Alex Marković holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He spent 17 months conducting ethnographic field work on Romani ethnic identity and musical performance in Vranje, Serbia, for his doctoral dissertation. His general research interests involve music, dance, and ritual in the Balkans, ethnic identity and nationalism, the anthropology of performance, and ethnomusicology. Currently, Alex is co-instructor and performer with the Greek dance group “Ellas,” and a guest instructor with the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society of Chicago. He also offers public dance workshops and presentations on his research in dance and anthropology. He recently contributed a fascinating article to EEFC’s Forum Folkloristika: “Beat That Drum! Exploring the Politics and Performance among Roma Brass Musicians in Vranje, Serbia.”

In this episode you will learn about:

- What the Balkan region is

- Historical connections between the Ottoman Empire and Balkans

- Cultural practices vs national borders

- Dances of the Black sea

- The role of Romani culture in the Balkan region

Show Notes to this episode:

Check My Inner Dancer, online store for belly dancers: www.myinnerdancer.com.

Find Alex Marković on Facebook, or via email [email protected]. Also, check videos kindly provided by Alex Marković to compliment this interview HERE.

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Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast