Romi i ples tradicionalno idu jedno uz drugo. Sviranje, pjevanje i plesanje nisu samo dio romske tradicije, nego i zanimanje mnogih romskih obitelji generacijama. Mnogi bi ljudi rekli da je izvođenje umjetnosti velik dio romskog identiteta.

Svjetski dan plesa svake se godine obilježava diljem svijeta 29. travnja. Svjetski dan plesa 1982. godine obilježen je u znak sjećanja na Jeana-Georgesa Noverrea (1727-1810), tvorca modernog baleta, koji je rođen 29.4. 1727. godine. Svrha obilježavanja Svjetskog dana plesa bila je širiti poruku o dobrobitima plesa i javnih nastupa i zbližiti ljude.

Od početka obilježavanja Svjetskoga dana plesa 1982. godine, Međunarodni odbor za ples i Međunarodni kazališni institut svake godine odabiru temu Svjetskog dana plesa. Ove godine Svjetski dan plesa dan je za one koji vide vrijednost i važnost plesne umjetnosti koja je poziv na buđenje vlada, političara i institucija. Vlade, političari i institucije još uvijek nisu prepoznali važnost plesa za ljude i njihov potencijal za ekonomski napredak. To je još važnije za Rome koji javnim nastupima zarađuju za život.

„Jedna od najvažnijih značajki romskog plesa je solo ples.“ Tako je Jerzy Ficowski opisao tradicionalni romski ples. „Romi ne plešu u paru, ni u grupama. Ples muškaraca je brz, dinamičan i nagao, plesač daje ritam svojim potpeticama, a taj ritam prati udaranjem dlanovima po bokovima, potkoljenicama i tabanima. Ženski ples je mekši i glatkiji. Ritmički pomiče noge praktički ne pomičući tijelo prema naprijed ili u stranu. Struk ostaje u okomitom položaju. Jedini dijelovi tijela koji se pomiču su ramena, ruke, i dlanovi koji su podignuti iznad glave, i na određene taktove simetrično spušteni i ispruženi prema naprijed. Romski plesači fokusiraju se na rad prstiju i ruku, skupljaju ruke, šire ih, i na taj način izvode razne pokrete koji asociraju na indijske kipiće u tom položaju. Jedna tipična figura u romskom ženskom plesu izgleda ovako: ubrzavanjem tempa pokreti ruku postaju sve brži i brži, sve do vrhunca kada pokreti prestaju i ruke se spuštaju dolje, a ramena plesačice počinju titrati.“

Jerzy Ficowski obuhvatio je srž romskog plesa u ovom opisu. Živopisna slika tradicionalnog romskog plesa gotovo se doima kao poezija. Javni nastupi jednako su snažni i inspirativni. Danas je odličan dan za obilježavanje Svjetskog dana plesa izvođenjem tradicionalnih plesova i zbližavanjem ljudi, kako bi se proslavila plesna nematerijalna baština.

Svjetski dan plesa predivna je prilika za isticanje romskog utjecaja u oblikovanju europske glazbe i plesnih stilova. Svjetski dan plesa dan je kada možemo proslaviti i romski doprinos europskoj i svjetskoj kulturi.

 

 

 

 

Roma and dance traditionally go side by side. Playing music, singing songs and dancing have been not only a tradition amongst Roma but also the main profession for many Roma families for generations. Talent for performing arts is a big part of Roma identity as many people would tell.

Every year on April 29, International Dance Day is celebrated world-wide. In 1982, the International Dance Day was first celebrated as a commemoration of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the creator of modern ballet, who were born on that day. It was meant to spread the message of the benefits of dance, performances and to bring people together.

Since its creation in 1982, the International Dance Committee and the International Theatre Institute ITI select a theme for International Dance Day each year. This year it is a celebration day for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “dance”, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognized its value to the people and to the individual and have not yet realized its potential for economic growth. It is even more important for Roma people who earn their living by performing in public.

“One of the main characteristic features of Roma dance is its solo nature” – it is how Jerzy Ficowski describes the traditional Roma dance. “Roma do not dance as pairs or in groups. In the man's dance which is fast, maneuverable and impetuous, the dancer strikes the rhythm with his heels, accompanied by palm strikes on the hips, shins and soles. The woman's dance is softer, less angular and smoother. The dancer shakes her legs practically without moving forward and to the side. Woman’s waist remains in vertical position. The moving parts are only shoulders, arms, palms raised above the head, time-to-time symmetrically lowered, put together and then thrown forward. Roma dancers concentrate on the play of hands and fingers, gathering them, spreading them out and creating different figures, familiar to us from Indian statuettes. One typical figure in the Roma women's dance looks like this: as the tempo of the melody increases, the arm movements become faster and faster, until finally, in the culminating moment, the hands stop and fall down, and the dancer's shoulders begin to tremble.”

Jerzy Ficowski caught up the soul and rhyme or Roma dance in this description. This vivid picture of traditional performance of Roma dance almost feels like a poetry. And the life performance is so powerful and inspiring!  Today is the great day to celebrate International Dance Day by performing traditional dance and gather people together to commemorate this intangible legacy.

International Dance Day is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to remember the impact Roma have had on the European music and dance styles. It’s a day to celebrate Roma contribution to European and world culture.