Kolo (dance)

Description

The circle dance is usually performed amongst groups of at least three people and up to several dozen people. Dancers hold each other's hands or each other's waists. They form a circle, a single chain or multiple parallel lines.

Kolo requires almost no movement above the waist. The basic steps are easy to learn. Experienced dancers demonstrate virtuosity by adding different ornamental elements, such as syncopated steps. Each region has at least one unique kolo. It is difficult to master the dance and even most experienced dancers cannot master all of them.

Kolo is performed at weddings, social, cultural, and religious ceremonies. Some dances require both men and women to dance together, others require only the men or only the women.

Music

The music is generally fast-paced. The dance was used by Antonín Dvořák in his Slavonic Dances – the Serbian kolo is the seventh dance from opus 72.

Traditional dance costume

Traditional dance costumes vary from region to region. Bordering regions are mostly more similar to each other.

Various kolos are performed at social ceremonies. Often traditional clothing, which is unique to a region, is worn. The most common kolo is the narodno kolo or drmeš; a standard step followed by accordion music.

Other South Slavic circle dances

Elsewhere in South Slavic countries, there is horo () in Bulgaria and oro () in North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Influence

Hungarian communities were also influenced by the tradition, where a similar dance is known as Kalala in Laslovo.

References

References

1. "Kolo, Traditional Dance in Serbia".
2. "UNESCO - Kolo, traditional folk dance".
3. "Kolo".
4. [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/321451/kolo "kolo"] (2009). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
5. "Slavonic Dance, Op. 72, No. 7 (Antonín Dvořák)".
6. "Ethnic Heritage - National Cotumes".
7. Kalala, Hungarian Lexicon of Ethnography, https://www.arcanum.com/hu/online-kiadvanyok/Lexikonok-magyar-neprajzi-lexikon-71DCC/k-72CDA/kalala-kalalazas-72CFD/