Paper short abstract:

The Faroese chain dance is recognised as "intangible heritage" of the Faroe Islands, and in recent years, there have been ongoing efforts to ensure that the tradition continues. This paper explores attempts to utilise the dance as a tourist attraction and the effect this has on the dancing community

Paper long abstract:

It has often been said that in order to be appreciate the Faroese chain dance active participation is required. The choreography is simple and the chanting is often perceived as monotonous to outsiders who do not understand the language and are unable to take part in the drama relived by the dancers. Yet for a long time this dance has also served as a way of presenting unique Faroese culture to foreigners, since the dance is known to have been danced on the Islands for many centuries and is found only there in the present form. The representative role of the dance seems to have increased over the last years and during the debates connected to the Faroese implementation of the UNESCO convention on intangible heritage this year it became clear that the dance is being perceived as a national issue to many parties, with quite a potential as part of a "Faroese brand". This presentation will focus on how the dancers are affected by the role of "staging a show" for spectators. Based on a field study, I will examine how dancers balance between trying to connect inside the circle whilst being aware of being observed and recorded by outsiders. I will be focusing on these questions of sustainability and resilience: Is there a shift in interests of those participating in the dance? Do conflicts arise regarding the strategy towards tourism? Are various ways of relating to the dance mutually exclusive or do they merge into something new?