KAMARINSKAYA / Камаринской

Beginning of Russian Folk Dance

The first Russian folk music and dance became known back into the 10th century, when
Slavic tribes moved into Russia. The Slavs were known for their knowledge and
mastery of instruments, songs and dance. Russia witnessed various invasions from
other countries. Due to its location and size the country also came into contact with
many different cultures through migration and trading. In turn, a Eurasian cultural mix of
music and dance helped develop Russian folk dances.

Many of these early dances were performed and practiced by the lower classes. The
upper classes and aristocracy did not dance themselves, but they instead enjoyed
watching the performances of dance troupes and clowns performers rather than
participate in the dances themselves.

In 1937, after the civil war came to an end, the Soviets organised the first Russian folk-
dance troupe under the direction of Igor Moiseyev. The troupe continues to be one of
the top performers of folk dance worldwide. The dancing ensemble with its traditional
music, dance and song, which is popular in the West, keeps the audience clapping and
shouting praise.

The Moiseyev Company embodies all of the Russian traditional folk-dance arts and
preserves the folk culture. The classically trained are more than dancers. The men and
women in their traditional belted tunics and bright red dresses are also acrobatics, like
today’s break dancers, with bodies spinning and zigzagging on the ground so fast they
are almost impossible to see. The dancers fly into the air with their legs wide apart and
their fingers touching their toes. While they are dancing, they are telling the story of the
hundreds of years of Russian history and the many changes that occurred during the
centuries. And one of this is the Kamarinskaya
What is Kamarinskaya?

“Kamarinskaya” is a Eurasian (Mixed of European and Asian) dance and it is a very

famous wedding dance and music use in dancing which belongs to the traditional folk
genre. You can dance Kamarinskaya as solo (male), mainly of a comic nature and also
by pair (girl and boy). There are some theories about the origin of kamarinskaya
melody. It is believed that this song type is derived from old "skomorokh" songs. Though
originally kamarinskaya was a dance song, later it became solely a dance. This “folk”
dance is said to have originated from Russia and mostly known today as created by a
Russian composer known as Mikhail Glinka with the same name as Kamarinskaya.

It was in 1848 when Mikhail Glinka composed a tune that was named “Kamarinskaya”,
which was based on two themes. Those themes included:

The piece begins with the slow bridal song called “Iz-za- gor” which means “From
beyond the mountains”, which contrasts with the quick dance that follows namely an
instrumental dance called Kamarinskaya or “nagriish” which basically a “rapid dance
tune”.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMOhbjD0vVk

According to musicologist Richard Taruskin, the traditional Kamarinskaya is "a quick

dance tune" otherwise known as a naigrish. It is performed on a “quick musical tune.
This tune usually accompanies a squatting dance often called a Kazatsky (especially
since in the West it has been associated in romantic fashion with Cossacks) and is
played traditionally by a fiddler, a Balalika player or a concertina player. In fact,
Kamarinskaya is a traditional Russian folk dance based on the melody repeated over
and over. While dancing, the main melody is replayed so many times until the dancers
run out of any energy. Repetitive motive is very important in Russian folk music. When
you think, it is all over, it just starts up once again on the higher level But, honestly,
when the kamarinskaya is sung and danced, the right steps are no concern. Grotesque
steps, shoulders shrugs, sometimes ugly body movements - everything is allowed until
the dancers strike a spark out of spectators. So, no matter how Russian dances are
performed, at stake are only vituoso improvisation and emotional charge.

But then a dance method of Kamarinskaya was born and the person behind it is Sergei
Temoff. Temoff is a Russian and was born on 11 November 1901 in Harbin, China. He
is an actor and a dancer as he was a master dancer when it comes to ballet in his time.
Temoff taught Gopak, Hopak, polyanka, and of course Kamarinskaya dance. He
choreographed and arrange Kamarinskaya dance and was performed as an exhibition
by Changs International Folk Dancers in 1946. It was later on presented by Madelynne
Greene at the 1959 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp in Stockton, California.
Temoff arrangement of Kamarinskaya includes all the steps of traditional Kamarinskaya
like squatting, hop, prysiadka, etc. Just like the traditional Kamarinskaya, it has a
musical size 2/4 fast pace and some ¾ time signature. And temoff’s choreography of
Kamarinskaya is the one which we will be using right now.