Hora (dance)
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Hora, also known as horo and oro, is a type of circle dance originating in Aromanian and Romanian communities, especially in Romania and Moldova. It is also found in other South East European countries (such as Bulgaria and North Macedonia) and culturally adopted by ethnic minorities such as the Ashkenazi Jews[1] (Yiddish: האָרע hore) and the Roma.
Etymology
The name, spelled differently in various countries, is derived from the
Also, the words hora and oro are found in many Slavic languages and have the meaning of "round (dance)"; the verb oriti means "to speak, sound, sing" and previously meant "to celebrate".
The
Variants
Romania and Moldova
Horă (plural: hore) is a traditional
The hora is popular during wedding celebrations and festivals, and is an essential part of the social entertainment in rural areas. One of the most famous hore is the "
Horo in Bulgaria
The traditional
: хоро) comes in many shapes. It is not necessary to be in a circle; a curving line of people is also acceptable. The steps used in a horo dance are extremely diverse. The horo may vary between three and seven or eight steps forward and one to five or six steps back, depending on the specific type.Bulgarians believe that each village has their own type of horo. They differ by the rhythm of the music and the steps taken. There are no two horo dances with similar steps. There are probably over one hundred types of horo dances in the
In the past, the horo dance had a social role in Bulgarian society. It was mainly for fun, as a contest of skills, or for show, leading to the development of the variety of horo dances. There are hora for people with little skill that can be learned in five to ten minutes, but there are also very sophisticated dances that cannot be learned unless one is fluent in many of the simpler dances.
Oro in North Macedonia
North Macedonia uses the Cyrillic spelling of oro. The origins of the Bulgarian dialect word oro vary from its use in socializing and celebrating to historical dancing before going into battle. Teshkoto, translated as "The difficult one", is one of those, danced by men only, the music of which reflects the sorrow and mood of war. The oro is danced in a circle, with men and women holding one another by hand. They are used to celebrating occasions such as weddings, christenings, name-days, national and religious holidays, graduations, and birthdays.
Roma horo
The horo is also popular among the
Jewish horah
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Klezmer horah
In
8), and generally leads into a faster and more upbeat duple meter, usually a freylekh or a bulgar. Among Yiddish-speaking Jews, the triple-meter horah has also been called zhok (Romanian joc, 'dance') or krumer tants (Yiddish: 'crooked dance').[1]
Israeli horah
The horah (הורה), which differs somewhat from that of some of the Eastern European countries, is widespread in the
To start the dance, everybody forms a circle, holding hands or interlocking arms behind their backs or on their shoulders,
In the early days, horah was popular mainly in kibbutzim and small communities, often continuing for hours.[8]
The horah became popular in group dances throughout Israel, and at weddings and other celebrations by Jews in Israel, the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The dance appeared in North America in the early 20th century, well before modern Israeli independence, brought directly from Eastern Europe by Jewish immigrants.
At Jewish weddings during the horah it is customary to raise the bride and groom, each on their own chair and holding a handkerchief between them, following Jewish tradition. This is also done at b'nai mitzvah, where the honoree and sometimes his or her family members are also raised on a chair, copying the wedding tradition.
The song "
Other variants
Horon in Turkey
Oro in Montenegro
The oro (Serbian Cyrillic: оро) circle dance should not be confused with the Montenegrin Oro dance of Montenegro and Herzegovina, which is a paired courtship dance. Its name comes from the Serbian оrао, meaning "eagle".
Perinița
Perinița is a traditional Romanian wedding folk dance. The dance is typical in the Muntenia region.[9][10]
See also
- Adana (dance), a Macedonian oro
- An Dro, a Bretoncircle dance
- Attan, a dance performed by Pashtun people in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- Circle dance
- Dabke
- Faroese dance
- Horae
- Khigga, an Assyrian circle dance
- Khorovod, an Eastern European circle dance
- Kochari
- Kolo (dance), Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian circle dance
- Kola (dance)], Belarusian circle dance
- Syrtos
- Tamzara
- Tresenica, a Macedonian oro performed by women
- Yalli
References
- ^ a b Alpert, Michael. "Hora (LKT)". Jewish Music Research Center. National Library of Israel. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "What a long horo dance!". bnr.bg. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
- ^ "χορός". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
- ^ a b "Horah".
- ISSN 1091-2339.
- ^ "Hora Agadati", israelidances.com
- ^ "Shire Zeʼev Ḥavatselet - The songs of Zeev Havatselet"
- ^ Hora history
- ^ ""Perinita" – the Romanian traditional love dance". ImperialTransilvania. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Perinita (L*) – Romanian version of a Pan-European Party/Wedding Dance". Folkdance Footnotes. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2021.