Dancing to the beat of Serbia
Serbian folklore dancing lives on in Rockingham, with younger generations learning traditional steps.
Dance choreographer Branca Janosevic said the dance was an old tradition and a strong element of Serbian culture.
“It is more tradition than anything else, all of the kids here were born here, they are Aussies, and this is a part of their culture that we try to keep,” she said.
“They have to love to do it.”
Janosevic said Serbian folklore dancing groups first formed in the area as part of the Rockingham Serbian Club.
“It was a completely different group of kids and they danced for years together and they performed a lot in Rockingham and also in the multicultural festivals,” she said.
Janosevic branched off and started up a new group called Poletarac Folklor Rockingham in 2010.
“I started with two girls who wanted to continue and then every week we got more and more so now we have two groups, the little ones and the older ones,” she said.
“There is a huge Serbian community in Rockingham and we would love to grow it further.
“Rockingham had one of the best dance groups before and we want to get it back to that standard again.”
Janosevic said she grew up dancing in Belgrade, Serbia.
“Every single village and every single place in Serbia has got a different dance, with different music, different steps and different costumes,” she said.
Folk dancer Tamara Veselinovic, 14, said she started learning the dances when she was four.
“We have grown up dancing so it is a part of our life now,” she said.
The dancers perform at functions and meet at Safety Bay Soccer Club on Georgetown Drive on Tuesdays at 6pm.
