traditional dances    /    nonstylized dances    /    processional dances

służba

nonstylized dances nonstylized dances map

Służba (service) is a ceremonial procession dance, a type of chodzony, closely related to the unveiling ceremony (oczepiny) performed at weddings in Sieradz region. Before the ceremony, dancers “served” the bride; after the oczepiny, they were “liberated from service”. A similar dance, służba przed oczepinami (service before oczepiny) was also performed in Biskupizna region. The ceremony disappeared in the interwar period, and today it forms part of the show Sieradz Wedding which is presented by local folk ensembles.

> Read more

Służba consisted of two dance parts that preceded the oczepiny. The tempo is moderate, metre 2/4 and 3/8. This procession dance used to start and end the oczepiny ceremony, but according to mentions in old sources, it was also performed before the blessing (before going to church) and after returning from church. Two groomsmen (młodziony) and two bridesmaids took part in the procession. The dance started at a signal from the best man who called the young to “serve” the bride. The groomsmen stood in front of the musicians, sang one verse of the accompanying song (przyśpiewka) and started to walk around the room. With their left hands joined, they walked one after another, carrying ceremonial whips from woven straw (haropniki) in their right hands. They moved along a wavy line, most often around the room, and after circling the room once, they were joined by bridesmaids. The first maid would hold the coat of the second groomsman, and a handkerchief held by the other maid. After each circle around the room, they stood in front of the musicians and sang the next verse of the song. While moving around the room with polka step, the groomsmen tried to separate the bridesmaids, and asked the best man and the matron of honour (swaszka) to “give away” the bride. The best man served them vodka three times. After singing all the verses, the groomsmen separated the bridesmaids, formed pairs and danced owijok. They were joined by swaszka with the bride and best man with the groom. In this part of the ceremony, each of them had to dance with the bride, even if just for a while. At the end, the groom would dance with her, and after the end of owijok, he would “give the bride over” to senior women for the oczepiny ceremony.

After oczepiny, the bride no longer needed the “service”, so groomsmen and bridesmaids walked around the room and sang, demanding a release from service: A prosimy stary swaski i druzby, i druzby, Azeby nos uwolnili z ty słuzby, z ty służby. Best man and swaszka would make them wait and send them back to the bride and groom, and they would sing again and ask to be released from service. The couple would send them back to best man and swaszka, who would finally release the young dancers, serving them vodka. Służba was danced only at weddings.

Dekowski, Jan P. Tańce obrzędowe w weselu sieradzkim (in:) Studia i Materiały do Dziejów Ziemi Sieradzkiej, vol. 1, p. 121-130. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Łódzkie, 1962.

Dziurowicz-Kaszuba, Małgorzata. Taniec obrzędowy "służba" i jego miejsce w obrzędowości weselnej. Ed. Bielawski, Ludwik; Dąbrowska, Grażyna. Taniec, rytuał i muzyka. p. 82-83. Warszawa: Polskie Towarzystwo Etnochoreologiczne, 1997.

Wróblewski, Zygmunt. Sieradzkie tańce i zabawy. Łódź: Łódzki Dom Kultury, 1961.