Dancing Musicians - An investigation of the effect of music knowledge on the ability of dance performance – a case study of the Palatka Band

Abstract

Dancers and musicians are indispensable actors in the dance life in the local communities of Transilvania. Dancers are going to be uninterested in dancing, and dance events are not part of the present life. In contrary, musicians are active not only in the region but abroad as well. This dissertation examines how the musicians deal with the dynamic process of the change in dance heritage and how is their musical knowledge influencing their dance knowledge and performance. The focus of the dissertation is on the Palatka Musical band in Mezőség region, Transilvania, Romania and considers personal fieldwork materials (interviews, video recordings) as well as materials collected from private and public archives. This research paper concludes with a discussion about the direct and indirect impact of musical knowledge on the individuals dance practice.