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Part of Kinetography Laban (Movement Notation) and the Folk Dance Research in Poland / LUD 1964-65 t.50
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379
RODERYK
LANGE
KINETOGRAPHY LABAN (MOVEMENT NOTATION) AND THE
FOLK DANCE RESEARCH IN POLAND
L
The most ancient items about folk dances in Poland derive
mainly from XVII and XVIII C sources. These are literary sources
in which descriptions of dances are used as ornaments or
metaphors. A separate set of sources are musical materials. New
and new discoveries of the old music in Poland reveal peasant
dances melodies in the contents of tabulators; they are often
stylized.
The XIX C brings in Poland a whole series of excellent positions
with descriptio'll of dances. "Lud" (the Folk) of Oskar Kolberg!
being the main one. In these publications dances are often
considered as an equivalent folk culture factor in a set of the
collected region materials or even in general characteristics of
regions. But only some word descriptions may give instructions
good enough to reproduce on this an approximate shape of a
dance.
In XX C till 1939 and after the war there appear many
material monographs of dances, sometimes of the ethnographical
monographs rank2• However the impossibility of catching a full
movement from of dance material and in result the impossibility
of making analysis of dance forms puts in fact the dance folklore
problems on one hand on a margin of folkloristic musicology
works and on the other hand on a margin of folk customs
O. K O l b e r g, Lud ..., 1957-90 (The Folk. ed. 1857-90),
R. H a r a s y m c z u k, Tańce huculskie, Lwów 1939. Towarzystwo
doznawcze (The Hucul-Dances,
Lvov 1939, Folk Lore Society).
l
2
Lu-
descriptions in ethnography. Very often the described dance forms
unprovided with details and cut out of social and customary
context may be helpful at their best only as a material for school
and amateur club usage. The fact of unrevealed or wrongly carried
off adaptation of authentic dance forms of folk dances for the
amateur groups or stage usage makes worse the situation in
knowledge of dance folklore. Distinction is much more obscured
thanks to that various authorities give for example forms already
transformed
as typical ~md authentic.
Only few authors
appreciated duly the importance of exact delivery of dances
information and in commentary they gave their strictures due
to the material worked or published by themselves.
Taking films of dances undertaken in Poland from time to time
by some amateurs could not solve the problem because th~se
works did not obey the methodical scheme and were not carned
out systematically in the whole country and also because of t~e
fact that the film band may be of any help only for a choreolog1st
like a tape recorder for a musicologist. But these helpful means
will never stand for a full graphic notation. It is difficult to
imagine presently the work for example of a musicologist without
music notes.
From the above lapidary introduction one may conclude the
situation in the field of knowledge and works of dance folklore
in Poland was shaped in a way similar to many other countries
of Europe.
The basic change of this situation was brought up in 1937
by works carried on in Warsaw University Ethnographical
Department. Then were published some chosen facts in the field
of Polish dance folklore drawn on the map. (Vide: the annexed
map of folk dances rhytms disposition in Poland). In the same
time a set of models illustrating some chosen fragments of Polish
dances was exposed in the Polish pavilion on the world exhibition
in Paris. Below the plates there were placed melody notations
and graphic notations of dance forms by means of Laban-Knust
method made by prof. Stanisław Głowacki. These were thE: first
kinetograms of Polish folk dances and in general the £irst
381
380
kinetograms ever exposed in a world exhibition. The second world
war destroyed entirely the achievements in this field. There were
left only several reproductions of these works in Polish editions
and some materials in foreign collections (e. g. Archives
Internationales de la Danse - Paris, Kinetographisches Institut
Folkwang Hochschule - Essen Werd:en).
Plate 2. The picture from one of the plates in the Polish pavilion on
the World Exhibition
1937 in Paris. (From the Co1lection of the Kinetographisches
Institut-Folkwang
Hochschule Essen-Werden
Germany).
In 1954 there was created a section of dance folklore researches
in Toruń ethographical centre. Later on basing on these enterprises
there was created The Dance Department of Ethnographical
Museum in Toruń being the only one till now official section of
this type in Poland. Starting the work organisation there was
composed an ethnographical inquiry for the dance folklOl'e
researches and there was stated the method of investigation taking
the dance phenomenon in a historical aspect on the social and
customary background*! These materials have been published and
in this way made accessible to the persons in concern.
