COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VERNACULAR JEWISH AND UKRAINIAN DANCE CULTURES IN GALICIA

Abstract

This article explores the Yiddish vernacular dance tradition as a significant component of the intercultural dynamics of Galicia – a region historically marked by the coexistence of Jewish, Ukrainian, Polish, and other ethno-religious communities. The study focuses on dance as an embodiment of cultural memory, a means of symbolic community representation, a vehicle of embodied knowledge, and a medium of interethnic communication. Vernacular Jewish dance culture is considered not merely as part of festive or ritual practices, but as a complex form of social expression shaped through interaction with the surrounding multiethnic environment. Methodologically, the research adopts an interdisciplinary approach that integrates historical and cultural analysis, ethnographic fieldwork, folkloric sources, and contemporary theories of рмаthe body, embodiment, and collective memory. The concept of dance as an embodied archive is employed to trace how movement and rhythm activate perceptions of identity, belonging, and difference, and how they preserve and transmit experiences of trauma, joy, resistance, and adaptation. Particular attention is given to the forms of interaction between Jewish and Ukrainian dance traditions. Ritual and structural similarities of wedding, festive, and ceremonial dances are analyzed, which testify to cultural mutual permeability and a shared field of bodily interaction. Dance practices are considered dialogical, flexible, and capable of adaptation and transformation in multicultural settings. The significant role of klezmer music is outlined as an acoustic space that unites dance improvisation, social interaction, and bodily expression. In the context of Hasidic mysticism, dance is interpreted as a form of sacred experience in which corporeality becomes a means of spiritual elevation. The functioning of Jewish social dance is analyzed as a means of constructing collective identity both within the community and in contact with other ethnic groups. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersections between folklore traditions, positioning dance as a key marker of cultural exchange and a medium of interethnic dialogue. The findings underscore the significant contribution of Jewish dance culture to the formation of Galicia’s multilayered cultural landscape and broaden the scholarly perspective on embodied practices as a vital resource of regional cultural heritage