Riga, January 2011
Latvian Sun Dance - Mandala Project 2011
Aim of the project
To be awakened with help of Latvian specific dance and music ritual, that is based on Latvian sun ornament, which is in the shape of circle with dot in the middle, similar to mandala.
Latvian Sun dance-Mandala is a project, made specially for Andanca Festival 2011 to ilustrate the festival topic: Pause as possibility to be awakened from the darkness to lightness, as finding harmony and balance within yourself and the world, and as the moment before opening the eyes in the morning to welcome the morning sun.
The project seeks to combine one of the most significant ornaments - Sun with one of the main symbols of the world – Mandala to show the closeness of Latvian culture to other world cultures and to combine folklore elements with meditation elements.
Dancing in a circle is an ancient tradition common to many cultures for marking special occasions, strengthening community and encouraging togetherness. The circle is probably the oldest known dance formation. It is found even today in the community dances of many cultures, including Greek (Greek dances surviving from ancient Greece (chorea)), African, Eastern European, Israeli ( Jewish dance and Israeli folk dancing), Serbian, Irish Celtic, Breton, Catalan (sardana), South American and North American Indian and of course Portugal.
Latvians are great singers and dancers since the ancient times until nowadays. Latvian Folk Dance and Song Festival is written in UNESCO heritage as one of the greatest cultural events in Europe.
Meaning of Sun symbol for Latvians
Sun is one of the most worshipped objects by ancient Latvians. It is one of the main symbols in Latvian Folklore and culture.
The ex-President of Latvia – Vaira Vike Freiberga has compiled a book of Latvian Sun Folk Songs, which is accompanied by songs and is certainly one of the inspirations for The Latvian Sun Dance – Mandala
Project to be presented in Andanca 2011. The sun element in Latvian folklore is described in more than 4500 folk songs and variants.
It is interesting that in many books Latvian symbol – Sun is shown in a shape of flower, because flower with its shape and „ life” is unique symbol of the world harmony and a path to the better connection to nature and cosmos within ourselves and around us.
Latvian ritual dances nowadays come with modern elements and ornaments and methods provided by the project team to underline the meditation and therapy importance of the dance ritual.
Initiator of the project and the project leader
Ms. Ginta Opmane,
Latvian and other Folk Dance Expert, Dancer and Teacher (CV attached to the e-mail)
The co-leader of the project
Ms. Liene Vesmina,
Psychologist, Dance and Body Therapy Expert and Dancer (CV attached to the e-mail)
Consultant
Mrs. Liga Platais,
Architect, Latvian sign and mythology expert and Dancer
Two musicians/singers
The agreement with concrete artists will be signed as soon as the approval of participation in Andanca 2011 is received.
Latvian folk instruments –
kokle (instrument with strings)
stabule (blowing instrument)
trejdeksnis (unique Latvian instrument, not known in other cultures. It is meant for beating the rythm)
The duration of ritual Sun Dance – Mandala is planned for one Festival Workshop. During one festival workshop the dance can be repeated several times depending on the number of dancers.
The dance movements are simple walking accompanied by pauses and little jumps and all of the movements concentrate on making several small or big circles. The direction of movement within the circle can differ and it is important if you walk with facing the centre of the circle or facing the world outside the circle.
The walk is accompanied by music and song.
The circle in Latvian mythology is symbol of Sun, harmony, wholeness, fulfilness and protection. The circle serves as borderline between inner and outer world, the fight of light and dark or good and bad powers and the protection of goodness. The circle is something completed and absolute as God, as Sun, that reveals the world for us or opens our eyes.
The circle for Latvians means also seeing and feeling everything. It symbolizes eternal movement, repeating, returning, cyclic elements, fertility as well as wholeness.
The Sun ritual dances are being danced during Latvian festivities such as Winter Sun Festival, which takes place 2 days before Christmas, December 21-22, when Sun dance ritual is made to call the Sun come back and
Above is shown Midsummer fest in the painting by Latvian artist Leo Kokle.
Midsummer Sun Festival in June 24, accompanied by bone fires, singing and dancing until the sun rise all over the country to increase the fertility.
The outcome of the Latvian Sun dance - Mandala
The connection to the inner energy within yourself is established with help of Sun dance in the shape of mandala. The dance gives a possibility to feel and cultivate positive energy in order to use it in everyday life afterwards. The dance gives joy, harmony and happiness.
Methods and techniques used:
1) Different drawings of Sun symbol from Latvian folklore with little narrative about their meaning,
2) Latvian folklore games are included in the ritual,
3) Latvian nature aroma – kalme, paparde (fern), kadikis (juniper - Latvian incense) to be used for better awareness building and harmony,
4) According to the possibilities the dance can be made in sand by dancers making Latvian Sun symbol on the spot, opening themselves for the earth energy and the magic of ancient signs and adding their own creative power and personnal touch,
5) The Latvian Sun Symbol can be drawn in advance on the plastic surface or paper to cover the floor. In this case the dancers use already prepared dance space and floor. The sign prepared in advance gives the possibility to feel and experience the deepest essence of the sign coming from the ancient times thus letting them to look at the heritage of the ancient people,
6) The colorful scarves to be used as dance element for better expression of different emotions and feelings.
The ornament of mandala is given colorful, dynamic and spacial oreol by help of dancers’ feet. Every dancer can experience unity with other dancers at the same time gaining knowledge about the Latvian cultural traditions and the world traditions. Every dancer can actively live through and feel his or her own individuality through cultural heritage.
During workshop every dancer will be able to make his or her individual mandala in dance as well as on the paper.
More about Latvia and its national symbols: http://www.li.lv/images_new/files/pdf/National_Symbols_of_Latvia_2007.pdf
More information about the project:
Ginta Opmane
Mob: +371-29461000
E-mail: gintao@inbox.lv