R. LANGE, Taniec ludO\vy w pracach Muzeum Etnograficznego
w Toruniu
(Folk Dance in the works of the Ethnographical
Museum in Toruń) 1960.
Plate
1. Both dance movement versions of kujawiak
shown on the musical rhytmics
backgroumd
in various conceptions.
383
382
Kinetography Laban was introduced as a means of movement
notation following thus the tradition of dance folklore researches
in Poland.
Further on in 1958 there was created also with the help of the
Ministry of Culture and Art section (CPARA) the five years study
of kin eta gra phy, for future collectors of folk dance, preparing
lectures, exercises and instructive materials. 10 persons are just
finishing the study this year (some of them begin the didactic
work in this field).
Besides the own field investigations the Dance Department of
Ethnographical
Museum in Toruń has consulted also and
conducted since 1960 the works of a small group of people
gathering materials in the country to dance folklore. The result of
this action is a set of publications being actually prepared to print.
All of them are provided with kinetograms. These works, what is
very important, were uniformly dj.sposed in the respect of method
and success!vely adjusted, thus there were obtained comparable
materials from various regions of the country.
Some amount of single kinetograms of Polish folk dances was
meanwhile prepared to print too.
Thus unexpectedly
and almost on a margin of other
ethnographical works of an already established tradition of
investigation there appeared actually in Poland a germ of
seriously intended inquiring works on dance folklore taken as
an independent chapter in ethnographical works.
was spread all over the country. Later schools adapted it to their
Gwn usage as well as Academies of Physical Training, the dance
teachers and the theatre. So far as the court and ball-room form
has had comparatively many descriptions especially in a popular
instructive literature - the country form, original in a way to this
II.
Passing to the technical problems a fragment of works carried
out in Toruń centre regarding the appointment of the form of
one of the Polish folk dances - kujawiak will be presented on a
single example. The dance kujawiak derives from C u i a v i a,
a region situated between Great-Poland (Wielkopolska), Masovia
(Mazowsze) and Pomerania (Pomorze), the land of Dobrzyń and
Chełmno. This originally country dance passed with the time to
a dance repertory of manors and ball-rooms, and transformated
l\'Iap. 1. The range of occurance of kujawiak
in Poland. 1. regions in
which kujawiak
does not occur or there is no evidence of this occurance;
2. regions in which kujawiak
occurs beyond dispute as a foreground dance; 3. regions in which kujawiak
occurs rarely or it is supposed to occur.
384
385
dance, has not been recorded if a few general characteristics made
in word description are not taken into consideration.
The field investigations concerning the folk dance in C u i a v i CI
carried out in 1954-60 in Toruń centre enabled in result the
fixing of the form and specific rhytmics of this dance in its
country version.
In both forms kujawiak is a round dance performed in couples
around the common axis on a circle line. However at the further
comparision of both the forms a difference in tempo and rhytm
may be observed at ance. Kujawiak performed in C u i a v i a is
quicker than the dance "k u j a w i a k" kno\VTI through the
country as one of the "national" dances. The rhvtmics of the
former is very changeful in comparision to the sm~oth rhytmics
of the later. The country kujawiak has neither such a simple
appearance in movement construction or a pseudo-lyric broad
character aspect as it assigned to have thanks to the knowledge of
court and ball-room kujawiak.
Passing to the analysis of movement material we shall tako
into consideration the step of both forms of kujawiak performed
by a single person (not in a couple).
During one bar three steps are made (feet movement connected
with change of the weight) with a simultaneous rotation for about
0
180 round one's axis regarding the entering position and a
movement along circle line. The full cycle of this p a s takes
2 bars - or the full rotation of a ąancer.
In a country form of this dance, admitting in these investigations
the % metrum as a base one can succeed with a great difficulty
in catching the time of the first change. Its value balances between
till
The third change is generally
one
and
easy to catch and lasts during
}
The last value )
fills the deliverance of the unburdened foot
combined with a simultaneous shifting of the foot along the floor.
