The Aesthetics of Control, The Step of the Masses: The Processing of Folk Dances and Its Social Impact in Communist Albania (1945–1990)

By Elona BEQIRAJ

Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the profound transformation of Albanian folk dances during the communist regime (1945–1990), focusing on artistic-aesthetic changes and the social impact of this phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on a qualitative analysis of primary and secondary sources, including archival materials from the Central State Archive (Fonds of the Ministry of Culture and the Ensemble of Folk Songs and Dances, 1957–1990), contemporary press (Zëri i Popullit, Drita, 1976–1980), festival reports (National Festival of Vlora 1971), scholarly works on Albanian folk dance

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Elona Beqiraj has been a soloist dancer at the National Theatre of Opera, Ballet and Folk Ensemble (TKOBAP) since 2003, with a long career on the Albanian and international stage. She has performed important roles in well-known ballets and operas, and has participated in tours and artistic activities in several European countries. Alongside her stage activity, she has been involved in television shows and cultural projects dedicated to the preservation of folkloric heritage. She also holds a degree in choreography and has contributed to education as an assistant lecturer and researcher in the field of ethnology and folklore and music (Sokoli, Kongo, Tole, Koço, Skendi, Logoreci), and journalistic sources on key choreographers and dancers (Elshani, Vox News, Panorama, KultPlus).
Findings: The study reveals that institutionalization severed folk dances from their original ritual and village context, transforming them into a powerful tool of propaganda and socialist identity construction. Thematic changes replaced traditional motifs with praise for the Party, while structural interventions introduced «greeting dances» and standardized steps, creating the so-called «step of the masses.» Choreographers such as Panajot Kanaçi, Agron Aliaj, Gëzim Kaceli, and Besim Jazexhiu managed, under ideological pressure, to preserve authentic movement elements. The National Festival of Vlora (1971) established crucial criteria for dance processing. The 1976 performance marked the culmination of these efforts.
Originality/value: This paper provides a nuanced analysis of the dialectic between creative freedom and ideological obligation in Albanian communistera choreography, highlighting the undeniable contribution of Albanian artists in preserving authentic folk movement while developing a new national stage language. It contributes to the under-researched field of dance studies in Albanian socialist historiography.

Keywords: Folk dance, communism, aesthetics, artistic processing, choreographers, social impact, Ensemble of Folk Songs and Dances, Festival of Vlora 1971