Історія і Танці ~ History and Dance

I was in the process of reading, The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life by Roy Rosenzweig and David Thelen, when I cam across something very familiar to me. In the chapter “The Presence of the Past: Patterns of Popular Historymaking” it begins by outlining how people experience history in their daily lives. One example, found on page 17, discusses a girl who was involved in African American dance. The claim she makes is that “Dance gives her a ‘better sense of where I come from.” “Her dancing and her study of the ‘history behind it’ not only give her a sense of ‘something that was done by my ancestors’ but also ‘can contribute to the African American community.’”

I can completely relate to this! Since I was five years old I have been a part of a Ukrainian dance company. I actually just celebrated my twentieth year dancing with them. For many years, throughout high school and into the first years of my undergraduate studies it was my life. I always did well in school, but was also very committed to dancing. It inspired me and made me feel a great attachment to my Ukrainian background and to Ukraine itself, even though I was born in Canada. Being a part of this dance group also meant that I interacted with people that were in most cases Ukrainian. In some instances, I was dancing with boys and girls that were the sons and daughters of people my mother and father use to dance with. And I can definitely relate to the fact that dancing made me have a better understanding of my history. It made me feel proud and gave me an emotional attachment to that history that I am not sure I would have otherwise had.

My dance group had many opportunities to participate within the Ukrainian community. One of these events was the commemoration of the famine in Ukraine or Holodomor in 1993. I was very young, but I remember watching the older dancers rehearse the interpretive dance based on this historical tragedy, and I felt moved and instantly attached to it. I played a small part for that performance, however it stuck with me. Our instructor was always really good at educating us on the history of what we were portraying, and this was no exception. This performance and what I had learned about this tragedy would later come out in my studies in University.

It began in my second year, when I was beginning to get frustrated with my chosen direction. I needed to find something that inspired me, that I felt I had a connection with, because I was not connecting with my studies in school. It began with a painting depicting the Holodomor. Then in my third year I took a history class to learn more about the history of Eastern Europe, with the idea that I would be able to write my research paper on the famine in Ukraine. And things just escalated from there. It became my main area of research in my studies in history, as well as my subject matter in my art. I felt a connection to it. I was even given the incredible opportunity of interviewing a famine survivor, which was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life (visit: http://www.infoukes.com/newpathway/28-2006_Page_8-1.htm ). And I truly believe that a great deal of what influenced me to pursue a history that meant so much to me was thanks to my dancing.

I still dance and it still inspires me, not to mention it keeps me in shape. ;)

Photograph: Self Portrait by Kalyna Klymkiw

For those of you reading my post, I invite you all to try and remember what it was that inspired you to become interested in history, and even public history for that matter.