Ukraine / Russia, 16th century
KAZATCHOK
The Cossack dance of blazing legs
Kazatchok is a folk dance of Cossack origin, born in the steppes of Ukraine and southern Russia between the 16th and 17th centuries. A virile dance, performed mainly by men, it is famous for its athletic figures — the Prisyadka (leg kicks in a crouched position), spectacular jumps, and floor pirouettes — which demand exceptional leg power.
It has left a lasting mark on the European imagination of Cossack culture, served as a folkloric showcase for the Ballets Russes, and gave modern acrobatic dance part of its floor vocabulary, echoes of which can be found in breakdance and street dances.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
Kazatchok is danced solo or in a group, to two-beat music that gradually speeds up. The spectacular figures are performed in a low stance, on the heels or in a crouched position.
Styles and fundamentals
The posture alternates between tall (walks and circles) and very low (crouched leg kicks). Power comes from the thighs and calves, with constant core engagement.
Main figures
- 01
Prisyadka
A crouched position with alternating kicks of straightened legs in front, the signature of Cossack dance.
- 02
Split jumps
Large jumps with legs split wide apart, very aerial.
- 03
Floor turn
A fast rotation in a low stance, a cousin of breakdance figures.
Reading the music
Ukrainian and Russian folklore, Cossack orchestras, choirs and violins.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Kazatchok.