German Folk Dance and Folk Song 2009
a report written by Rolean Godfrey

Song and dance have accompanied man through the ages and serves as a true reflection of our journey through time. Each song accompanied by dance tells a story of struggles, success, hardship and joys. I t speaks of where people have been, what they had done and what they hope to do. For this reason, I believe that the German folk dance and song evening was the perfect opportunity to explore the true German culture.
In South Africa, song and dance served as a medium to pass knowledge and history form one generation to the next and I was curious to find out if Germans had done the same.
Elisabeth presented this class, informing us of the German folk dance history. Royal courts and farmlands were the origins for the folk dance but sadly this tradition has faded throughout the years. Today the German folk dance is only danced for special occasions and for tourist. I particularly enjoyed dancing the various folk dances such as the waltz and polka. It was fun! I realized that the German dance is more structured than the African dance but still has a fabulous rhythm. The structured nature of the dance routine easily reflected the German peoples¢ orderly nature.
It was easy to understand that these dance events were not only used as social gatherings but gave the opportunity for courtship. The traditional folk wear served as an indication of an individual’s status in the society. A single woman could be identified by the colourful hood she would wear, while a man's wealth was reflected in the colour of his waist-coat. This gives a clear indication of what roles women and men played in this period of time. Women looked at men for financial security.
Times have changed today.... :)
Later that evening we all attempted to learn a German Folk song. We sang a song that described the cold in the winter and the longing for the summer sunshine. At least this is what I think it means. At first, I struggled to learn the words to the song, even thou we were given the lyrics to the song. The German sounds were new to me and it took a while for me to get the sounds right but I guess practice makes perfect. :)

What a fun and informative evening!!!
Danke

Rolean Godfrey