Folklore Adventures


Balkan Dance DVDs

 

JUGOSLAVENSKI NARODNI PLESOVI

“YUGOSLAV FOLK DANCES”

Jadran Film 1948

INTRODUCTION

In 1963, during my first trip to Yugoslavia, through a great deal of effort and sleuthing, I was able to locate a copy of the rare 1948 documentary film “Jugoslavenski Narodni Plesovi” (Yugoslav Folk Dances). Deep in the basement vaults of Jadran Film, in a heavy lead encasement designed to protect the rapidly deteriorating nitrate film from fire and explosion, I found the last remaining copy of this priceless film. After a short negotiation, the directors of Jadran film happily gave me the North American rights to this film, explaining that the times were changing in their country and that there no longer was much interest in “peasant” folk culture. I was delighted to take it off their hands.

Students of history and politics will remember that shortly after World War II, Yugoslavia experienced a resurgence of “nationalistic” interest in her rapidly disappearing regional folk dances. To help revive this interest, the Yugoslav government commissioned Jadran Film of Zagreb to make a folklore film representative of the best village dance groups from each Republic of the newly created Yugoslavia. Arrangements were made through Seljačka Sloga (The Peasant's Cultural Union) which was encouraging villagers to form groups to preserve their local dances and customs. The team traveled to eighteen towns and villages, filming authentic dances on location in their entirety and original form in full color and sound.

Completed in 1948, the film was a masterpiece of living folklore, capturing for posterity a way of life, dress and dance in its last moments of existence. Sadly, in 1954, Seljačka Sloga was abruptly dissolved due to a change in government policy, ending this brief revival of authentic regional folk dancing with traditional music and costumes. Today, the film remains the only major documentation of Yugoslav folk dance, music, song, and costumes in existence.

In 1965, the original copy on the highly combustible nitrate film was sent to Guffanti Film Labs in New York City. With the help of many folk dance friends, I was able to finance the task of reducing the film from 35 to 16 mm, restoring much of the original sound and color. The list of benefactors includes John Filcich, Dick Crum (for The Duquesne University Tamburitzans), Elsie Dunin (for the Dance Department of UCLA), Noel Lillie, Clarence Barnhart, Michael Herman, and Tony Shay for the Aman Ensemble. My apologies to anyone I have forgotten over the years.

And now, with the help of Festival Records of Los Angeles, California, the film has been transferred to videotape, with sound synchronization and color enhancement by modern Hollywood technology. I have tried to provide pertinent background notes for each dance, including any bit of information, which could enhance the viewer’s appreciation of the film. I hope you will find the film as enjoyable as I do; for it is truly a delight to see.

Dennis Boxell

Los Angeles, May, 2000

 

 
 

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