Particular proofs of these executive fragments conceptions are
presented on the enclosed kinetograms (I, II, III) of variants
concluded from a great amount of recorded examples. There is no
question we have to do with a fact of movement improvisation
adequate in relation to characteristic executive manner in cuiavian
music (mainly t e m p a l' u b a t a and increase or decrease of
tempo even during a short melody section) preserving simultaneously the accord of movement and melody image in the rhytm
aspect.
Owing to the results of an analysis precisely carried out by
~-}j-)
'-"
in different individual interpretations and additionally in relation
to the different in aspect of rhytmic composition melodies making
the acoustic background of this dance.
The second change during a bar occurs in dependence on the
time of duration of the first movement unit in a meaSUre from
.
o
.~_.-
Plate
25
:
3. Kinetograms
(R. Lange) showing various performances
ce step of kujawiak
in its village version.
of the dan-
;386
387
musicologists on the subject of musical rhytmic~ of this dance3
and shown in a modern transcription of the melody in further
course of deliberation we must take into consideration the fad
that % rhytm in consequence of rhytmic-agogic
changes
influenced by t e m p a r u b a t o passes into rhytm of %r;.
The possibility of such a rhytmic conception proposed by the
authors of this transcription and made by them with regard to the
specific executive features of a cuiavian musician or singer is
fully confirmed in observations of movement scheme of cuiavian
step given by country dancers (kinetogram IV). This solution
explains convincingly the prolongation of the first movement unit
within a bar in comparison to the rest which can be observed in
performance of a dancer. It was so difficult to fix the moment of
the second change and its time on account of a continuity and
fluidity of movement within a measure during the performance of
this dance with its whimsical rhytmical appearance at the same
• I
I
(J Ol
? ~¢';
I
Y
¢:~
J j J
Plate
5/16
4, fig. IV. Kinetogram
(R. Lange) of the dance step of kujawiak
in
meas ure; fig. V. Kinetographic
transcription
of kujawiak
dance step
(R. Lange) in its version of a "national" dance,
S a b i e s c y M. i J., Tempo Tuboto u Chopina
i w polskiej
muzyce
ludowej.
(Tempo rubato in the Music of Chopin and in the Polish Folk
Music), Muzyka, Warszawa 1960, nr 3.
3
time (Vide kinetograms I, II, III). Only during a confrontation
with this proposal of rhytmic conception in music course this
compound movement picture of kujawiak step grows justified
and evident.
'
Further on we give a kinetographic transcription of relatively
precise word description4 of kujawiak steps in its version of a
"national" dance. It is the most popular scheme (nota bene the
dance is there in % rhytm) (Kinetogram V). A special stress is not
needed to show how much this version of the d:ance differs from
the former one. Even a rough comparison of kinetograms though
from their graphic picture aspect shows us great differences
between these examples, even so far that strictly speaking we
should talk about two different dances.
Results of the above considerations are shown on the enclosed
table. For example there was used the transeribed melody already
mentioned analysed in musicological aspect. The first line of the
table gives the melody scheme in % rhytm. The melody presented
in such a way enables the reproduction of movement version of
"national" kujawiak. The second line of the table gives the above
spoken kinetographic step transcription of this version of the
dance. (The rhytm of 3/4 is consequently changed into % for
comparative analysis sake). In continuation of the table there
follows the conception of the real performance of the same melody
by means of notation introduced nowadays by the musicologists
to catch specific executive features of country musicians. Below
the table shows the possiblity of rhytmic conception proposed
after careful rhytm analysis of melody performed in this way.
At last at the bottom the table gives the kinetogram of the kujawiak step scheme in its country version of C u i a v i a, with
consequent change of the scale in kinetogram only. In this way
it is possible to observe both the dance movement versions on the
musical rhytmics background given in various
conceptions
4 Cz.
S rok a, Metrum muzyczne jako czynnik normujący
różny krok
taneczny kujawiaka
i tanga. Kultura fizyczna 1962/5. (The Musical Metrum
as the moment forming in a different way the dance steps of kujawiak
and tango), Kultura Fizyczna 1962/5.
388
vertically on the table. It is not necessary to stress it extra that
so intended corresponding combination of movement and musical
motifs was enabled only due to the usage of kinetography.
