Текст для розвитку навичок читання з теми «Ukraine» Hopak – the national dance of Ukraine

Текст для розвитку навичок читання з теми «Ukraine»

Hopak – the national dance of Ukraine

Objectives: to develop students’ reading skills;

                   to enrich students’ vocabulary on topics;

                   to broaden students’ outlook about our native land;

                   to enrich students’ knowledge about Ukraine;

                   to cultivate love to our culture, history, traditions.

Text

Hopak – the national dance of Ukraine

Hopak , also referred to as  Cossack dance, is a Ukrainian dance. It is .performed most often as a solitary concert dance by amateur and professional Ukrainian dance ensembles, as well as other performers of folk dances. The Hopak is often popularly referred to as the "National Dance of Ukraine".

The name hopak is derived from the verb hopaty which means "to jump," as well as the corresponding exclamation hop! (Ukrainian: гоп) which can be uttered during a jump as an expression of surprise or amazement.

1…………………………………………

These celebratory hopaky were performed only by male participants, as they took place in an all-male environment. The performers were young, boisterous mercenaries, and not professional dancers. The dance steps performed by men reflect the performers' sense of manliness, heroism, speed and strength. The steps exhibited included many acrobatic jumps. Often fights from the battlefield were re-enacted in pantomime, with real swords, lances or other weaponry. These dances were not tied down to specific rhythms, and the dancers could change tempo at any point.

With the elevation of Cossak status in the region, hopaky began to appear in the villages within their domain. 2……………………………………………………… While the lead role was retained by male performers, structural elements began to be added in, such as circle forms and pairs moving together in formation. These developments most likely were derived from the choreographic history of ritual dances in the area.

The modern-day Hopak is a choreographed dance made to appear full of improvisation. 3………………………………………………………………………………. These include jumps and spins, and are usually the highlight of the performance.

The rest of the dance includes many movements performed in unison, especially by the female dancers. Male dancers are expected to squat repeatedly.

Because of the speed and energy required to perform a successful Hopak, this dance is usually performed at the end of a programme. As in many Ukrainian dances, the dancers, especially the women, do not stop moving until the end of the dance.

Task: Read the text and match the sentences (A- C) to the gaps (1-3).

A - Unlike the all-male dances found in the Sich, these dances were mixed, with young boys and girls dancing celebratory movements together.

B- Much of the seemingly improvised parts involve solo dancers, usually male, performing visually and technically amazing acrobatic feats.

C- The Hopak developed initially as a Cossak social dance, and was practiced in the lands of present-day Ukraine beginning in the 16th century.

Keys: 1-C; 2-A; 3-B.