acquaintance with Gypsy culture. Their love of the improvised dances of Transylvania brought them together.