The Hora Dance History
The hora is a folk dance traditionally danced at Jewish weddings to the tune "Hava Nagila." It originated in Romania and became popular in the early 20th century when early Jewish settlers brought it to Palestine.
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Hora Origins
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The name of the dance is derived from the ancient Greek "khoros." Circular dances, similar in style to the hora, exist all over the Balkan region, where they are variously called hora in Romania and Turkey, horo in Bulgaria and oro in Macedonia and Montenegro.
History
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In 1924, Romanian Jewish dancer Baruch Agadati choreographed a hora that formed part of a show performed by the Ohel Theater Company that toured pioneer settlements in the Valley of Jezreel. The dancers form a circle, holding hands, moving counterclockwise following a six beat step in a walk-walk-step-kick-step-kick pattern. According to Yiddish Dance this became known as the Israeli hora with the founding of the state of Israel in 1946.
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Function
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As the popularity of the hora grew, more songs were composed to accompany the dance. The pioneers adopted the hora as a symbol of their ability to experience joy despite the austerity of their life. It soon spread to Jewish communities outside Israel and is danced to celebrate happy occasions.
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