Circle dance

Syrtos (Greek) dance

Circle dance, or chain dance, is a style of social dance done in a circle or a wavy line to background music, which has a beat and singing (sometimes just a beat without singing). It is a type of dance where anyone can join in without the need for a partner.

Unlike line dancing, circle dancers connect with each other made by hand-to-hand, finger-to-finger or hands-on-shoulders, where they follow the leader around the dance floor. From gentle to energetic, the dance can be a fun group experience or part of a meditation.

Background

Being probably the oldest known dance style, it is common to many cultures for celebrating special occasions, religious ceremonies, and for encouraging togetherness. Circle dances are performed to many different styles of music and rhythms. Modern circle dance mixes traditional folk dances, mainly from European or Near Eastern origins, with recently created ones to a variety of music both ancient and modern.

Distribution

Modern circle dancing is found in many cultures, including Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Israeli, Assyrian, Kurdish, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Maltese, and Balkan.

Circle dancing also has a historical importance in Brittany, Catalonia and Ireland to the west of Europe, and also in South America (Peruvian), Tibet, and with Native Americans. It is used, in its more meditating form, in worship in various religious traditions including the Church of England and the Islamic Haḍra Dhikr (or Zikr) dances.

Types

Some famous circle dances include Hora (Balkan), Kolo (Slavic), Sardana (Italy), Syrtos (Greece), An Dro (Breton), Dabke (Levant), Khigga (Assyrian), Kochari (Caucasus, Balkan and Anatolia), Tamzara (Caucasus, Anatolia and Greece).

References

  1. ↑ Gilbert, Cecile (1974). International Folk Dance at a Glance (Second ed.). Burgess. ISBN 978-0808707271.
  2. ↑ "We ended with a circle dance." "A short session of circle dance was one of the activities on offer...""Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ Chivers, C. J. (24 May 2006). "A Whirling Sufi Revival With Unclear Implications". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2020. Three circles of barefoot men, one ring inside another, sway to the cadence of chant. The men stamp in time as they sway, and grunt from the abdomen and throat, filling the room with a primal sound. One voice rises over the rest, singing variants of the names of God.