{"id":60564,"date":"2024-11-18T12:45:19","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T09:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taratanci.com\/grafichno-horo\/"},"modified":"2026-11-10T22:43:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T20:43:13","slug":"horo-as-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taratanci.com\/en\/horo-as-art\/","title":{"rendered":"The Horo as Art | A graphic representation of the Bulgarian folk horo dances through steps and symbols"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THE HORO AS ART<\/h1>\n

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A graphic representation of the Bulgarian folk horo through steps and symbols<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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You have probably wondered what time signatures actually mean, along with all those musical terms like even meters, uneven meters and metrorhythm. Now let\u2019s see what lies behind these words and how they can help us learn the dance steps of traditional Bulgarian horos.<\/p>\n

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Rhythm<\/strong><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Rhythm<\/strong> is everywhere in nature, and in music it lies in the organized alternation of note durations. But how do we read it? This is where meter comes in, helping us count. In other words, it shows us how to keep time to the horo.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Bar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A bar (or measure)<\/strong> is a section of a piece of music that begins on a strong beat and ends just before the next strong beat.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=”57742″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Now that we know these terms, let\u2019s see how Taratanci\u2019s new approach visualizes the pulse of our favorite horos. Take as an example the well-known Pravo horo in 2\/4 time \u2013 an even meter made up of two beats of equal duration. In other words, one bar consists of two beats, each with the value of a quarter note. It is counted: \u201cOne, two.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Even time signature<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Here is what our new approach to visualizing traditional horos and their rhythm looks like. In a square grid with a ratio of two rows to four columns, borrowed from the 2\/4 time signature, we arrange a stylized element representing the beats in a row. Each strong or weak beat within a bar is shown in a different color. The color palette is inspired by the traditional dress of the given region, and the horo figures are digitized from prints of the dancers\u2019 actual steps.<\/p>\n

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Once we have digitized the steps from a single round of the horo, the question arises of what the finished figure should look like after it has been danced many times. While collecting dance steps around the country, we learn from conversations in the field with local people, such as Denka from the \u201cSt. St. Cyril and Methodius\u201d Community Center (chitalishte) in the village of Topoli, that most horos are danced in an open circle, in a spiral, in serpentines or in a straight line. In the past, it was mostly only certain ritual horos that were closed into a full circle. We carry this knowledge over into creating the figures and pictures of the horos.<\/p>\n

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Uneven time signature<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Here is what Taratanci\u2019s new visual approach looks like when the time signature is uneven, that is, when the beats within a bar are not equal.<\/p>\n

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The much-loved Daychovo horo<\/strong> is in 9\/8 time signature – one bar consists of four beats with a total value of nine eighth notes. It is counted: \u201cOne, two, three, four,\u201d with the fourth beat.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”57758″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Why are some of the diamond shapes double and others triple?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the uneven 5\/8 time signature of the Paydushko horo<\/strong>. It consists of two beats with a total value of five eighth notes. These two beats are not equal. The first is short<\/em>, equal to two eighth notes, and is shown as a double diamond symbol<\/strong>. The second is long<\/em>, equal to three eighth notes, and is shown as a triple diamond symbol<\/strong>. This shows that the numerator of the time signature reflects the number of notes, that is, the meter, while the denominator shows their note value. To give the melody variety, these eighth notes can be replaced in the composition by notes of equal total value – quarter notes, sixteenth notes and so on. But to dance in rhythm, it is quite enough to feel the pulse, that is, the rhythmic alternation of the beats.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”57760″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Now that you can read the meter and keep time, can you recognize the following time signature on your own using Taratanci\u2019s visualization? Find the answer in the video.<\/p>\n

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