Horon ( Pontic: χορόν, romanized: khorón; Laz: Xoron) is a group of traditional folk dances from the Pontus or Eastern Black Sea Region in Turkey.
Name
Etymology
The term horon derives from Greek choros ( Greek: χορός, romanized: khorós, see chorus), which means "dance." The earliest instance of its usage in a Turkic language is in Codex Cumanicus from 1303. [1]
In the provinces of Ordu and Giresun, the term horan is used instead of horon. [2]
Variants
Over 50 variations of horon have been identified in a single region. [3]
Origin
Horon or horonu is the Turkish equivalent of the serra war dance of the Pontian Greeks, resembling the ancient Greek Pyrrhic armed dance. [4]
Dance
The horon is typically performed by a group of men or women in a line or semicircle. This dance form involves fast shoulder shimmy (Greek: Τρέμουλο, tremoulo), trembling of the entire body, and sudden squats. [5] Horon dances require speed and agility in a dancer. [3]
See also
- Associated category
- Similar dances
- Dabke, Levantine folk dance
- Khigga, Assyrian folk dance
- Tamzara, folk dance from the Armenian Highlands
References
- ^ Nişanyan, Sevan. "horon". NişanyanSözlük. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ Gazimihal, Mahmut R. (1991). Türk halk oyunları kataloğu (in Turkish). Kültür Bakanlığı. p. 152. ISBN 978-975-17-0920-2. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Horon Folk Dance". All about Turkey. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "The Serra (Horon)". PontosWorld. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Top 9 Turkish Culture, Customs and Etiquette". toplist.info. Retrieved 2023-09-22.