9. Dancing and Politics in Croatia

This chapter traces the arrival of the Waltz in the Croatian ballrooms and compares it with the appearance of the Salonsko Kolo, a dance performed by couples in large and complex formations reminiscent of the Polonaise, the Mazurka or contra dances. It explores the political role of both dances as they represent the tension between national loyalties and the allure of fashionable dances imported from abroad. The chapter follows the Waltz and Salonsko Kolo from their arrival, to their spread and coexistence with other dances at balls, while also examining the survival of these dances until the beginning of the twentieth century.