Typological classifications of Greek dance forms according to the type of choros “sta tria”: A non-parametric and non-linear canonical correlation analysis of 122 Greek folk dances

Dania, Aspasia and Vagenas, George and Tyrovola, Vasiliki (2013) Typological classifications of Greek dance forms according to the type of choros “sta tria”: A non-parametric and non-linear canonical correlation analysis of 122 Greek folk dances. Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 58 (1). pp. 229-254. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

In the study and teaching of folk dance the determination of the syntactical rules that shape the interdependence between the structural elements of dance and music remains a major topic of interscientific interest. Therefore, the aim of the present research was the multivariate categorical analysis of Greek folk dances according to their resemblance in structure and form to the type of a widespread Greek folk dance “choros sta tria.” The multivariate analysis was conducted on the qualitative findings of Tyrovola’s study (1994) which with the use of the structural-morphological method for the analysis of dance: a) documented the structural type of “choros sta tria,” b) showed its homogeneity with 132 Greek folk dances and c) proposed four taxonomic categories of dance form for their classification. 122 dances of Tyrovola’s research were used in the present study and were categorized according to two independent variables (factors): a) category of dance form (identical, heteromorphic, varied, and remodeled-related dance forms), and b) geographic area (terrestrial and insular areas of the country). Nine distinct and variant properties of the dance form of “choros sta tria” were used as dependent variables: music meter, tempo, dynamics, dance handhold, dance formation, number and kind of kinetic elements of the 2nd part of the semifinal and final kinetic dance motifs, model of dance form. The correlational structure of the nine dance properties and the two factors were tested by a series of chi square (χ²) analyses (nonparametric univariate approach) and non-linear canonical correlation analyses (multivariate approach). The results of these analyses indicated that there is a significant difference between the terrestrial and insular distribution of Greek dances across the four levels of dance form. The geographical differentiation of the dances in terrestrial or insular was mainly based on the properties of metro, tempo, dynamics, and dance formation, while the morphological differentiation in identical, heteromorphic, varied, remodeled-related dance forms was based on the interaction between the elements of their rhythmical organization and the variations of their basic structural type. The application of these statistical methods of analysis in the study of structure and style of Greek folk dances proved to be very efficient in unveiling critical aspects of their multivariate domain. The morphological method of dance analysis combined with statistical methods may enhance research in this area, enriching thus already documented findings regarding the substantial dimensions of this multifactorial phenomenon.

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