JÓZSEF SZÁVAI
FROM LAKÓCSA TO THE DRÁVA REGION
Re-teaching Croatian Dances of the Dráva Region in Croatian Villages along the Dráva
(project proposal)
Introduction
The best-known dance of the Croatian folk dance tradition in Hungary is the Lakócsa boot-slapping dance which has frequently been adapted into the repertoire of Hungarian folk dance ensembles. This dance was known not only in Lakócsa but also in several Croatian villages along the Dráva River. It formed part of a structured dance sequence — a repertoire arranged into a fixed order — which could be found until relatively recent times in the borderland region of the Dráva, where archaic features were preserved due to relative isolation.
These archaic features were characteristic not only of the dance material but also of songs, music, oral and material folk culture, dialect, and language use. The region itself, with its ancient riverine forests along the Dráva, is among the areas that have preserved the past most faithfully; visiting this region truly feels like travelling back in time.
The objectives of our project consist of several components. We intend to introduce and teach the dances of the Dráva region to members of the Hungarian folk dance movement, ensembles, dancers, teachers, and interested participants. Thus, beyond its role as an advanced training course, our program may also be of interest to those who have not yet encountered this culturally preserved “island-like” tradition.
In addition, we aim to re-teach local residents (schoolchildren and adults) their former traditions as fully as possible (songs, music, dances, folk costumes, and methods of dressing). We plan to carry out these activities on location, in the villages along the Dráva, where one can come closest to the still-existing tradition: to musicians who still play, to people who still sing, and to dancers who still perform the old dances.
We also consider it important to revive the former folk customs of the region and restore their original splendour. Such occasions (pilgrimage feasts, St. John’s Day, Carnival) traditionally attracted large audiences, with visitors arriving from neighbouring villages. We would like the disadvantaged villages of the Dráva region to benefit from this opportunity for visibility, since meeting living traditions in their original environment can be extremely engaging for visitors.
With regard to improving the situation of the region, the planned event aims to support the development of the villages in two ways: on the one hand, by providing the local population with opportunities and ideas about possible points of development (employment opportunities) rooted in local characteristics (Croatian cultural traditions, the natural beauty of the region, and multi-generational craft experience), and on the other hand, by presenting the villages to the outside world as attractive destinations, increasing their visibility, facilitating their integration into tourism offerings, and supporting year-round cultural events.
Most of the results will appear indirectly and over the long term through improved living conditions: new jobs may be created in connection with cultural events, accessibility (road networks and connecting roads) may improve, traditional crafts based on heritage (folk textiles and garments) may generate income and development, remaining in the village may become a meaningful alternative for the working-age population and school youth, assimilation may slow through the conscious preservation of Croatian identity, migration may decrease, rural hospitality services may expand and move beyond mere survival, and, relying on cultural traditions and national identity, the Croatian Dráva region may become a model example of regional development.
About the Dances
Croatian dances of the Dráva region are considered distinctive from several perspectives within folk dance scholarship. First, it must be clarified that on the opposite side of the border, in Croatia, there is also a region called Podravina (Dráva region), but in terms of dances and music it reflects a considerably later stage of development. There, archaic elements of tradition have largely disappeared, replaced by a tradition influenced by multiple sources, closer to the neighbouring region of Međimurje and containing more urbanized elements.
Thus, the two Dráva regions do not resemble each other in terms of dances, and the dances of the Hungarian side cannot be derived from those in Croatia (unlike other southern border regions such as Baranya, Bačka, and the Mura region).
Another distinctive feature is that along the Dráva — uniquely among Croats in Hungary — a structured dance sequence existed. A dance sequence, understood as a fixed and relatively stable order of dances, is a general characteristic of Central European dance traditions. Over a long period, villages and dancing communities shaped this sequence to best serve the purposes of social dancing. Until the tradition began to decline, it was inconceivable that dances would be removed from the sequence or shifted to later positions. New dances could be incorporated into the sequence, but they were always added at the end.
Among Croats in Hungary in general, there was usually no strictly fixed dance order, and a large number of dances (10–15), mostly consisting of simpler figures, were known and performed. Among the Croatian communities along the Dráva, however, the situation was quite the opposite: the dance gathering sequence consisted of only three dances: Drmeš, Kolo, and Križanje. Nevertheless, these dances had numerous melodic variants and a rich repertoire of motifs; each could be danced for extended periods, even for half an hour to an hour.
Finally, another remarkable feature remains: the dance known as boot-slapping dance from Lukovišće (udaranje u sare/csizmaveros). Not only among Croats in Hungary, but across the Croatian-speaking area, this dance is practically unknown (with only a few exceptions), and it is unusual that male dancers strike the shafts of their boots. Moreover, this striking is not a random gesture arising from festive mood, but a developed and refined dance technique in which skilled dancers could demonstrate their full ability.
Another dance type should also be mentioned: the sung circle dance. Performed without instrumental accompaniment and mostly danced by women, it consists of simple yet almost magical steps that do not always coincide with musical bar boundaries. The song texts are archaic and take us centuries back into an ancient world, deep into the Balkans, beyond the rivers Sava and Drina. This category includes the Vuzmeno kolo performed at Easter, as well as ceremonial wedding circle dances performed around objects or persons.
The Present Situation of the Tradition
Why is it necessary to re-teach dances and songs? How is it possible that such a rich tradition (not to mention other forms of intangible heritage such as tales, beliefs, and customs) is disappearing or has almost entirely disappeared? Is there any point or possibility in re-teaching and re-learning these traditions? These questions are legitimate.
