Horon ( Pontic: χορόν, romanized: khorón; Laz: oxoronu ) is a group of traditional folk dances from the Eastern Black Sea Region in Turkey.
The term horon derives from Greek choros ( Greek: χορός, romanized: khorós, see chorus), which means "dance." The earliest instance of its usage in a Turkic language is in Codex Cumanicus from 1303. [1]
In the provinces of Ordu and Giresun, the term horan is used instead of horon. [2]
Over 50 variations of horon have been identified in a single region. [3]
Horon or horonu is the Turkish equivalent of the serra war dance of the Pontian Greeks, resembling the ancient Greek Pyrrhic armed dance. [4]
The horon is typically performed by a group of men or women in a line or semicircle. This dance form involves fast shoulder shimmy (Greek: Τρέμουλο, tremoulo), trembling of the entire body, and sudden squats. [5] Horon dances require speed and agility in a dancer. [3]