The căluș ritual of southern Romania (also found in certain villages in northern Bulgaria) takes place every year at the time of Rusalii (Pentecost, 50 days after Orthodox Easter). The căluș has drawn the attention of many researchers, from a range of backgrounds and disciplines including folklorists, religious historians (spiritual …read more
This paper will examine the politics of representation and identity as portrayed through dance by the co-located ethnicities in the Banat region of Romania using three main parameters, the ‘representation’ that the dancing is portraying, the context in which the dancing takes place and the adaption of the dancing to …read more
This chapter explores Romanian dancers’ participation in organized dance competitions, both within Romania and internationally, and investigates the informal competition that exists between the members of the Banat Romanian dance community. It includes three themes. The first traces a historical trajectory on the changing importance of performances of local, regional, …read more
This paper investigates connections between local conceptions of place and identity and participation in community music and dance events in the city of Timișoara, located in the Banat region of Romania. Every year the Timișoara cultural events calendar includes an increasing number of community events that include presentational performances of …read more
During Easter 2013, under the auspices of the International Council of Traditional Music study group for ethnochoreology, a group of international researchers participated in a fieldwork trip in the village of Svinița, in the Danube gorge. This visit was initiated to coincide with viewing the custom of ‘Joc de pomană’ …read more
This paper examines performances of dance and music by the various co-located ethnicities in Romanian Banat at the annual ethnicities festival in Timișoara. By considering each participating group in turn I consider both the participants, and their performances. The multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi confessional ethos of Banat is reflected in …read more
This paper looks at dance performances that take place as part of community festivals in, the city of Timișoara. These festivals, which are summarised under five categories, are modern events intended to involve the local community. The majority of those performing are local children and adults who represent many of …read more
This paper considers whether Festivalul Inimilor (the Festival of the Hearts), which has been held every July since 1990 in the town of Timișoara, Romania can be considered a site for the negotiation of Romanian identity in the 21st century world. It argues that the performances that take place as …read more
In this essay I first examine the symbolisms of the Romanian Căluș tradition in its village setting, then I look at the changes that took place in these symbolisms during its transformation from a village ritual to a national icon. Finally I investigate the position that the Căluș tradition holds …read more