Kozak dance.

A custom that is conducted in some chassidic sectors call the "Kozak" dance, where children dressed as Cossacks preform a special dance before the Mitzvah tanz

Comments

[micha]

I find this custom bizarre, and I'm trying to suppress my feelings of revulsion. Given the gezeiros Ta"ch veTa"t, it's kind of like kids in 2307 CE performing some German dance dressed in Nazi uniforms. I can't wrap my head around it.

[avakesh]

May be the meaning of it is: The Goy within
http://www.avakesh.com/2009/07/the-goy-within-and-without-by-chaim-gershon---as-adapted-by-avakesh----chassidic-philosophy-centers-on-the-soul-and-the-exper.html

Anthropologically, it may reflect many Chassidims' fascination with the military, disasters, rescues anad espionage. There is something attractive to a closed and pacific culture in these matters. For example, Monsey's Community Connection prints photos of disasters, crashes and accidents in every edition and the Zman Magazine, that comes out of the chassidic community, is largely about spies, wars, adventures, crimes and the military. Many children's books in Yiddish are also about such things.