Faroese dance

The Faroese chain dance ( Føroyskur dansur - Faroese dance) is handed down from the Middle Ages and is still maintained as part of the folk culture of the Faroe Islands. This brauchtümliche folk dance is related to dance, almost disappeared in the rest of Europe.

Introduction

The essence of the Faroese chain dance consists essentially in that the follow- through song, Faroese ballads, heroic songs and folk music, which are sung by one or more Vorsängern where attune everyone involved with at the end of each verse. The contents of the folk songs are closely followed by the dance ends, and when it comes to be taken highlights, this is reflected in facial expressions and gestures of the parties disagree - in general hubbub pushes you to join hands when the narrative victory was won, and begins to jubilantly hopping.

The dance itself consists only in that one holds on to each other, forming a circle, and then many others to join, so that a ring and is again another circle. If the number of dancers is larger and the space allows it, yet it creates a circle. These are all continuous chains, and everyone who participates in it, and moves at times in the outermost circle and sometimes in the middle. The dancers pass each other all face to face and meet twice per tour.

The melodies of the songs are accompanied by a very solid monotonous pounding of feet. The general nature of the steps is the so-called stígingarstev.

Step sequence

The steps of the so-called stígingarstev are that the dancers stride just to the left forward, so that the whole rhythm of the melody is accompanied by six kicks with his feet.

If it is a serious manner, which is sung slowly, the dance is going to slow down and set.

Trokingarstev

Another type of dance is called the trokingarstev ( " Trokingar - step " ) ( from the Faroese verb troka " rally, in a crowd pressed " ), where you usually hold each other's hands in a continuous circular loop, but more or less is or was a little back with the usual steps, while the verse of the song is sung and so it goes on and on with same steps when the refrains are sung. For this, it needs especially songs that are fast and lively. This species is northern fjords disappeared (north of Sandoy ), but on Suðuroy, and there particularly in southern villages it has been preserved. Famous is the dance group from Sumba, which was awarded the European Prize for Folk Art 1977. Here one sees it, the dance to give a totally different expression than North fjords, where you usually hangs up the monotonous pounding their feet weight.

Banda dansur

A third type, where both songs and ballads are needed goes as easily and quickly as the trokingarstev and is called banda dansur ( " Hoop Dance "). It stands in two rows with 1 to 2 cubits distance from one another - men on one side, women on the other side, holding a ribbon between them. While the song is recited, one at the same place and makes the usual solid kicks with his feet to the beat. But if it is attuned to the refrain, the hands that hold the band to the top, and from the ends of the rows, with the face towards, prevents one another in pairs under the upper bands by until one has reached the end of the series lift where you turn around and re- take the strips and lifts up on those to whom we then met. It is then available at the place from which each pair is gone off, and after which it again begins in the same way from the beginning to the end of the song. This is a very lively, but a bit tiring dance.

Games

In addition to dance there are many different Christmas games, some of which are accompanied by songs, these include particularly. Some are specifically Faroese songs and others come from outside. Already Jens Christian Svabo has a lot of such games described in his travelogue, both those that take place at gatherings at home, as well as outdoors.