What are ICTMD Talks?

ICTMD Talks are a series of courses on six different musical traditions and the culture from which they emerge. Each of the six sessions will be dedicated to a different musical style, repertoire and related area, presented by specialists from the world of music, academia or enthusiasts of the musical style in question. We will present a diversity of perspectives to discuss these musical traditions, highlighting the context of performance, the conditions of the musical tradition’s existence and the events that have marked its history. In a friendly atmosphere, seated in the foyer of the Espace Buen Vivir, participants will be able to exchange ideas after the specialist’s presentation.

Traditional dances in Wallonia

In Wallonia, while we have access to a certain number of musical notations from old dance repertoires, we sorely lack sources about the practices, forms, and social dynamics surrounding these traditions—or it might be time to question them. The truth is, folklorists often took an interest in them too late, when the practice was no longer alive or had become anecdotal; in many cases, it only survived as memories in the minds of elders. What can we do today with the documented information, as well as that which we know—or suspect—has been recreated? What meaning and place do these ancient dances hold in today’s world? These are the chronicles of a budding research, renewed with every step of the dance.

Aurélie Giet is a dancer, anthropologist, musician and clown who specializes in “traditional Walloon dances,” which she teaches both in Belgium and abroad. Inspired by her many experiences with other European dance traditions, she delves into questions about the sources, knowledge, and dynamics of how orally transmitted dances in Wallonia are preserved and reappropriated. The conference will be held in French.

In collaboration with ICTMD Belgium