Volkspele
Encyclopedia
Volkspele is a South African folk
dance tradition.
Directly translated, Volkspele means "folk games" and can be translated to folk dance. Folk dance was the brain child of South African, Dr. SH Pellisier who was visiting Sweden
in 1912 with a friend to become more proficient in carpentry. After finishing their day's work they met with other young people in their respective country's national dress to practice their folk singing and dancing. The South Africans were the only one's left out as they did not have any traditional dances.
Back in South Africa
, Pellisier translated four Swedish dances and taught them to pupils at the Afrikaans
High School in Boshof where he was Deputy Headmaster. During a Sunday School picnic on the farm Vuisfontein near Boshof on 22 February 1914 they performed the dances for the first time. The picnic games became known as volkspele.
With the help of the Reddingsdaadbond, an organisation which was established to assist poor Afrikaners after the Anglo Boer War, groups called laers were established throughout the country.
Get togethers called saamtrekke are usually organised where all the laers get together to sing and do folk dance. The folk dancers also do displays and have courses on different levels, seniors - people out of school and juniors - learners in school, for either a weekend or longer. During the June school holidays there also courses for gr.5 - gr.7 pupils known as the Judith Pellissierweek (Named after the wife of Dr Pellissier), gr. 8-9 pupils known as the Vormings (Formative) week and for gr. 10- 12 pupils, known as The Pellisierweek. There are from time to time tours being organised going abroad or a folk dance group or two will tour with South African folk dancers in South Africa, doing displays at various towns. At these saamtrekke, displays, tours and courses the dress are as in the photos below, called volkspeledrag.
Tours has been conducted to Europe
, Nabia
, The United States
and Turkey
, with groups from Italy
, Germany
, Belgium
and others touring in South Africa.
The dress originated from the formal dress the pioneers or Voortrekkers
worn. It is called national dress, as in the European countries, for all folk dancers in South Africa must use the same pattern, only the colours are different. And each laer has their own colours for the ladies' dresses as well as for the mens' waistcoats - indigenous veld flowers are also embroidered on them.
Folk
The English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun, *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
dance tradition.
Directly translated, Volkspele means "folk games" and can be translated to folk dance. Folk dance was the brain child of South African, Dr. SH Pellisier who was visiting Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1912 with a friend to become more proficient in carpentry. After finishing their day's work they met with other young people in their respective country's national dress to practice their folk singing and dancing. The South Africans were the only one's left out as they did not have any traditional dances.
Back in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Pellisier translated four Swedish dances and taught them to pupils at the Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
High School in Boshof where he was Deputy Headmaster. During a Sunday School picnic on the farm Vuisfontein near Boshof on 22 February 1914 they performed the dances for the first time. The picnic games became known as volkspele.
With the help of the Reddingsdaadbond, an organisation which was established to assist poor Afrikaners after the Anglo Boer War, groups called laers were established throughout the country.
Get togethers called saamtrekke are usually organised where all the laers get together to sing and do folk dance. The folk dancers also do displays and have courses on different levels, seniors - people out of school and juniors - learners in school, for either a weekend or longer. During the June school holidays there also courses for gr.5 - gr.7 pupils known as the Judith Pellissierweek (Named after the wife of Dr Pellissier), gr. 8-9 pupils known as the Vormings (Formative) week and for gr. 10- 12 pupils, known as The Pellisierweek. There are from time to time tours being organised going abroad or a folk dance group or two will tour with South African folk dancers in South Africa, doing displays at various towns. At these saamtrekke, displays, tours and courses the dress are as in the photos below, called volkspeledrag.
Tours has been conducted to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Nabia
Nabia
Nabia was the goddess of rivers and water in Gallaecian and Lusitanian mythology, in the territory of modern Galicia and Portugal.The present-day Navia River and Avia_ in Galicia, was named in honor of the deity...
, The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, with groups from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and others touring in South Africa.
The dress originated from the formal dress the pioneers or Voortrekkers
Voortrekkers
The Voortrekkers were emigrants during the 1830s and 1840s who left the Cape Colony moving into the interior of what is now South Africa...
worn. It is called national dress, as in the European countries, for all folk dancers in South Africa must use the same pattern, only the colours are different. And each laer has their own colours for the ladies' dresses as well as for the mens' waistcoats - indigenous veld flowers are also embroidered on them.
Images
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