balkansoul:

Glamočko gluvo kolo – This is a Serbian dance from town of

Glamoč in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Glamočko kolo dates all the way back to the Ottoman empire and it was performed as an underground activity to preserve Serbian culture under immense oppression of the Ottomans as well as the local Muslim population.

Serbs in Glamoč were probably under the worst conditions in all of the empire. They were forbidden from playing and dancing during religious and nonreligious holidays, more often than not, the instruments would be confiscated and destroyed, hence The Silent Kolo was created. This is the only dance in Serbian culture where nobody smiles or laughs, showcasing the hardships Serbs went through during the terror of Ottoman rule.

This kolo has no instruments and no singers, the only percussive sound of foot stamping is enhanced with golden coins that decorate the female dancers’ national wear. 

In 1982 Glamočko gluvo kolo was included into UNESCO world cultural heritage.