Bulgarian horo
The horo is Bulgaria's traditional chain dance, danced in an open or closed circle or in a straight or curved line, with dancers linked by belt or hand holds and a leader guiding the group. Until recently it was danced every Sunday in the village square, and also at weddings, holidays and seasonal rituals. Each Bulgarian region, even neighbouring villages, has its own horo steps.
Bulgarian music often uses uneven metres counted as quick and slow beats. Basic horos include the pravo (2/4), the limping pajduško (5/16), the povrăteno (9/8) and the rachenitsa (7/16), a handkerchief dance described as probably the most widespread in Bulgaria. The tradition is kept alive by village groups, dance schools and the state folk ensemble named after Philip Kutev, set up in 1950.
Sources
- Folk Dances of Bulgaria (Yves Moreau, 1973)
- The beauty of Bulgaria's folk dances (Bulgarian National Radio)
- Philip Koutev National Folklore Ensemble is established (BTA)
- Bulgarian folk dance (Wikipedia)
Organisations connected with this dance
- Национален фолклорен ансамбъл «Филип Кутев» (Philip Kutev National Folk Ensemble)
- Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IEFEM-BAS)
Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.