Paper Short Abstract:

In this paper, I will provide an overview of the Latvian folk dance data, highlighting both the datasets available in Latvia and the less-known exile materials. This will shine a light on the data that is scattered across different parts of the world, often less organized, and potentially more difficult to access than locally held data.

Paper Abstract:

Latvian folk dance, which includes both folk dance and stage folk dance, is well documented in Latvia. Historical data collected before and during the Soviet occupation is available in the Archives of Latvian Folklore, as well as in the collections of other institutions, while contemporary data is available in the resources of the Latvian National Centre for Culture, etc. As a result of the Soviet occupation, many Latvians went into exile and settled in various diasporas, mostly in the USA, Canada, Western Europe and Australia, where they continued to develop Latvian culture, which existed alongside Soviet culture. In exile, dance groups not only preserved the dances they remembered from Latvia but also created new ones. Today, there are still strong dance groups in the diaspora that maintain these traditions. But where and how are the dances danced in exile documented? How and whether the folk dance environment in exile has been documented? What happens to this data? Since little has been said about the phenomenon of folk dance in exile, it would be important to focus on this milieu as well, in order to uncover another important data array to use for further research.

In this paper, I will provide an overview of the Latvian folk dance data, highlighting both the datasets available in Latvia and the less-known exile materials. This will shine a light on the data that is scattered across different parts of the world, often less organized, and potentially more difficult to access than locally held data.