Subjectivity and video-based studies: The intercourse between ROM culture and forms of expressions and resistance by dancing

Our contribution aims to quest about the relationship among the body postures and final scopes of cultures: dance may prove a valid tool to resist to possible cancellation of Rom culture.

For a long time (probably since the well -known paper by Marcel Mauss about the body techniques), anthropologists had thought of human body as an evident tool related to expressions and scopes of any culture. The way of moving, of walking, of dancing, show a proper development for any different culture: dance and music of Rom show then a steadiness which can’t be reduced by external pressure.

Our video-based study follows a method of observing participation (as with Boas).

A first step of our field work was obviously been gaining trust of the Rom community: our basic material has come out from shooting of live events, both from Rom festivals, or form official stages of professional teachers, Roms and non-Roms.

At first, we tried to identify the general techniques up witch Rom dances are shaped. A main topic has appeared to us the non-formalization of the teacher’s figure, also of variability of used techniques.

So, our paper shows the way of a research about capability of Rom culture to face dangers of homologation, although absorbing some degree of contaminations with conterminous cultures, as it also happened with other aspects of the Rom life.

We find proper to refer, at the end of this short summary, the words of a contemporary Rom master: ”I will have you dancing even as I am absent, whenever you have this music: it is nice to dance together, to be together…”