Title: Music Ritual/Superstition
General Information about Item:
- Customary Folklore: Ritual, Magic Superstition (If you do A then B)
- English
- USA
Informant Data:
- Abhilasha Gokulan is 20 years old and was born in Saskatchewan, Canada. She grew up in Texas and is of Indian heritage. She is classically trained in Bharatnatyam and Odyssey, two types of classical Indian dance. She is a senior at Dartmouth College, studying economics and quantitative social science. She hopes to attend Law school.
Contextual Data:
- Social Context
This ritual occurs before any performance the group has. All members of the team who are dancing in the performance are present. Informant first learned of this ritual her freshman fall before her first performance with the team.
- Cultural Context
Raaz tries to create an inclusive culture and considers itself a second family. This tradition helps the team get closer, and strengthens the familial bond by providing all members with a shared experience.
Item:
Before performances, all members of the team who are dancing in the performance get ready together and while getting ready the team listens to the music for its performance on repeat. Members are warned not to listen to any other music before the show because the team thinks it is bad luck to do so (this is a superstition). While getting ready the members talk, help each other, go over the dance, and get to know each other. This is also a magic superstition because the team believes if anyone listens to music that is not the music for the set, they will have bad luck during the performance.
Informant’s Comments:
Abhilasha believes that having everyone get ready together is another reason why the team is as close as it is and serves as a second family for many of the team members. Listening only to the performance’s mix gets the team focused on the performance and excited for it.
Collector’s Comments:
It seems as though the ritual of getting ready together is another way in which Raaz tries to keep the team close. The superstition that listening to music that is not for the performance brings bad luck is interesting.
Collector’s Name:
Shinar Jain
Compiled/Analyzed by:
Sruthi Pasupuleti
Tags/Keywords:
- Dance
- Team
- Superstition