Another week and another Rhythm Through Diversity, a fun musical trivia section on Metronome Online, where we explore music and dance through the development of cultural and social etiquette, history, and background of people in diverse communities. The cultures around the world showcase many different dance forms and this week we will explore a dance called Hora, originating in the Balkan region.

‘Hora’ in Romanian, ‘khoros’ in Greek, and ‘oro’ in Slavic languages of the Balkans, all originate from a common meaning of the verb ‘oriti’ meaning ‘to speak, to sing, to celebrate’, and now describe a dance movement in a circle – a form of a round. The origins of the dance may also be connected to a ‘Horon’ dance in nearby Turkish regions.

Today we are listening to a North Macedonian oro, used historically to socialize and to celebrate before going into battle. One of these is called ‘Teshkoto’, which translates into ‘a difficult dance’, where music depicts the mood of war. It is danced in a circle, typically by men, holding hands, and exerting great deal of control and balance. The dance starts slow and builds up the tempo by the end.

Let’s take a look at a traditional rendition of ‘Teshkoto’, accompanied by music played by local wind and percussion instruments.