Kolo is a traditional Serbian folk dance that has been a strong element of Serbian culture for centuries. It’s performed by dancers who are intertwined to form a chain. They move in a circular pattern while holding hands and extending their arms downward.
The word Kolo is Slavic for a ‘wheel, circle, or circuit’ and has the same meaning in all Slavic languages. As the dance existed long before Christianity was adopted by the Serbs, the Orthodox Serbians retained Kolo as their national dance. During the Ottoman Empire, the circle dance was performed near churches, on war fronts, at weddings, and other special occasions. Therefore, the Serbian community referred to it as a circle dance around the church.
During the 19th century, the circle dance was almost replaced by European dances and in response to the influence of urban culture, village social gatherings underwent changes. Despite these influences, the Kolo dance survived and is still actively practiced today.
In each region, Kolo is performed in different ways. It can be performed in a closed circle, in two parallel lines, or in a single chain. The versions usually feature soloists demonstrating dance skills inside the circle. Circle dancing is usually done by groups of at least three and up to several dozen people. The individual dances follow the same rhythm and require almost no movement above the waist.
Kolo's music is typically fast-paced and even the most experienced dancers have difficulty mastering this dance due to variations in its tempo. With the accompaniment of two-beat music, the dance is performed on old instruments, including flute, bagpipes, a kawala, an old reed instrument, the drum, timpani, and an accordion. A unique feature of the Kolo costume is its shoes, which are called Opanciand. These shoes are made of cured pig skin moulded to fit the foot of the dancer.
In a social context, Kolo plays an influential social function. It’s a symbol of national identity and bears the hallmark of local and regional collective identities. Kolo is displayed during community celebrations and at the most meaningful events in an individuals’ life, which makes it very present and sustainable at all levels.
Organizers and local communities bring the practice into the public eye through local, regional and national fairs, festivals, and competitions, and institutions such as cultural and artistic societies ensure its sustainability.
The most effective way to transmit skills is by having people take part directly in the learning process, which ignites a desire to learn and improve their performance. In addition, knowledge of this dance can be obtained through the regular education system and through ballet and music classes.