The circle dance is one of the oldest and most basic forms of Croatian folk dance. It can be seen as an expression of community, especially in village life. Throughout a large part of Croatia, right up until World War II, the kolo was the center of village social life. The kolo as a dance became a tool for social gathering, and was often the main venue for young women and men to get to know each other. With many dances, singing jocular verses during the performance served as a way to express feelings or tell a story. By singing, movement, and gestures, one could express what was proscribed in ordinary speech. Many young men and women used this as an excuse for courting and teasing one another. People may have performed a kolo outdoors on special occasions such as harvests, weddings, and religious celebrations to honor a special saint. More recently, the dances have been performed at weddings, concerts, festivals or ethnic celebrations.
Other European dances became popular in certain parts of the country such as the polka in the north and the furlana in Istria, due to the respective German, Austrian, and Italian influences.
Croatian-Austrian folklore group (Sokadija) getting ready to perform
Often considered to be the richest and liveliest of all Croatian dancing, the dancing from Slavonia is composed of difficult steps and lively music. Slavonian and Baranjan dances include:
Like most northern Croatian dances, Posavinakolo is lively with plenty of singing. The Drmeš [hr] dance is one of the most popular types of kolo in Croatia, and can be seen throughout various regions. Posavinan dances include:
Dances from Podravina are stylistically close to Slavonian—lively with plenty of singing—which is typical for north Croatian folk dances. Podravina dances include:
Hrvatsko Zagorje, or Croatian hinterland, is the north-central part of the country, where the capital Zagreb is located. These dances are lively and merry. Hrvatsko Zagorje's dances include:
The Međimurje region forms the northern-est tip of Croatia. This region shares much of its traditional merry and lively dance qualities with other nearby regions. Međimurje's dances include:
The Likan Kolo may use music and instruments, or it may be silent with no instrumental accompaniment or even singing. During the silent dances, the only sounds produced are from feet making contact with the floor and the rhythmic clinking sound of the women's coin necklaces, and, sometimes, the dancers' voices as they sing. Though not often danced these days, these silent dances are well remembered by the older Ličani and are perpetuated by folk dance performing groups. Likan dances include:
Dalmatia has a variety of dances influenced by its history of foreign occupation. One example is the popular dance Linđo from Dubrovnik and southern Dalmatia, which has a distinct Mediterranean influence. On the other hand, the Nijemo Kolo from the Dalmatian hinterland shows evidence of Ottoman-era influences on the region. These dances include:
Dances from Herzegovina are often a cross between Dalmatian Zagora traditions, and Ottoman influences, with much less influence from Bosnia proper. These dances include:
Dances from Vojvodina are most similar to the Slavonian dances in their liveliness and activity. The Bunjevci Croats from the Bačka region are renowned for their beautifully embroidered women's dresses, made from real silk from France, and the rattling sound the dancers' boots make as they dance. In the Banat region, the men have their own competitive dance. These dances include:
Šokačko kolo
Tandračak
Bunjevačko momačko kolo: literally the Bunjevac men's kolo, where one man dances with two women
Croatian kolo from Hungary is mainly concentrated in the southern region near Baranja, while in Romania, it is in the Banat region. Due to Hungarian influence, the Csárdás remains one of the most popular dances among all ethnic groups. These dances include:
On the island of Korčula in the Adriatic, a popular sword dance, the moreška, is still prevalent and performed at festivals and special events.
In the nineteenth century, a new form of ballroom dancing emerged in Croatia. Elements of European ballroom spread throughout the region, and dances such as the polka soon became diffused all throughout Croatia. Croatian ballroom dancing, or salonsko kolo, emerged in the nineteenth century as a result of the aforementioned influences.[1] Due to the Croatian national revival and re-awakening of Croatian culture and national identity, an effort was made to incorporate traditional music and dances into the urban dance revival. Intellectual idealists saw kolo as a quintessential Slavic dance, and chose to adopt it in the urban context.[2] It was at this time that the hrvatsko kolo emerged as a choreographed dance.
Due to the strong Venetian and Italian influence in Istria and parts of Dalmatia, the furlana has become a part of the culture, most especially in Vodnjan. A specific strain of the furlana song is called the Polesana, and is thought to originate from Istria. The name may either have come from the Italian word for "a woman from Pula" or from the Croatian word polesa, meaning "rural."[3]
Burgenland Croats in Austria, influenced by German, Austrian, and Hungarian cultures, have their own dance traditions, influenced by the liveliness of the polka and the csárdás. An example is the Filež dance from Nikitsch, which is light-hearted and cheerful, with dancers often bringing in props like a broom or a bottle to the dance.[4]
^Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research, Vol. 12, No. 2. "Salonsko Kolo: Dance of Nineteenth-Century Croatian Ballrooms", by Zdravko Blažeković p 114
^Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research, Vol. 12, No. 2. "Salonsko Kolo: Dance of Nineteenth-Century Croatian Ballrooms", by Zdravko Blažeković p 115-116
^The Journal of Musicology, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Winter, 1999). "A Venetian Dancing Master Teaches the Forlana: Lambranzi's Balli Teatrali" by Daniel Heartz.
