Abstract:

Young people’s participation in dance groups is significant aspect of the contemporary Latvian youth culture. The ethnographic case study carried out in the Riga Traditional Dance Club (hereinafter – RTDC) provides an insight into young people’s engagement in traditional dancing in Latvia. The choice of this group was guided by the objective to highlight differences in young people’s cultural practices. Analysis presented in this paper is a part of a broader H2020 collaborative research project “Cultural Heritage and Identities of Europe’s Future” (CHIEF, agreement no. 770464) on how the grass-root practices, attitudes and concerns that constitute young people’s everyday cultural participation shape their perceptions of cultural heritage and European cultural identity. Several research tools, i.e. observations, semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews, audio and visual data collecting, were used during the field work lasting from June to December 2019. The ethnographic case study carried out in the RTDC allowed obtaining data serving as an input for drawing conclusions on how young people make sense and engage with different aspects of culture and identity. The RTDC focuses on the preservation of Latvian intangible cultural heritage, which represents the cultural traditions and consists of the knowledge, skills, values and behaviour models passed down from generation to generation. In the case of the RTDC, it is the common interest in preserving the tradition of traditional dances and transmitting it to future generations that characterizes the community. Therefore, the club focuses on events aimed at ensuring sustainability of traditional dances as part of the intangible cultural heritage. The RTDC is also involved in exploring, developing, promoting, practising and transferring traditional dances in an informal manner, although the formal RTDC group under the leadership of its manager plays the organizational role. The RTDC is the space which is influencing the formation of young people’s identity and a sense of belonging – social, national, cultural and historical. It is there that some interviewees started building their awareness of cultural heritage, a sense of togetherness and that of belonging to their ethnic roots. Other interviewees, to whom cultural values have already been transmitted in the family and who are aware of cultural heritage, a sense of belonging is further strengthened via the newly acquired knowledge and skills. Thus, in the context of its mission to enhance the public profile and popularity of Latvian traditional dances, the RTDC is a source of cultural belonging, identity and self-confidence for young people. The RTDC serves as an example of good practice, i.e. how a cultural heritage is preserved and passed down to the younger generation in Latvia. Through their engagement in the group, young people improve their communication skills, learn to be more sociable, and dancing contributes to fostering their self-confidence and confidence in general. The involvement of young people in RTDC activities enables them to shape positive identity that will facilitate their future development and productive use of their personal resources.

Keywords:

Youth, cultural participation, intangible cultural heritage, traditional dancing, identity.