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Arts & Communication 75 years of Macedonian ballet (1949 – 2024)

that maintained the stability of the country in the long the monarchy of Yugoslavia in 1933 in the National Theatre
run and ensured coexistence. Ethnic identification is in Belgrade. In the score, Hristić incorporated recognizable
most easily associated with folklore. Whether considering melodic motifs of Macedonian folk songs (“Biljana platno
“pure” authentic folklore or an adulterated variant, this beleshe,” “Pushti me”). In the pre-war years, a large
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layer had a crucial mission in building strategic goals at number of researchers (musicologists, ethnochoreologists)
the state level. “Particularly, the socialist practice of the studied folklore and its stylization and adaptation for the
scenic representation of folk heritage is interpreted as an stage, some of which dealt specifically with Macedonia. 6
ideological reproduction of a socialist state for hegemonic It is interesting that this layer of stylized, refined folklore
purposes”. 24(p.125) The process had outlined development was initiated by Russian immigrants who worked during
and emphasized intensity. The Ensemble for Folk Songs the pre-war period in Yugoslavia. Their fieldwork resulted
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and Dance Tanec, as other Yugoslav folklore ensembles in the creation of several works on a folk basis. However,
“attempt to use as many authentic elements from the the idea of creating this type of performance was purely
dance in the field as possible in their choices of costume, individual, initiated by the need to follow the innovations
dance, and music”. 25(p.202) Besides that, on the ballet scene, that were primarily realized through the works set for the
we follow an attempt at the creation of a hybrid form Russian ballet of Sergei Diaghilev and also the works of
which included some folk elements. In an interview, Alexander Gorsky. The Yugoslav culture after 1945 used
French political scientist Jean-Francois Bayart speaks of these guidelines very naturally by taking them and putting
national awakening and the creation of identity features them into the function of the ideological stratum.
of the nations, pointing out a very significant moment: The Legend of Ohrid in its complete final version
“They made this minutiously, encoding traditions in many was performed on November 29, 1947, in Belgrade and
unusual folk arts, affirming their national character.” 26(p.386) was choreographed by Margarita Froman. The date of
Namely, “folklore art” is an expression that is equivalent performance, the Day of the Republic (the day when
to the production that was created in the temples of Yugoslavia was constituted and one of the biggest public
high art. In this case, folklore, which was some kind of holidays) speaks of the significance of the ballet as part
borderline in the maintenance of the national (ethnic) of the celebration in the first postwar years. The idea of
versus state balance, in its refined form gained universal national unification through this kind of performance
Yugoslav significance. In contrast to the need to conserve, is followed through 23 different productions made in
emphasize, and stress, traditional dances and songs in Yugoslav theaters between 1949 and 1985 authored by
their authentic form (for which national ensembles were “three Russians (Kirsanova, Froman, and Oljenina), two
established: Macedonia—Tanec, Serbia—Kolo, Croatia— Serbs (Parlić, Kostić), two Croats (Harmush, Horvat), three
Lado), the ballet allowed a different approach in creating Slovenians (Mlakar, Kirbos, Otrin), a German of Slovenian
wider “general-state” features. The cultural management origin (Pia Mlakar), and one Macedonian (Makedonski).”
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at certain times encouraged the creation and performance Throughout the years of existence of the federation, The
of “national ballet performances.” They affirmed high Legend of Ohrid became a repertoire constant in all ballet
culture on a completely different level, but to that universal theaters. The ballet obtained international affirmation and
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language, they added flavors of folklore to the national was staged in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the USSR. Four
“Yugoslav state.” The formative matrix of this genre dictates different versions of The Legend of Ohrid can be seen on
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the use of ballet vocabulary and dance ornamented with the Macedonian stage (Figure 4). Each treats the work, as
elements connected with creative folk choreography. Folk
motifs (melodies, rhythms—music, legends, folktales, 6 Anatoly Joukowsky, together with his wife, Yania Wassilieva
historical events—scenario) were used in the “sphere of left Yugoslavia and immigrated to the United States. In the
written text” (using the Ubersfeld distinction). course of his life in the United States, he organized courses
teaching South Slavic dances. In addition, he published the
One of the first ballets considered national is Serbian book The Teaching of Ethnic Dance in which the first chapter
composer Stevan Hristić’s The Legend of Ohrid. In its first is dedicated to Macedonia .
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shortened version of one act, the ballet was shown during 7 Details of the research activities and all the remakes of
Macedonian folklore and its dancing expression can be
5 The method of transmission and presentation of folklore on found in Zdravkova Djeparoska “The route Russia-Serbia-
stage in Yugoslavia, analyzed in this study through the work Macedonia. Intercultural Relations” .
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of the Tanec, has been researched by several Macedonian 8 Details of all staging can be found in the book of Ana
and foreign researchers. More about this in Ivančić Dunin, Radošević .
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Višinski ; Pajtondjiev ; Dimoski . About the tasks and 9 Choreographed by Max Kirbos (May 25, 1956), Gjorgji
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tendencies in Tanec through the first statute more in Makedonski (December 20, 1966), Franjo Horvat
Zdravkova Djeparoska . (November 12, 1969), and Dimitrije Parlić (July 12, 1979).
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Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 6 doi: 10.36922/ac.2730