Dance and Ethnomusicology (II of II)

The pattern of the dance can also convey an enormous amount of information about social norms and values. Consider, for instance, whether there is a caller who sounds out the steps ahead and regulates the interaction between dancers through shorthand orders. Is the caller male or female and what role does he or she fulfill? Is he making it up as he goes along, providing instruction, interpreting shifts in the state of the universe, or simply providing accompaniment with song?

Consider too the dancer formation. Are men paired with women? Are dancers paired in two's, three's, four's, aggregated as a large group circle or line, or are they expected to dance individually? What kind of eye contact is sought out, what kind of conversation is required? What kinds of relationships are being depicted in these dances - are they flirtatious or whimsical or do they focus on complex social patterning? Among Scandinavian dances its possible to find the more complex weaving dances, which imply on a societal level some amount of cooperative coordination, as well as very couple-or triad-oriented dances, which point to the importance of romantic attachment and fidelity as a cultural theme.

Another interesting area lies in examining the symbolic formations are featured in a given dance. A number of dances, for instance, make use of the "banana peel," where partners standing across from one another in line separate in order to march, single file, with others in the same line. Eventually, the partners meet up to join one another again. This type of move may have to do with issues of gender difference and segregation or may even serve to emphasize different lineage groups, with division being returned once more into harmony. Other dances highlight the parallel worlds of men and women by alternating their performance as a group in the foreground.

Dancing can also be storytelling, a way of narrating a particularly significant event or key cultural theme. The famous Snuss Dance, for example, illustrates in a very silly way how romantic couples in Scandinavia engage in and resolve childish arguments. In this story, the male ingests some snuff and then sneezes, offending his female partner. She slaps him. He makes faces at her. Finally, the couple makes up and marches off together. The playfulness with which this dance is performed, is, of course a function of the times.

The context of dancing does need to be accounted for. Whether it's a wedding party, a high school dance, or a portion of a religious ceremony, the context of performance will have a huge effect on how something is performed. Children, for instance, may take playful liberties with dances that they will be expected to perform more formally at an older age. Lots of dances have naughty as well as nice versions, simplified as well as advanced performances.

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