Djamila
Bosnjakinja
Kyiv, Ukraine, was the first Slavic capital in Europe and all Slavs, whether Northern (Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, etc.) or Southern (Bosnian, Croatian, Slovenian, etc.) owe a great deal of their culture to that which was established in Kyiv.
Nothing moreso than the signature Slavic folk dance, the Hopak. Although it has long since faded from the cultural repetoire of most Slavic countries, it remains alive and well in Ukraine and among the Ukrainian diaspora around the world.
It is known as the most difficult dance in the world, closely linked with traditional Slavic martial arts - also exemplified today by Ukraine. What makes the Hopak especially unique is the level of participation it affords women, who traditionally play minor roles in Slavic folk dances.
So, if you've never seen a Hopak, brace yourself...
Nothing moreso than the signature Slavic folk dance, the Hopak. Although it has long since faded from the cultural repetoire of most Slavic countries, it remains alive and well in Ukraine and among the Ukrainian diaspora around the world.
It is known as the most difficult dance in the world, closely linked with traditional Slavic martial arts - also exemplified today by Ukraine. What makes the Hopak especially unique is the level of participation it affords women, who traditionally play minor roles in Slavic folk dances.
So, if you've never seen a Hopak, brace yourself...