History of Serbian Dance

Traditional dances are still an important part of Serbian culture

Dancing is an important part of Serbian culture. Traditional dances often take place during religious ceremonies, Christmas and Easter. Serbia's most famous folk dances are performed in a circle.

Types

Kolo is the most popular Serbian folk dance. Different varieties are performed in different regions of the country. The musical accompaniment consists of accordion, harmonica, flute, violin, double bass and brass instruments. It is usually performed at weddings, and other religious or social and festivals. A version of kolo called Leskovacka Cetvorka is almost solely performed in the village of Bucumet. Čačak is another type of dance that originates in Eastern Serbia. It is performed by three to six dancers to fast, 2/4 metered music.

Time Frame

Early forms of kolo are said to date back to ancient times BC, as clay pots from this era have been found carrying depictions of dancers. Though popular in Serbia today, it has been performed throughout eastern Europe, as well as Israel and Greece, for many centuries. Čačak emerged in the early 19th century.

Identification

Male and female kolo dancers wear embroidered velvet vests; the women wear long white dresses with aprons tied around the waist while men wear caps, loose shirts, and trousers that balloon around the thighs but tighten at the knees. Shoes are made out of cured pig skin, and they are molded to perfectly fit the dancer's foot. Čačak performers usually wear a loosely tied belt to be grasped by fellow dancers.

Features

In kolo, several dozen dancers hold hands and stand in a circle. There is hardly any movement above the waist, and dancers take three steps forwards and one step backwards. Soloists dance in the middle. This dance requires great skill and the different types vary so much that even experienced dancers cannot master them all. Čačak dancers also dance in a circle, and they grab hold of the belt of the person nearest to them in line. Men perform energetic, fiery steps while the women's movements are more gentle. Leskovacka Cetvorka differs from the other two in that men and women dance separately. Men grab each other by the shoulders and make big sweeping movements, while women make little steps and move their hips

Considerations

Being an instrumental form of dance music, kolo has been losing popularity in favor of folk singing. However, in rural parts of Serbia, it is still a very important aspect of social entertainment.

References

• Dance and Dance: Dance Styles of Serbia
• Folk Dance: Cacak
• Serboplov: Serbian Music Time Machine
• Absolute Astronomy: Kolo