The khorovod or horovod, or , , is an East Slavic and pagan art form. It is one of the oldest

Russian folk dances Russian folk dance () is an important part of Russian culture. Some of the unique characteristics suggest that many elements were developed by the early Russian population. History Many Russian dances became known from the 10th century. Russia ...

being over 1,000 years old. It is a combination of a

circle dance Circle dance, or chain dance, is a style of social dance done in a circle, semicircle or a curved line to musical accompaniment, such as rhythm instruments and singing, and is a type of dance where anyone can join in without the need of Partne ...

and

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

singing, similar to the

choreia Choreia () is a circle dance accompanied by singing (see Greek chorus, ''choros''), in ancient Greece. Homer refers to this dance in his epic poem, the ''Iliad''. Terms descended from Greek ''choreia'' that are used for circle dances in a number ...

ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

. The dance was also known in Russia as ''karagod'', ''tanok'' and ''krug''.

Etymology

The term ''khorovod'' likely descends from the Greek ''Choreia'' (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: χορεία); Rus' culture was heavily influenced by Greek culture. ''Khorovod'' is related to

( a Greek circle dance),

kolo Kolo may refer to: Places Poland *Koło *Koło, Łódź Voivodeship * Koło, Lublin Voivodeship *Koło, Lubusz Voivodeship Other places *Kamalanka, which was also known as ''Kolo'', an ancient kingdom in present-day Thailand * Kolo, Bosnia and He ...

(a South Slavic circle dance originating in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia),

hora Hora may refer to: Companies * Hora (company), a Romanian manufacturer of stringed musical instruments People, real & mythological * Hora (pl. Horae), figure from Greek mythology * Hora (surname) * Hora, a member of the Japanese duo Schwarz St ...

(

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

), and

kochari Kochari (; ; ; ) is a folk dance originating in the Armenian Highlands. It is performed today by Armenians, while variants are performed by Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, and Pontic Greeks. It is a form of circle dance. Each region in the Armenian H ...

(

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

and Azerbaijani

folk dance A folk dance is a dance that reflects the life of the people of a certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, Ritual, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances ...

Origin and characteristics

The participants of the dance hold the hand or the little finger of their dance partners while dancing in a circle''.'' The circle dance symbolised "moving around the sun" in ancient Russian culture and was a pagan rite symbolizing unity and friendship. The female organizer or leader of the dance was called ''khorovodnitsa''.

Regional differences in Russia

The ''khorovod'' dance has own characteristics in the different regions of Old Russia. In the

northern Russian The northern Russian dialects make up one of the main groups of the Russian dialects. Territory Russian dialects and territorial varieties are divided in two conceptual chronological and geographic categories: Kamusella, Tomasz. (2018). Russian ...

regions, the round dance was known for its gentle and subtle manner, while in the

central Russian The Central or Middle Russian dialects () is one of the main groups of Russian dialects. Of Northern Russian origin, it has nonetheless assumed many Southern Russian features. The official dialect (Standard Russian) originates from a dialect f ...

regions, the dance was more cheerful and lighthearted. Russian folk songs accompanied the dance. The people kicked, clapped and made quick and energetic movements. Dances in

southern Russia Southern Russia or the South of Russia ( rus, Юг России, p=juk rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a Colloquialism, colloquial term for the southernmost geographic portion of European Russia. The term is generally used to refer to the region of Russia's So ...

, with its warm, mild weather, were famous for their rapid, hot-blooded movements and complex patterns, embodying strength, boundless energy and youth.

Notes

References

External links