Korčula, Croatia: Moreška Dance
Mickela is on the island of Korčula in Croatia to learn Moreška (sword dance), and 500+ year old dance!
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Special thanks the Croatian Tourism Board & Korcula Tourism for making this episode possible.
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Moreska Sword Dance Korcula Croatia
How lucky to be in Korcula on the night of the Moreska Sword Dance performance. This traditional dance since the 15th Century, tells the story of two Kings who fight for a Princess. The armies perform an intricate dance representing the fight. Such a fabulous experience.
Sword dance Moreška: Korcula, Croatia 21.09.2017
Filmed by Gerhard Hallstatt.
Moreška
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moro and Bula dancing the Moreška, on St. Todor's day in Korčula
Moreška /moʊˈrɛʃkə/ is a traditional sword dance[1][2] from the town of Korčula, on the Croatian island of the same name in the Adriatic. Dating back hundreds of years, the Moreška is an elaborate production involving two groups of dancers, engaging in a mock battle over the fate of a veiled young woman. Originally performed rarely on special occasions, in modern times the Moreška is performed weekly for visiting tourists. The two sides of battling dancers were originally Moors and Christians, recalling the Spanish battles of the Reconquista in the Middle Ages. However, at some point in the 19th century in Korčula, the sides changed from Christians vs. Moors, to Croats vs. Moors, or simply White and Black, with the non-Moor side emerging victorious.[3]
Contents
1 History
2 Performances
3 Primary characters
4 Plot
5 Sword dance societies
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History
The Moreška in Korčula dates back to at least the mid-17th century,[4][5] with its roots in the Middle Ages, from the several hundred years of battle between Muslims and Christians (Moros y cristianos) in Spain, specially in Catalonia where exist a traditional dance called La Morisca de Gerri de la Sal, during the Reconquista. Multiple European festivals and pageants have their roots from that time period.[6] By the 16th century the conquest theme with mock battles was introduced into the Americas and other world areas administered or culturally influenced by Spain. The version that is danced in Korčula appears to be the only one in modern times which uses two swords held by each soldier (Moreškanti) in the elaborate mock battles.
Performances
The Moreška was originally performed on special occasions only, perhaps once every few years, especially on the Feast Day of Sveti Todor (Saint Theodore, Korčula's patron saint) in July, in a lavish presentation which could last for up to two hours. In modern times there are abbreviated performances of 20–30 minutes which occur weekly in the summer for visiting tourists.[7] Performers must be native to Korčula, and local families take great pride in their participation.
Primary characters
Costume worn by the White King, representing the side of the Croats
Bula: The captured maiden[8]
Moro: The Black King
Osman: The White King (who wears red)
Otmanović: The Black King's father
Plot
The Black King enters dragging the captured Bula maiden in chains. He tries to persuade her to respond to his advances, but she replies that she is in love with the White King. The two kings and their armies confront each other, and battle escalates from taunts, to the kings in battle, to both armies clashing, with a mixture of solos and varying rhythms through seven different dances. The Black soldiers are eventually surrounded and defeated, and the White King rescues the Bula.
Sword dance societies
There are two societies (groups) which perform the Moreška in the town of Korčula, and other societies on the island which perform another variant of sword dance, known as the Kumpanija.[9] Certain towns and villages have Kumpanija groups, which perform on the respective village feast day, as well as on other festive dates during the summer tourist season:
Vela Luka, performed March 19, St. Joseph
Blato, performed on April 28, the day of Saint Vincenca and during the summer months
Čara, performed a few times per year, including June 29, Saint Peter's Day
Pupnat, August 5, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Snow
Smokvica, performed on August 14, the Feast of the Assumption
Žrnovo, August 16, on Saint Roch's Day
See also
Morris dance
Moresca
Korčula
References
The Moreška Dance. korculainfo.com. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
Moreška. korcula.net. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
Rostuhar, Davor (October 2009). Moreška, posljednji autentični mačevalački ples Mediterana (trans: The last authentic sword dance of the Mediterranean). National Geographic Hrvatska (in Croatian). 8 (70): 96–107.
