HORAH, the best-known folk dance of pioneer Ereẓ Israel. The dance is derived chiefly from the Romanianhora (a term going back ultimately to the Greekchoros; cf. the Bulgarianhoro, the Yugoslavkolo, and the Russiankhorovod). To perform this dance the participants interlock arms behind their backs or on their shoulders, then take two running steps to the right, jump on the left foot, at first slowly and then accelerating (sometimes the dancers begin with a slow stationary swaying). In the course of time the energy-expending movements – strong stamps and kicks – diminished somewhat, and at present the arms are often held downward with simple hand-holding.

The earliesthorah-like dances were apparentlyEl Yivneh ha-Galil, of which three melodies became current during the Second Aliyah (1904–14), andHavah Nerannenah. Thehorah proper developed during the Third Aliyah (1919–23) and reached its apogee during the Fourth Aliyah (1924–31) with the dance-songsKumah Eḥa (S. Postolsky, I. Shenhar),Havah Neẓe ba-Maḥol (Y. Admon),Anu Banu Arẓah (composer and author unknown),Ein Zeh Pele ("corrupted" toEizeh Pele, S. Postolsky, N. Alterman),Horah Medurah (Y. Walbe, N. Alter-man) and others (Emek, Emek Avodah, by E. Amiran and A. Wolf was written only in 1933). The typical rhythm of thehorah melodies is based on the syncope: with the initial eighth note sometimes substituted by a rest in²/₄ or⁴/₄ measure, counterpointed by the six-beat sequence of the steps. Melodically, the ḥasidicniggun was the most important primary source, which soon became overlaid by other thematic elements.