| This work is an ethnographic study of children's folkloric ensembles in the Republic of Moldova. I consider folkloric performance as one arena in which national identity is created and transmitted. Moldova gained independence in 1991, and the new state has been developing new modes (while keeping many Soviet structures and terminology) to address the political, social, and cultural rights of the country's ethnic minorities. I look at how ensemble directors, folklorists, ethnographers, and other specialists are currently addressing Moldova's multi-ethnicity as they create repertoires for folkloric ensembles. In particular, I consider the ethnic inclusiveness of the criteria used to identify "authentic" traditions, ensembles, and performances. Importantly, local specialists consider the most "authentic" ensembles to be those that collect and perform traditions from one or a few villages, and perform them with minimal stylization. Because specialists are most interested in representing villages, not ethnic groups, as the source of national culture, I argue that ensemble directors are ostensibly open to including traditions from all of Moldova's ethnic groups into national folklore. At the same time, I examine the subtle ways in which the same criteria for authenticity work to exclude ethnic minorities from equal representation and participation in a series of folkloric festivals and competitions. Since folkloric activities in Moldova create images of national culture that are both inclusive and exclusive of ethnic diversity, I argue for a more complex understanding of the national identity that will emerge as Moldova continues to develop as an independent state. |