Max Harris, Lada Cale Feldman (2003). Blackened faces and a veiled woman: The early Korcula Moreska. Comparative Drama. 37.
Dunin, Elsie Ivancich, ed. (2006). Korčulanska Moreška (in Croatian). Turistička zajednica Grada Korčule. ISBN 953-95471-0-5.
Harris, Max (2000). Aztecs, Moors, and Christians: festivals of reconquest in Mexico. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-73132-5.
Moreska Sword Dance. croatiatraveller.com. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
Niemčić, Iva (2008). When the stage lights go down: On silenced women's voices, dance ethnography and its restitution (pdf). Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb. pp. 167–182.
Kumpanija Sword Festival. korcula.net. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
Moreška Sword Dance of Korcula, Croatia
The island of #Korcula, which lies just off the Dalmatian coast of #Croatia in the Adriatic Sea, is home to the #Moreška sword dance. In the 16th century, Moreska arrived in Korcula from Italy and neighboring Dubrovnik, and was embraced as the island's own. Through the centuries, performances of the dance disappeared from the Mediterranean and today it is only found in Korcula, where it is has been performed for over 400 years.
Moreska tells the story of the battle between the forces of the White King (actually dressed in red) and the Black King over Princess Bula, the Red King’s fiancée who has been captured by Black army.
Enjoy this video, and its overview of Korcula island, footage of the dramatic and highly physical dance, and meet the actors/dancers who portray Bula, and the Red & Black Kings!
#Travel #PeopleAreCulture #Croatia
twitter.com/BCDWorldCulture
Moreska in Korčula Town, Croatia, July 7, 2014
A short clip of the moreška sword dance performance in Korčula Town, Croatia, July 7, 2014.
Moreska-Sword dance Korcula
Korcula, Croazia e la Danza delle Spade (Moreska)
Korcula, isola croata, viene mostrata in questo piccolo Documentario.
Si lascia grande spazio alla Moreska, danza dichiarata patrimonio immateriale dell' Umanità dall' Unesco. Essa è una danza delle spade.
Narra Chiara Saracco
Ripreso, Montato, Diretto da Niccolò Gossi
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Korcula, Croatian island, is shown in this little documentary.
It leaves great room for Moreska, dance declared intangible heritage of Humanity by Unesco that is a dance sword.
Voice of Chiara Saracco
Filmed, Edited, Directed by Niccolò Gossi
Korcula - Moreska sword dance
Island of Korcula - Croatia, sword dance moreska (moresca) performed by St. Cecilia society.
moreska dancing, korcula town, korcula island,croatia
moreska,dancing,korcula,town,traditional,island,croatia
Moreška - Korčula's traditional sword dance.
Basically, a girl was told to marry a prince, then another prince stole her, then all the men fought. The usual. Seven total dances, each a little more frenetic than the last. If you hear additional clanging, it's pieces of broken sword bouncing along the stones towards my feet.
Moreška Traditional Sword Dance in Korčula Croatia 2012
Moreška Traditional Sword Dance in Korčula Croatia 2012
Sword Dance Festival - Korčula 2014
Sword Dance Festival Korcula (Croatia) June 8th 2014. - Opening ceremony.
Traditional Korčula Sword Dance
This dance has been traditional on the Croatian island of Korčula for hundreds of years. This performance was by a group of local men in 2008. It's actually somewhat dangerous since one of the performers got a bloody nose shortly after I shot this!
Moreška sword dance - St. Rocco (Rok) square in Žrnovo (Korčula)
Aug 15th 2016. performance.
7th final dance (kolap).
