УДК 793.31:792.02:316.347(477)(045)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59694/ped_sciences.2025.16.170
FROM SICHI TO STAGE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF COSSACK DANCE AND ITS ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF UKRAINIAN FOLK STAGE CHOREOGRAPHY
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BABIAK Yelizaveta Yanoshivna – Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, lecturer at the Department of Art Disciplines of the Municipal Institution of Higher Education «Academy of Culture and Arts» of the Transcarpathian Regional Council.
ORCID іD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0956-3593
SUKHAR Karina Mykhailivna – first-year student of the second (master’s) level of higher education of the Department of Artistic Disciplines, specialty B6 Performing Arts, Art and Humanities of the Municipal Institution of Higher Education «Academy of Culture and Arts» of the Transcarpathian Regional Council.
ORCID іD: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4001-517X
Abstract:
The article attempts to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the historical and cultural evolution of Cossack dance as a unique phenomenon of Ukrainian choreographic art, tracing its development from an authentic and multifunctional component of Zaporozhye Cossack life, which combined military, ritual, social and entertainment elements, to a canonized professional stage form, which became an emblem of Ukrainian national identity, with an emphasis on changing the form-forming, musical and figurative-motor parameters of the dance, as well as on a new reading of its functional purpose within the framework of stage art. Special attention is paid to the freedom of performing interpretation and the improvisational principle of constructing movements of the primary Cossack dance, its connection with vocal and instrumental accompaniment, gradual adaptation to a stage composition with regulated spatial and rhythmic patterns, ensemble coherence and dramaturgical construction, in particular with the inclusion of female roles and choreographic stylization in accordance with the requirements of stage aesthetics. A separate subject of consideration is the complex process of terminological and conceptual changes, in particular the replacement of the term «Cossack» by the concept of «hopak» during the 19th–20th centuries for ideological and artistic reasons, as well as an assessment of the impact of this process on the perception and preservation of authentic Cossack dance traditions. In this context, the contribution of key figures of Ukrainian choreography – Vasyl Verkhovynets, Mykola Sobol, Pavlo Virsky, Valeriy Kovtun, Klara Balog and others – who played a decisive role in the preservation, adaptation and revival of Cossack dance as part of the national stage heritage, while enriching it with regional specificity and theatrical expressiveness, is highlighted. Cossack dance is interpreted not only as a choreographic form, but also as a vivid carrier of cultural memory, embodying historical symbols, ethical values, the spirit of freedom and resilience, which were central to the worldview of the Ukrainian people, as well as as a tool for building cultural identity and transmitting national ideals to future generations. Thus, the transformation of Cossack dance from a traditional folk practice into a sophisticated stage genre appears not only as an aesthetic evolution, but also as a cultural and ideological act that confirmed the viability and ability to adapt Ukrainian dance art in the face of historical challenges.
Keywords: Ukrainian folk stage choreography, Cossack dance, Zaporozhian Sich, «Hopak», stage adaptation, cultural heritage, national identity, authenticity.
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