Relationship between ethnic choreography and ethnic and cultural identity in Prussian Lithuania

Dance is one of cultural identity markers reflecting national or ethnic identity. For 700 years Lithuania Minor (Prussian Lithuania) was under German rule, Prussian Lithuanians did not have Lithuanian citizenship until WWI. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1923, Klaipėda region was unified with Lithuania. At the beginning of the 20th century regional identity became an important issue in German lands in Poland (Silesia, Pomerania) and Lithuania (Klaipėda region). Their residents understood the place of regional identity. The main cultural paradigms should be studied seeking to understand ethnic and cultural identity in Prussian Lithuania. Thus, ethnic choreography should be discussed in the historical and cultural context. The paper deals with ethnic choreography in Prussian Lithuania in the 17–20th century, factors that had influence on ethnic and cultural identity, the development of ethnic choreography. Political and economic life in Lithuania Minor was reviewed, the influence of education institutions, the Evangelical Church and assembly on Prussian Lithuanians’ spiritual culture and ethnic dance was discussed in the paper. The works of Erhard Wagner, Arnold Brand, Matas Pretorijus, Theodor Lepner and Kristijonas Donelaitis, who described Prussian Lithuanians’ ethnic dance in the 17th–19th century, were analysed. Ethnic music, songs, dances are the main markers of ethnic identity. The study showed that multi-ethnicity had influence on ethnic dance, dance steps, dance performance of Prussian Lithuanians who had lived in a multicultural environment for many centuries. German culture, farming methods, the Evangelical faith prevailed in Lithuania Minor and had much influence on the character and behaviour of Prussian Lithuanians as well as on their ethnic choreography. Ruslenderiškas, ketiškas, lankeliu, džigeliškas hand holds were likely borrowed from Germans. In the 17th–19th century the old ethnic choreography of Prussian Lithuanians was linked to the Baltic customs and rural traditions. At the end of the 19th-beginning of the 20th century the assembly movement developed in Lithuania Minor, ethnic dances were danced not only in villages but also in cities. They became quieter and more reserved, a peculiar dance style and etiquette, influenced by urban culture, evolved. In the second half of the 20th century the number of Lithuanian-speakers in Prussian Lithuania was declining and ethnic dance disappeared. Changes in the political and economic life, other factors such as a bilingual environment, the education system, the Evangelical Church and assemblies conditioned that not only the Lithuanian language but also ethnic choreography fell out of use in Prussian Lithuania