Video: (Ivan Grbin)
Moreška - Korčula
Moreška is a traditional sword dance from the town of Korčula, on the Croatian island of the same name in the Adriatic. Dating back hundreds of years, the Moreška is an elaborate production involving two groups of dancers, engaging in a mock battle over the fate of a veiled young woman. Originally performed rarely on special occasions, in modern times the Moreška is performed weekly for visiting tourists. The two sides of battling dancers were originally Moors and Christians, recalling the Spanish battles of the Reconquista in the Middle Ages. However, at some point in the 19th century in Korčula, the sides changed from Christians vs. Moors, to Turks vs. Moors, or simply White and Black, with the non-Moor side emerging victorious.
The Moreška was originally performed on special occasions only, perhaps once every few years, especially on the Feast Day of Sveti Todor (Saint Theodore, Korčula's patron saint) in July, in a lavish presentation which could last for up to two hours. In modern times there are abbreviated performances of 20–30 minutes which occur weekly in the summer for visiting tourists. Performers must be native to Korčula, and local families take great pride in their participation.
Performed on 25th August 2016 in open air City Theatre, Korčula
Die Moreška (Schwerttanz) / The Moreška (sword dance) in Korčula (Kroatien/Croatia)
Schwerttanz (Ritterspiel) Die Moreška (Moriskentanz) in Korčula (Kroatien):
Ich habe diesen Schwerttanz im Urlaub auf der Insel Korčula in der gleichnamigen Stadt gesehen. Die Aufführung fand in der Altstadt, eine Art Festung am Meer, statt.
Die Darsteller benutzen scharfe Schwerter aus Metall und manchmal sieht man sogar die Funken fliegen (4:25).
Das Ritterspiel, welches seit 1620 unverändert so aufgeführt wird, soll an den Sieg der Christen über die Mauren im Jahre 1571 erinnern. Symbolisch steht der Kampf für Gut (Weiß / Abendland) gegen Böse (Schwarz / Morgenland).
Der schwarze Königssohn Moro (schwarzes Kostüm), der Anführer der Mauren und Verbündeter der Türken, hat die Braut des weißen christlichen Königs Osman (rotes Kostüm), Bula, entführt. Da Moro die Braut nicht freiwillig herausgeben will, muss Osman gegen ihn kämpfen. Mitten im Kampf versucht Bula einzuschreiten (5:53) und bittet dramatisch um Frieden. Doch der Kampf geht weiter!
Wird Osman den Kampf gewinnen und seine Braut zurückbekommen?
Sword dance (knights' tournament) The Moreška (Morris Dance) in Korčula (Croatia):
I saw this sword dance on holiday on the island of Korcula in the same name city. The performance was in the old town, a fortress directly on the sea. The actors use sharp swords made of metal and sometimes you even see the sparks fly (4:25).
The knights' tournament, which is unchanged shown since 1620 shall remember the victory of Christians over the Moors in 1571. Symbolically, the fight for good (white / Occident) against bad (Black / Orient).
The black prince Moro (black costume), the leader of the Moors and ally of the Turks, has kidnapped the bride of the white Christian king Osman (red costume), Bula. Because Moro doesn't want to give out th bride voluntarily, Osman must fight against him. In the middle of the fight Bula tries to intervene (5:53) and invites for peace dramatically. But the fight continues!
Will Osman win the fight and get back his bride?
✓✓ Croatian Sword Dance !! ✓✓
This video includes segments of a performance of the lively and beautiful Moreška dance in Stari Grad (Hvar), Croatia. The Moreška is a dynamic, stylized combat dance that symbolizes the long-standing struggle between Muslims and Christians in the Mediterranean. Dances like this one were a very popular form of drama during the Renaissance period and were often performed at court celebrations and public feasts. Today these performances are put on by the Korčula Singing Society St Cecily, founded in 1883. While they are based in Croatia, this group performs all across Europe and they may soon be coming to a destination near you!
Moreska
The finale of 17th century Croatian sword dance in the old town of Korcula.
Sword Dance Croatia
In Korkula, Croatia
Moreska Sword Dance
Moreska Sword Dance, performed by spietzel & criek...