Dance of Osman Taka
The dance of Osman Taka ( Albanian Vallja çame e Osman Takës or Vallja Osman Taka for short ) is a traditional dance of the Çamen , the Albanians from Epirus , which has become known and loved throughout Albania . The dance is named after Osman Taka , an Albanian Çamen leader who fought against the Ottomans.
history
The dance may be much older, but its tangible history begins in the 19th century with Osman Taka. Although he was born into an influential and affluent family in the small town of Konispol , little is known about his early life. In 1848 he started an armed uprising against the Ottoman Empire and became a champion of the Albanian resistance against the Ottomans ( see also: Rilindja ). After the formation of the League of Prizren , Taka, who was also known as a dancer at the time, was appointed head of the local branch of the League in Preveza . In 1886, however, the Ottomans suppressed the Albanian independence efforts of the Çamen in Preveza and arrested Osman Taka, among others.
Accused of treason, Taka was imprisoned and subsequently sentenced to death. When he was asked what his last wish was, he wanted to dance. It is popularly said that his dance was so impressive that the local gendarmes of the Ottoman army did not execute him but released him. A few days later, however, he was captured again and killed in Konispol .
dance
The dance begins as a row dance, in which the dancers always hold each other's hands. There is a leading dancer who initially leads the performance with skilful steps and makes artistic turns and jumps. The highlight is the bridge formed by the leading dancer, where he falls on his knees, arches his back and stretches his chest upwards. The other dancers then step on and dance on the lead dancer's stomach, one at a time, bending their legs and alternately bringing them up to their outstretched arms. Here you hold hands constantly so that the dancer who is performing the choreography can support himself with the other dancers in line; a strong hand for support is very important because of the weight shift. This also illustrates the strength that the central lead dancer has to muster in order to form the bridge formed with his body on which the other dancers step.
distribution
The dance is known primarily as Osman Taka in both Albania and Greece .
In Albania, after their expulsion from the Greek part of Epirus in 1945 , the cultivation of the Çamen's folk culture mainly takes place in cultural ensembles. There dance is an important part of çami's music. Numerous songs from the Albanian south such as " Hajde more Osman Taka " or " Osman Taka o lule " are dedicated to the person Osman Taka , which often serve as musical accompaniment to the dance.
With the Greeks it is called Osmantákas ( Οσμαντάκας ) or Samantaka and can be found in the Epirotic folk culture. The Greek dances Arvanitiko and Tsamiko , whose names also show the Albanian influence, are very similar .
It is also assumed that this dance was a dance of the Soulioten .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Nigel Allenby Jaffé: Folk Dance of Europe . Folk Dance Enterprises, Kirkby Malham 1990, ISBN 0-946247-14-5 .
- ↑ a b c Namik Selmani: Vallja e Osman Takës. Tirana Observer, September 15, 2014, accessed May 18, 2016 (Albanian).
- ^ Eugen Shehu: Osman Taka i Çamërisë. (No longer available online.) Gazeta 55, June 27, 2014, archived from the original on May 18, 2016 ; Retrieved May 18, 2016 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Skënder Anamali, Kristaq Prifti: Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime . Botimet Toena, Tirana 2002, ISBN 99927-1-622-3 .