With the disintegration of the traditional framework of rural life, opportunities along the Dráva for people to relive their old customs, sing their songs, and dance their dances have diminished. This process naturally occurred everywhere, although due to the relative isolation of the Dráva region (as a border area), traditional costumes remained in use longer here, and customs connected to life-cycle events or to the calendar year survived for a longer period.
This very fact provides hope: memories still preserve the stories of parents (and now mostly grandparents) about their youth, when the custom of Sunday dancing was still alive, and when numerous almost magical customs connected with weddings, Easter, and St. John’s Day were still practiced. This nostalgic memory cannot compete with the unfavourable conditions of the modern world. Where unemployment and migration prevail, where there is neither space nor time for expressing national identity, where schools struggle primarily to preserve the mother tongue, and where the church loses its former guiding and protective role — there, tradition will not flourish again without external assistance.
External support must take several forms: professional support to ensure ethnographic authenticity; organizational support to enable the implementation of events; and financial support through various grant schemes, since it hardly needs to be stated that financial resources are the most limited in these villages.
On Teaching the Dances
When teaching the dances, it is naturally not possible to follow the original order of the dance sequence. The first dance in the sequence, Drmeš, was the first to disappear from regular practice. Older people continued to know it and requested it from musicians, but due to its difficulty it was not popular among the younger generation. The use of the word “fashion” here is not accidental. In this region as well, during the 1920s and 1930s, simpler and more dynamic dances appeared — mostly of Serbian origin — offering more spatial possibilities and gradually displacing the older, technically more demanding dances that allowed greater individual expression.
These new dances could no longer be incorporated into the tradition in the same way as before. The tradition could not adapt them, since vibrating movements in the circle, ankle strikes, and stamping (including boot-slapping) could not be applied to dances requiring different techniques (small steps on half-foot or lively jumps).
Therefore, the re-learning of dances must begin with the fundamentals. These fundamentals include: meter and rhythm, vibration, ankle strikes, stamping steps, boot-slapping, handholds, and spatial formations.
When establishing meter and rhythm, one must first learn how to recognize the beginning and end of musical phrases. Most dances align with melodic units; the beginning and end of a motif coincide with the beginning and end of the musical phrase. The rhythm of the music must be identified and practiced through clapping, progressing from larger units to smaller ones. The contra rhythm must be identified in the music, and the alternation between the main beat and contra must be made familiar. Under present conditions, these dances cannot be learned simply through imitation. Unless rhythmic patterns become internalized, learning dance steps will be unsuccessful.
The fundamentals must be taught differently to different age groups: methods differ for children aged 10–14 and for older learners. Children aged 6–10 should primarily receive movement experiences — the experience of dancing together, singing together, and sharing movement.
The most important technical element in the dances of the Dráva region is drmeš (vibratory movement). Although it is also a basic technique in other Croatian dances, here it is stronger, firmer, more fully grounded, and sometimes more vertically emphasized than among other Croatian groups. Traditionally, learning the drmeš began in childhood: parents and grandparents danced with children at home and later took them to dance occasions, guiding them by the hand. Naturally, it can also be learned later, but true elegance and personal style develop only through prolonged dancing.
Ankle strike is a decorative element found in men’s dancing. It may function as an opening, closing, or intermediate motif. It appears in great variety: as foot closures, paired ankle strikes, or airborne strikes, often combined with drmeš. Teaching should focus on developing the sensation of closed leg positions, practicing in slow rhythm, then introducing more complex variations, and finally increasing tempo to its authentic speed.
In stamping movements, the previously practiced sense of rhythm and clapping becomes useful. What the hands learn, the feet will learn more easily. Most stamping movements are based on the contra rhythm but are often combined with accented stamps on the main beat. Practice should begin with one foot, continue with the other, then alternate, followed by patterned variations, independent execution, and finally integration with other basic techniques. Girls should also participate in learning stamping movements, as women in the tradition also used this technique.
The dance known as boot-slapping from Lukovišće (udaranje u sare) is essentially a demonstrative men’s dance that partly separated from the circle dance. It has a varied and rich repertoire of figures and incorporates all previously mentioned technical elements (drmeš, ankle strike, stamping), along with a unique sequence of striking and clapping motifs. Teaching should begin with simpler and slower forms. As with all technical elements, correct posture is essential: bending toward the boots should be avoided, as should exaggerated wide movements. This dance is an integral part of the tradition and must stylistically fit into the other dances, especially the kolo from which it originated.
The general form of handhold and spatial formation is the open circle, in which men and women stand alternately next to each other. The men hold each other’s hands behind the women’s backs, while the women place their hands on the men’s shoulders. At both ends of the open circle there is a leader, who occasionally draws the circle into a spiral formation, moving closer to the musicians standing in the center. In the Dráva region circle dance, each dancer follows the path of the dancer in front, tracing the same arc; the circle is never cut or shortened.
Križanje is the dance in which paired dancing becomes dominant: men and women stand facing each other and hold hands either with one hand (usually the right) or with both hands. The free hand is placed on the hip, behind the back, or held down along the body.
Practice of handholds and spatial formations should begin already during simple combinations of motifs. Likewise, the role of the circle leader — the person directing the movement of the dance — should be experienced by several participants, so that everyone understands the structure and flow of the dance.
Dance, of course, is not merely a sequence of learned steps. One must learn how to construct and shape the dance from known motifs. The rules of behavior among dancers and within spatial formations must be understood. Gestures, calls, and songs used during dancing must be learned. The melodies traditionally accompanying the dances must also be known. Finally, the correct way of dressing in folk costume must be mastered. After that, only one thing remains: to go to the place of dancing — whether a village street, a courtyard, or a cultural hall — and there, to good music and in good company, begin to dance. For the joy of others and for one’s own joy.