wiwat biskupiański
Music for download - „Wiwat Biskupiański”
Wiwats are the most popular and characteristic folk dances of the Wielkopolska region (the Greater Poland region). They are examples of the oldest forms of folk dance, regarding both music and dance techniques. Wiwats can be danced solo, in couples or in a group. They are among the most lively dances in Poland. The pace can be moderate or fast, depending on the circumstances and the sub-region, the meter is 2/4, 2/8, 3/4 or 3/8 (changes in dance pace occur frequently even in a single piece). Other characteristic features of wiwats are: the connection between the rhythm and the steps and lyrics, the irregular musical structure, random accentuation, the traditional opening of the dance (introduction).
Wiwats are based on simple movement forms including – walking, running, jog-trot, drag, side or rotating steps, the so-called “krokane-steps” (with even transfer of body weight from one leg to the other), and they are danced on flat feet around a common axis. The dancers perform free accents while staying in line with the music. Men sometimes perform hops with an accent, stomping (especially in wiwats with whips), squats or crossing legs while hopping. Quite often the dancers use additional attributes: the woman is holding a white handkerchief in her hand (the so-called wiatka) and the man is holding a glass or a ceremonial whip.
It was with wiwat, that wedding parties, social dancing and communal festivities commenced with. Every now and then it was a formal obligation, e.g. in the Biskupizna region (the southern part of Wielkopolska), where the first to dance was wiwat, next przodek, after that a równy and only then all other dances.
Wiwat from the Biskupizna region is one of many modifications of this type of dance. As the name suggests, it is a dance characteristic for the region Biskupizna (southern part of Wielkopolska). It shows higher pace as compared to variants from the mid- and northern regions of Wielkopolska, where they are played at slightly slower paces and are more diverse.
Wiwats are given various names that derive mainly from the opening words of the accompanying songs, e.g. Wiwat bratu mymu (Wiwat to my brother), Karolinka (Little Caroline), Dzisiej, dzisiej (Today, today) or from a given social situation, e.g. a wedding wiwat, an adoration wiwat, another possibility form village names, e.g. wiwat from Śmigiel, wiwat from Morownica, wiwat from Domachowo or wiwat biskupiański. Frequently, the dance name is derived from the characteristic features of the dance step or choreographic structure, e.g. wiwat w krzyż (wiwat with crossing), wiwat weksel (switch wiwat, that forces partners to change at each change in melody).
