Serbian dances
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Serbian dance is an old tradition and a strong element in the Serbian culture. The traditional dances are of social function, bringing the community and families together at various important days such as weddings, Christmas or Easter.
The dances can be part of performance art (theatre, i.e. part of historical events) and social life.
Serbian dances are often performed in Serbian diaspora communitites, and among international folk dance groups.
Contents |
History [edit]
Kosovo [edit]
Prizren [edit]
During the time of Ottoman Turkish rule of the Serbian lands, Serbs danced most often among the family, at social gatherings of feast days in the evening. They danced to vocal accompaniments, including the wedding kolos (oros). The instrumental music for indoor entertainment was used by the close of the 19th century. In connection with social gatherings among the Serbs around the churches and monasteries called Sabori during the Slava and Hram (Patron of the monastery) there was a belief that everyone must dance (to instrumental accompaniments) in order to gain and secure good health. In upper Prizren the Sabor was held on November 21 by the ruins of the monastery of the Holy archangel founded by the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan the Mighty in the 14th century. There was also a great social gathering at the Kaljaja fortress.[1]
Regions [edit]
Nišava [edit]
The Lilke, Šestorka and Rumena are danced at village festivals (feast days), such as on Trifundan (St. Tryphon[disambiguation needed]'s day, Slava).
Kosovo [edit]
The dances hailing from Kosovo and Metohija are regarded the most beautiful and graceful of Serbian dances, these dances of rich aesthetics have been preserved for centuries.
Gnjilane [edit]
The wedding dances of Gnjilane begin with the mother-in-law performing the welcoming dance: She holds a bread (symbolizing fertility) and a decorated sieve (symbolizing wealth) and dances in the expression of love for the newly wed. It is continued by the young women's guest dance, then the bride's wedding song, the men's dance and ends in the culminating Gnjilane chochek.
Styles [edit]
Kolo [edit]
Kolo (Serbian Cyrillic: Коло) is the traditional collective folk dance, where a group of people (usually several dozen, at the very least three) holding each other by the hands or around the waist, dance, ideally in a circle, hence the name. There is almost no movement above the waist. Each region has at least one unique kolo; it is difficult to master and even most experienced dancers cannot master all of them.
The dance is accompanied by instrumental two-beat music with the same name, made most often with an accordion, but also with other instruments: frula (traditional kind of a recorder), tamburica, šargija, zurla, gajde, tapan, or harmonica.
Varieties [edit]
- Kraljevo kolo
- Neven kolo
- Veliko Bačko kolo
- Moravac kolo
- Užičko kolo
- Žikino kolo
- Čačak kolo
- Timočko kolo
- Ličko kolo
- Polomka
- Leskovacka cetvorka
- Vrbicanka[disambiguation needed]
- Vlaske igre / Vlasko
- Biserka/Bojarka
- Bela rada
- Ajde Jano
- Ersko kolo
- Fatise kolo
- Godecki čačak
- Makazice
- Malo Vlasko kolo
- Monastery Dance
- Pinosavkara
- Pljeskavac
- Raca
- Sestorka
- Setnja
- Srpkinja
- Srbijanka
- Streljanje
- Cicino kolo
- Deltic kolo
- Gnjilanski čačak
- Hajducko kolo
- Jelo Jelena
- Juta
- Kokonjeste
- Kolubarski vez
- Kolumbarka
- Kolo kneza mihajla
- Kopačka
- Krajinska Setnja
- Medeno kolo
- Niška Banja/Duj duj
- Opsa
- Preplet
- Retko kolo
- Ripna maca
- Rokoko kolo
- Ropota
- Rumenka
- Seta
- Stara sapcanka
- Studenica
- Sumadijsko kolo
- Tankosava
- Uzicka Carlama
- Vlajna
- Vranjanka/Sano Duso
- Devojka se u drenovcu kupa
- Seto' sam se
- Kolo srpskih sestara
- Neda grivne
- Bojerka
- Inzinjersko kolo
- Devojacko kolo
- Mesarsko kolo Kasapsko oro
- Brankovo kolo
- Maturantsko kolo
- Djačko kolo
Čoček [edit]
The čoček is a dance that emerged in the Balkans in early 19th century. It is danced in Bulgaria and Macedonia as well.
- Vranjski Čoček
- Sa-Sa
Hora/Oro [edit]
Traditional dance for all ethnic groups of Rumelia, with hundreds of varieties.
- Hasaposerviko/Kasapsko Oro, a traditional Serb-Greek variety of hasapiko.
Gallery [edit]
-
Serbian Dance group from Sombor dancing Kolo in East Serbian folk attire
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Serbian Kolo from Kozara
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Serbian Dance group SCA Opleanc from Toronto, Canada dancing Kolo in Central Serbian (Sumadija) folk attire
References [edit]
- ^ Serbian Folk Dance Tradition in Prizren Ethnomusicology, Vol. 6, No. 2 (May, 1962)
