Koryak songs and dance
As for many other indigenous peoples of the North, songs and dance are a way for the Koryak to communicate with the powers of nature. Imitations of the sounds and movements of certain animals also serve to express joyful emotion. Apart from that, performances of traditional songs and dances during festivals are a means to reaffirm one’s individual and collective identity.
The traditions shown here are those of the Koryak community of Lesnaya, a village on Kamchatka’s north-west coast. They were documented by Erich Kasten and Aleksandra Urkachan in the years 2000–2005. The starting point for this work was their first meeting during the workshop Children of the North – Cultural Exercises in Esso.
The songs and dancing of the coastal Koryaks (Aliutors) living on the north-east coast of Kamchatka in the Karaginski district were recorded in autumn 2002 and during later workshops.