A Brief History of National Folk Music and Dance Ensembles
The first national folk ensemble was directed by Igor Moiseyev. It began in the 1930s in the USSR. During this time, the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) had existed for around 10 years. Moiseyev was sponsored by the Soviet government to create dances that depicted essentialized Soviet people. Because of communism, the government had to approve everything before it was published or produced.Under Joseph Stalin, there was strong censorship and all art had to be both national and socialist. Dancers wore traditional costumes to stir nationalistic feelings. They representents peasants from pre-industrial times, when life was simpler and the folklore man (or woman) held the key to natural wisdom. The socialist message embedded in the ensembles was evident in
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