Ethno-choreography: Exposition guests were shown the basics of Russian folk dance

A masterclass in Russian partner folk dance was held at the RUSSIA EXPO. The event was organized with the support of the "Istok" ("Source") project founded by actress and producer Sofya Ernst. Anastasia Ragozina - singer, teacher, ethno-choreographer, deputy director for project activities of the Moscow Institute for Creative Initiatives - helped the participants of the masterclass to master partner folk dances.

"Household partner folk dances were danced in the village environment, as a rule, during summer games or winter festivities, during which non-family youth could observe each other in order to create a couple. These dances were born from the salon city culture, but the peasants liked them so much that they decided to adopt their simplest forms. That's why everyone can learn to dance at our masterclass, it's not difficult, because the basic movements and elements are really very simple and repetitive," said Anastasia Ragozina.

For our ancestors, partner folk dance was not only an attribute of the holiday, but also a way to rest and relax after hard work, to express emotions, to survive fatigue. Nowadays this folk dance can be a great alternative to club life, a way to learn something new about dance culture and traditions. After all, many members of the younger generation, for example, do not know how to twirl in a waltz and have heard practically nothing about polka and quadrille, said Anastasia Ragozina.

She also told about the profession of ethno-choreographer. According to the specialist, her main task is to reproduce traditional folk choreography as authentically as possible, taking into account its regional traditions and peculiarities.

"We are both theorists and practitioners. We ourselves go on expeditions to different regions of the country, sit together with grandmothers, ask them questions, shoot video when they show us what folk dances were like in their area. We combine the information we receive into a kind of collective experience, on the basis of which we build a system that allows us to teach these dances to everyone - both children and adults," explained Anastasia Ragozina.

At the masterclass she told and showed how to move better to feel in the dance as freely as possible and at the same time not to get confused in the movements. In the future, participants of the masterclass will be able to hone their skills at folk festivals, which will also be held at the RUSSIA EXPO as part of the "Istok" project.