Oro (eagle dance)

Oro being performed at a tribal gathering in the Morača region, 1965

Oro, also known as Proleta or Montenegrin Oro (Serbian: Црногорско Оро/Crnogorsko Oro), is a type of imitative folk dance originating in the Dinaric region of the Western Balkans.

According to the Geographical Journal:[1]

In the third variety of dance, locally called the oro, or eagle dance, two men or a man and a woman inside a ring of singers jump into the air, waving their arms and uttering shrill cries, supposed to resemble the eagle's shriek.

Etymology

The name 'Oro' derives from the dialectal form of the Serbian word 'Orao', meaning 'Eagle', referring to how the dance is performed to resemble the movements of an eagle.[2] In Herzegovina the dance is known as 'Proleta', which in Serbian means 'Flight', also referencing the style of dance. The symbolism of the eagle is likely to originate from the medieval Serbian Empire, who's crest was a double-headed eagle, and from Eastern Orthodox imagery, in which an eagle plays a central role.

Mating Dance

The dance is traditionally performed by a man and a woman as an act of courtship[3], the man aims to impress and woo the woman through a dominant display of a powerful eagle, while the woman attempts to emulate the dignity and grace of an eagle in flight.[4]

Popularity

The Oro is typically danced at the weddings and celebrations of the Serbian Orthodox population in Montenegro and Herzegovina [5]. It is also included into stylized folklore choreography and performed at competitions worldwide by folk dance groups from Montenegro and Serbia.

Video

References

  1. ↑ "Montenegro and its Borderlands". The Geographical Journal. 4 (2–6): 389. 1894.
  2. ↑ "Montenegro and its Borderlands". The Geographical Journal. 4 (2–6): 389. 1894.
  3. ↑ "Customs as Dramatic Spectacles in Yugoslavia". The Folklorist. 7 (1): 13. 1961.
  4. ↑ Milich, Zorka (1995). A Stranger's Supper: An Oral History of Centenarian Women in Montenegro. Twayne Publishers. p. 37.
  5. ↑ "Montenegro". The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. 18 (1): 769. 1911.

Template:Serbian dances

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.