INVITATION DANCE

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 9th Year

Issue

Issue No.

2

Date Released

Oct 1955

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1NOTTINGHAM ROYAL
2. 2SHAKE-dOWN
3. 3INVITATION DANCE

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: Yugoslav dancers and musicians entertain Yorkshire miners.
NCB Commentary - Once again foreign visitors are greeted at London;s Victoria Station, but Yorkshire was their destination, Wortley Hall, the Trade Union home outside Sheffield.
A typical English welcome awaited this party of Yugoslav dancers and musicians over here at the invitation of the Yorkshire mineworkers.
Scene of their first oublic appearance was the Yorkshire N. U. M. Gala held in Clifton Park, Rotherham, to the usual panoply of Brass Bands and time-honoured banners.
A large audience of solid Yorkshire folk were impressed by dances certainly new to them. This Wedding Dance comes from the mountains of South Serbia and is performed by a couple representing bride and bridegroom.
The Logovac is a dance for groups of three from the North of Yugoslavia. Now here’s a warrior dance in which two men fight with swords while the drummer makes his own involved pattern to the music. The girl the fight’s about waits her turn on the side lines.
This lively dance for a larger group is from S. E. Serbia, while the bachelors’ dance comes from up near the Hungarian frontier. As you can see, the idea is for the men to show off in front of the girls.
But traditional English pastimes had their place in the gala festivities and gave an opportunity for the Yugoslavs to get to know the Yorkshire folk. They’d take back home with them memories of a friendly get together, while Rotherham people won’t forget in a hurry the verve and spirit of their Yugoslav guests.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 13 August 1955.

Keywords

Mining; Performing arts

Locations

London; Yorkshire; England; Victoria Station

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board