In the face of these materials the earlier word descriptions of
the dance get only now clear and legible (e.g. Kolberg's word
comment in "Lud" to the cuiavian dances) because they are
completed with background elements in the form of exact
movement flow notation.
III.
As to the other inquiring problems for example: the range of
occurance of kujawiak in Poland the enclosed map presents the
results of these investigations. However a great stress must be
put here on a hypothetics of this design. The sources being at our
actual disposal are very uneven and so different as to their proof
value that sometimes it is difficult to conclude even approximatily
does kuj a w i a k in some region occur or not. To get some data
the materials obtained in region investigations were analyzed as
well as all the accessible printed sources which throw a light upon
the problem of musical andl dance repertory of each Polish region.
Generalizing the results of analysis of gathered materials the
separate ways of hatching the map is accepted for:
a) regions in which kujawiak occurs beyond dispute as a foreground dance in a traditional repertory of the village.
b) regions in which kujawiak occurs rarely or it is supposed to
occur.
c) regions in which kujawiak does not Occur or there is no
evidence of its occurance meanwhile.
However only the field investigations coordinated and standarized will make accurate the reported here proofs of the k uj a w i a k occurance range statements and in some cases will
determine definitively contradictions existing in presently held
knowledge on this subject.
Nevertheless the map even in its present state showing the
Folk dance rhytm disposition
in Poland
triangles - 2/4, 2/8 etc. rhytm. Red wheels - 3/4, 3/8 etc. rhytm.
:Ylan worked
out at the Warsaw University
1937 under the guidance of
p'rof. Dr C. Baudouin de Courtenay-Jędrzejewicz.
Ed.: Arkady, 1937/5.
Black
389
occurance range is very interesting for an ethnographer
observing the occurance of other folk culture products. Very
remarkable are here coincidences with the results of other
musicologic folklore serchings too. Because kujawiak formes cover
here a part of the country in which dances of mazurka rhytms
are prevailing (kujawiak - mazurek - oberek). The ranges of
occurance of the remaining dances of this group in Poland seem
to apear quite interesting. Also maps of other aspects of dance
folklore would be of a great eloquence here (e.g. dances of magic
or ritual character).
The above spoken examples represent some proofs of considering the dance folklore as a product of culture, as an equal factor
of this culture in historically taken ethnographical frames. To
obtain a full identification of particular dances their forms,
variants etc .... an exact knowledge of particular variants movement forms is needed. Neither the changeable unsteady name of
a dance, nor the accompaning it melody can be taken here into
consideration as the only criterion of identification. They may
complete only the knowledge about the dance the more so that
many investigators quote the observations showing the influence
of movement form on musical rhytmics formation of musical form
rhytmics and musical repertory choice dependence on local taste
and likings of country dancers. Therefore it would be rather
difficult to omit the movement form of a dance as a base in all
investigations concerning the folk dance in future.
kujawiak
IV.
We limited the above considerations purposely to the problem
of one Polish dance and in fact to only its essential movement
form. It must be said however there is no doubt they concern the
much wider problem namely the examination of dance folklore on
the whole.
Undoubtedly the general moment in investigations is the
problem of uniform inquiry procedure method. The comparable
materials only may provide some contribution into further and
391
390
wide apprehended dance folklore investigations. The dance as an
object of culture cannot be torn out of cultural context during
investigation. For seriously apprehended ethnographical investigations the record of even most beautiful movement form of a
dance lacking any documentation cannot represent any serious
value. However the most important thing is the knowledge of
dance form which is complete only while the course of a dance
is recorded on paper in a similar way as music by means of note
writing. Only then the particular variants may be really compared
one with the other.
Nowadays it is impossible to speak about an objectively meant,
scientific work on the folk dance subject without a possibility of
making analysis of its most essential stuff - its movement aspect.
Only the movement aspect may be a basic moment for those
designs on condition that it will be uniformly recorded in graphic
notation considering the continuity of movement flow, its three
demensions and timing. Such a movement writing predisposed to
these designs for sure is Labans Kinetography the more so that
the structure of this writing enables putting the kinetograms
under the note melody record.
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