|
| From the Encyclopedia of Greek Dance: Spoon Dance |
(translation from Greek: Marios Koptsas-Anastassiou)
***
KOUTALIA =
SPOON
Wooden spoons, which the dancers hold in pairs in their hands and clap in a rhythm while they are dancing. See also: karsilamas and chouleria (Cappadocian dialect term for spoon).
– [Valavanis, 1891, p. 93] Ikonio: the most important dance, which best portrays the regional character, is that in which the mother of the groom dances in front, behind her are the bride and the other women whose husbands are also present at the wedding party. The dance is performed with wooden spoons, which they hold delicately in their hands and clap in time to the musical instruments being played (tef, santur, saz). This took place at festivals in the village mentioned, and the neighboring Christian towns. The young women of marriageable age amused themselves there and danced the regional dances. Mostly they danced a strange dance, a type of karsilamas, in which they delicately clapped a pair of wooden spoons while dancing.
– [Amarantou, 1991, p. 97] Sinassos in Cappadocia: the dancers held the spoons in the following way: one spoon lay with the hollow side in the palm of the hand while the pointer finger and the thumb held it motionless. The other spoon was backwards between the two first fingers and the last two fingers so that the fingers touched the flat side of the spoon. The middle fingers could then move the spoon up and down to hit the other spoon in rhythm. There were three types of spoons with different names: 1. the “tachtadionas,” from simple wood, were often used in the spoon dance. They were yellow and decorated with painted flowers on the hollow inner side, while their handles had written verses and sayings in Turkish. These spoons were manufactured in Ikonium or in Silli. The “simsirika” were considered better spoons and were used for festive occasions. They were more beautiful and had a better sound. The woman of the house saved them for her son's or daughter's wedding. 2. Other spoons were called “galtasanika” or “sideronas” (probably from metal). These were normal spoons for daily use. They were brought from Istanbul. 3. And finally, the “kokalina” (from bone), which also came from Istanbul and were used in summer for the “choseria.”
– [Farassopoulos, 1895, p. 35] Silata Ikoniou: the invited guests amuse themselves mainly by singing Ottoman songs and dancing dances that are widespread in their own country and also in general, such as the sirtos, and many others. But the most important dance, which best expresses their own character, is the one in which the mother of the groom dances in front, followed by the bride, the young women, and the other women relatives. This dance is accompanied by wooden spoons, which are clapped particularly delicately and rhythmically with the musical instruments. Apart from this dance, also danced is the same circle dance as in Megara.
– [Baud-Bovy, 1935, p. 338] Kastellorizo Dodekanison: Text and music of the song Petros kai Pavlos to lege (Peter and Paul say it). A woman sings this song on the day before her wedding, while the others “smoke” the clothing of the couple to be married. While they sing, she dances and rhythmically claps the wooden spoons. When the bride offers them something to drink, the men also sing this song and clap to it with their hands.
– [Efremidis, 1960, p. 121] Kioutachia in Asia Minor: Suddenly one sees how skilled the 14 and 15 year-old girls are in taking the hidden spoons from out of their belts. There are four pairs and they have short handles. The girls hold them tight with their fingers, a pair of spoons in each hand, and begin to clap them together producing a very pleasant sound in beat with the small drum.
– [Archigenis, 1980, p. 371] Smyrna: in tsifteteli (belly dance) the dancer holds two spoons with the fingers of each hand and claps them loudly with arms held high in the air.
– [Karagavriilidou, 1992, unpublished] Kioutachia: the dance is danced on the entire sole of the foot (applies to all dances); hands right and left are slightly above the shoulders. The turns are slow and divided into four parts. The dance is freely danced in pairs; a man with a man or a woman with a woman.
|
CHOULIERE
Dance with spoons in Cappadocia. See also: karsilamas, koutalia.
– [Efpraxiadis, 1974, p. 195] Prokopi in Cappadocia: at the time of the carnival, the masked revelers visited every house that they wanted to, without invitation. They did tricks, told sharp-witted jokes and in return, were given drinks. Then the men and women each pulled out two pairs of wooden spoons from their belts and according to the signal from their leader danced karsilamas and tsifteteli to the rhythmic beat of the tambourine.
– [Margariti, 1987, p. 123] Farassa in Cappadocia: the spoon dance is danced standing face to face. Previously, it was danced only by men as it was not considered proper for women to hold spoons and clap them. We can see that the dance was joyful and in some parts it was even danced with jumps, which women were not allowed to do at the time. Sometimes the feet did not move at all, only the upper body.
– [Amarantou, 1991, p. 95] Sinassos in Cappadocia: A man's dance with spoons, which was danced primarily at private festivals and less so at religious festivals, since it was not serious or moral. The women seldom danced with spoons and never in public, because it was considered immoral for them to do so and they were not allowed to move as much as the men. It was impossible for a man to dance this dance with a woman. As pairs, a man always danced with a man or a woman with a woman. One leg remained motionless and the back leg gave the necessary push for turns or for small steps. There was no previously determined number of steps but changing sides normally occurred after three steps. It was also danced with silia (finger cymbals), actually a custom of dancers from Istanbul. The songs were always written in Turkish and fit the rhythm of the issos dance.
– [Tirovola, 1992, p. 126] Cessaria in Cappadocia: Most dances in Cessaria were danced in 2/4 time, as was the particularly representative chouliere or spoon dance. Earlier, this dance was only danced by men because social structures did not allow women to dance and sway with clappers. Each pair of men danced creatively on a selected spot, independent of the movements of the other pairs, but always in connection with the movements of their partner. Their interest and enthusiasm as well as their endurance determined the length of the dance. The alternating claps of the spoons accompanied the movement motif of the dance. Repeatedly over the course of the dance, the dancers would stand with their legs motionless, swaying their upper body to the steady rhythmic sound of the spoons. Today, this dance is performed at traditional wedding ceremonies by pairs of men, women, or a mixed pair of a man and a woman.
– [Tyrovola, 1992, p. 134] Farassa in Cappadocia: the dance chouliere or spoon dance in 2/4 time, was previously only danced by men. Later, although social structures allowed women to participate in this particular dance, the uniform arrangement of couples, in pairs of either men or women, was retained.
|
KARSILAMAS ODER GARTSILAMAS
Dances in Cappadocia in which the dancers stood facing one another. See also: koutalia = spoon.
– [Christopoulos, 1948, p. 130] Ikonio: Following from the “amanedes” (long, drawn-out Oriental song), every man danced the karsilamas, either alone or with his wife. He danced and clapped four wooden spoons to the rhythm of the song that was being played and sung. They held the spoons in pairs in the palms of their hands between the fingers. This dance was considered an ancient dance of the region, which had been danced by men and women in Anatolia. The Turks adopted this dance and modified it to the belly dance. One has to mention that the Turks didn't initially dance because dance was not considered appropriate for a Turkish person of noble heritage. For this reason, they hired gypsies to dance at their wedding festivals.
|
***
The excerpt on the spoon dance from the Encyclopedia of Greek Dance (Alkis Raftis, Athen 1995, Greek Dance Dora-Stratou-Theater [ed.]) contains quotes from various publications from different eras. They are therefore written in a variety of styles, for example, in the former official Greek language or in Turkish dialects. They offer impressive evidence of the diversity and complexity of this dance. In brackets are the quoted author, the year, and page number. Following that is the location where the described dance was found.
|
next >
|
|