Kozachok
Encyclopedia
Kozachok or kazachok is a folk dance
from Ukraine
. It is a fast, linear, couple-dance in 2/4, typically in a constantly increasing tempo and of an improvisatory character in a major key. The woman leads and the man follows, imitating her figures- she signals movement changes by hand clapping.
The kozachok, from Kozak ("Cossack"), can be traced back to the Vertep
, the late 16th and 17th century Ukrainian
itinerant puppet
theatre. Vertep plays consisted of two parts, the first dramatizing the birth of Christ
, and the second with a secular plot. In Ukraine it was often a joyful celebration centred around the Cossacks from the Zaporizhian region
, who sang, played the bandura
, and danced. This dance became known as the Vertepny Kozachok, literally meaning "A Cossack Puppet from Vertep" and displayed all the characteristics of the fiery Kozak temperament.
Variants of the kozachok also include the Kuban-kazachok (from the Kuban
district) and the Ter-kazachok (from the northern Caucasus).
The first known arrangement of a kozachok is attributed to the Ruthenian lutenist and composer K.S.R. Dusiacki (17th century). There are manuscript collections of kozachok melodies from the second half of the 18th century, and printed collections begin to appear toward the end of that century.
The Kozachok was often performed in the 18th century in French ballets and achieved widespread popularity after the Russian troops occupied Paris in the 1813.
In the 19th century the dance has changed, it was then performed as a circle-dance; since the end of the 1960s, it has been revived in many countries. There are arrangements of it in the works of Alexander Serov
, Tchaikovsky
and other Russian composers. Among works for symphony orchestra, notable are Alexander Dargomyzhsky
's Malorossiysky kazachok (Малороссийский казачок), R. Simovych's Third Symphony and the Dance Suite by A. Kolomiyetz.
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. It is a fast, linear, couple-dance in 2/4, typically in a constantly increasing tempo and of an improvisatory character in a major key. The woman leads and the man follows, imitating her figures- she signals movement changes by hand clapping.
The kozachok, from Kozak ("Cossack"), can be traced back to the Vertep
Vertep
Vertep was a kind of portable puppet theatre and the corresponding type of drama in the culture of East Slavs which presented the nativity scene, other mystery plays, and later secular plots as well...
, the late 16th and 17th century Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
itinerant puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
theatre. Vertep plays consisted of two parts, the first dramatizing the birth of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, and the second with a secular plot. In Ukraine it was often a joyful celebration centred around the Cossacks from the Zaporizhian region
Zaporizhia
Zaporizhia or Zaporozhye [formerly Alexandrovsk ] is a city in southeastern Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative center of the Zaporizhia Oblast...
, who sang, played the bandura
Bandura
Bandura refers to a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument. It combines elements of a box zither and lute, as well as its lute-like predecessor, the kobza...
, and danced. This dance became known as the Vertepny Kozachok, literally meaning "A Cossack Puppet from Vertep" and displayed all the characteristics of the fiery Kozak temperament.
Variants of the kozachok also include the Kuban-kazachok (from the Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
district) and the Ter-kazachok (from the northern Caucasus).
The first known arrangement of a kozachok is attributed to the Ruthenian lutenist and composer K.S.R. Dusiacki (17th century). There are manuscript collections of kozachok melodies from the second half of the 18th century, and printed collections begin to appear toward the end of that century.
The Kozachok was often performed in the 18th century in French ballets and achieved widespread popularity after the Russian troops occupied Paris in the 1813.
In the 19th century the dance has changed, it was then performed as a circle-dance; since the end of the 1960s, it has been revived in many countries. There are arrangements of it in the works of Alexander Serov
Alexander Serov
Alexander Nikolayevich Serov – was a Russian composer and music critic. He and his wife Valentina were the parents of painter Valentin Serov...
, Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
and other Russian composers. Among works for symphony orchestra, notable are Alexander Dargomyzhsky
Alexander Dargomyzhsky
Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky was a 19th century Russian composer. He bridged the gap in Russian opera composition between Mikhail Glinka and the later generation of The Five and Tchaikovsky....
's Malorossiysky kazachok (Малороссийский казачок), R. Simovych's Third Symphony and the Dance Suite by A. Kolomiyetz.
Sources
- Bobri, Vladimir - Notes on the Ukrainian Folk Dances //Guitar review - #33, Summer, 1970 p.27
- Ukrayins'ke kozatstvo - (Entsyklopedia) Kiev, 2006