5.4 DANCE

            Compared to Rzeszów dances, Lasowiackie dances are less varied and less dynamic. Their character is more similar to dances from central Poland than from the Rzeszów region. The characteristic features of the dance are: “(...) upright posture, elegance of movements, spontaneous pace. Most of the dances are danced with the feet up. The way of moving in dance is characterized by a relaxation of the body. In many of them, the knees bend softly and straighten each time you put your foot down. Dancers often use a variety of stressed steps in their dance, jumps in place, stomps, falling from jumps into a deep squat, slaps of the hand on the knee, clapping hands and shaking the palm of the raised arm ”.

            Lasowiackie dances were little known. Only Alicja Haszczak collected and described them. It turned out that these are mostly dances danced by single couples, in two-measure and three-measure time signatures. The most famous dances are: lasowiak, hooray polka and onion. The polka dots dominate: left polka, gallop, with a punch, without a leg. Other dances are, for example: „cholewiok”, „weselny równy”, „tramla lasowiacka”, „oberek” and waltzes.

            In every part of the Lasowiak region, a typical local dance was danced, for example in Cholewiana Góra „Cholewiaka”, in Grębów - „Grębowski” waltz. It was common to put on the bass. For example, when a wedding groomsman wanted to dance, he would perform a dance chant and then pay the musicians to perform it.

            In addition to the social function of dance, dance played a very important role in the ceremonies of the Lasowiaks, e.g. at weddings. The wedding, on the other hand, was a very extensive rite and lasted for many days. Therefore, it was also an opportunity for fun, singing and dancing for both young and old, wedding participants and outsiders. Wedding dances can be divided into two groups:

• Ritual and solo dances, which include, among others: a panicle dance, a „swaszka” dance with the best man, a bride and a groom dance, a staroste's dance with a bride, a dance with a cake, a white wreath
• Commonly danced dances - these included all waltz, „polka”, „chodzony”, „sztajerki”, and „oberek” ordered by wedding guests.

            The ceremonial dances were usually dignified „chodzone”, „walczyki”, „sztajerki”. They were danced like common dances, in typical for a given dance takes of hands. They were distinguished by the melodies to which they danced, as well as the lyrics of chants.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT LASOWIAKS DANCES:

Haszczak, Tańce Lasowiackie, Warsaw 2006

K.Ruszel, Wesele. Materiały z konferencji Obrzędowość weselna w Rzeszowskiem- tradycja i współczesność, Rzeszów 22 November 1999, Rzeszów 2001