East Khorasan Dances,Torbat-e Jam

Sorna: Gholam Ali Neynavaz
Dohol: Abbas Neynavaz
Collected & Researched by: Mansureh Sabetzadeh

 Dances of Eastern Khorasan (Torbat-e Jam)
Torbat-e Jam, the birthplace of the great Persian mystic poet, Sheykh Ahmad Jam, is placed on the confluent of two cultural-governmental kingdoms, viz. Heart and Neyshabour. The music here is played by dotar, an early instrument mentioned by Farabi, in his Musiqi-al-Kabir, as tanbur-e khorasani. The people call their dance "bazi". Bazis are usually accompanied by sorna and dohol. The main characteristic is being cyclic and in group, usually performed in two concentric circles. The feet movements are unvaried, and those of hands are the main quality for their definition. Sarchupi (the band leader) reacts more freely in group dances of Kurdistan and Loristan. But in Khorasani dances each participant is also able to perform movements of the band. This is more obvious in Jami dances, the contents of which are of lyric, ritual, and epic types.
The band leader has to be chosen from the best qualified dancers, able to perform aerial as well as earthly movements, in terms of speed and solitary techniques. ...

Published [03/12/2003]