German Folk dance and Songs(04-01-05)

 

Folk Dance ("Volkstanz") Lesson
"If you can walk, you can dance!"

The traditional German Folk Dance lesson with Elisabeth Diesner on Thursday, 6 January 2005 has certainly been one of the most pleasurable and memorable experiences I have had so far during my stay in Tübingen! Not only did we learn about the origin of these dances and how they are danced, but we also had the opportunity to practise the Polka, "1,2,3,4", "Fröhlicher Kreis" (Happy Circle) and "Zigeunerpolka" (Gypsy Polka) ourselves. I found it surprising that although these dances are relatively structured, they are yet fun to dance and lovely to look at! As many of the folk dances are social dances, everyone was able to interact (dance) with each other; this definitely created a bond between our group members.

The typical "Volksmusik" that accompanies these dances is very lively and rhythmic; dancing to it immediately drove away the cold weather and created a vibrant atmosphere among us. I am sure that we were all motivated by Elisabeth´s words: "Wenn man laufen kann, kann man auch tanzen!" ("If one can walk one can also dance!"). Elisabeth also said that the ultimate purpose of practising these dances would be enjoyment rather than precision or perfection - and we surely made it our goal! Although we might not have looked like "Profis" (professionals), we had a lot of fun; most of the time we were laughing and dancing simultaneously!

During our break Elisabeth showed us pictures and real examples of the typical traditional costumes worn by men and women; she also told us how these costumes are worn and what they symbolise. Three of us (including myself) volunteered to try on the costumes she had brought with - it was an experience! I loved my long red dress with the light golden-coloured apron! Seeing our friends wearing these costumes really made this old German cultural tradition real to us!

I enjoyed the afternoon so much that I asked Elisabeth whether it would be possible to attend a real folk dance festival, so on Saturday evening three of us went with her to the City Hall in Plochingen (Stuttgart) to do exactly that...! It was unforgettable; I have certainly discovered my love for "Volkstänze"!

(Report by Heidemarie Traut, University of Pretoria)