By Katarina Simikic (15) West Bromwich

So you’re probably wondering who I am and what this feature is on, right? Well, my name is Katarina (Kat for short) and I’m Serbian. I can imagine it’s not really a well known nationality in the UK, but don’t be fooled, there are plenty of Serbs dotted around the country.  Like everybody else we get together, have parties, hang out, do the typical things basically – but with a Serbian twist! Don’t worry though, I’m not here to talk about Serbian’s, I want to spill the beans about Serbian dancing.

Serbian dancing has been around for centuries! It is a very cultural thing which most Serbians do in Serbia, the UK, and also all around the globe, for instance, Canada, Germany and Australia. The top performing groups are lucky enough to travel around the world, making their mark in different countries, performing to crowds of all nationalities. (That is definitely my goal!)

[Folklore Ensemble KOLO performing during the halftime show at the Toronto Raptors game at the Air Canada Centre.] 

So let me break it down for you. For Serbian folk dancing you should ideally have a group of about 15-20 people, but that number varies depending on how many kids want to dance and how good the group is. Another major thing is you need is girls AND BOYS! So come on boys, get your dancing shoes on! Unfortunately, some groups don’t have that luxury (*cough cough* Folklore Group Dinara, the group I am part of, as we only have two boys meaning some poor girls have to dress up as boys). Not to worry though, you can still perform and be an amazing group with just girls; however it just makes some dances harder, or near impossible.

Here’s an example of the traditional costumes we wear, because, we have to look the part you see. Each dance has certain steps to go with the music, and also a certain costume.

[Traditional costume from Serbia]

[Folklore Group Dinara wearing the main costume from the heart of Serbia]

[Folklore Group Dinara in Leicester, with a costume from the east of Serbia] 

[Folklore Group Dinara, Birmingham –the group I dance in]

Now let’s get to the serious part, the dancing!  Check it out for yourselves…

And we also sing a little…

So, that’s just the basics on Serbian dancing. If you’re intrigued by this and want to know more, there’s plenty of info on the net, just google it. I hope I’ve finally put Serbia on the map, and showed you just some of the things we like to do. Peace Out.