Sorna: Mohammad Bahmani
Vocals: Abdollah Qorbani
Dohol: Abdollah Nabiollahi
Collected & Researched by: Mansureh Sabetzadeh
Kurdish Dance
The art of dancing traces back to more than several millennia in Kurdistan; the evidences are the potteries found in Northern Ilam in the ravines of Zagros mountains, one of which illustrates three dancers dancing together beside houses made by bamboos.
The major characteristic of Kurdish dances is its grouping and round-like form, which depicts the cooperation and unity of the people extending from Azerbaijan to north of Khuzestan. The monotonous movements sometimes with taking one or two kerchiefs by the primo ballerino, here known as ``sarchupikesh'' are among other traits of these dances. The kerchief ("chupi") functions as a banner and serves as a sign of devotion to the head of the tribe. Hands are locked on the waist of the dancers or sometimes put on each other's shoulders and show minimum of movements. Whereas the feet movements have more diversity. Kurdish dances are performed in circles and in chain-like series usually begun by a slow tempo that gradually accelerates, in various meters, from 7/8 and 2/4 to 6/8. Occasionally circles of men and women are separate but they dance at the same time and do the same movements. Sarchupi usually dances his own movements which causes a kind of variety to group dancing. Kurdish people show a sense of lyricism in their dances. Using bright colors in women's clothes adds to the liveliness and mirth of the company. In Kurdish dances people of all classes, age and sex participate, feeling like brothers and sisters in arms when they dance and make happy moments for the wedding. They love dancing and they fervently take role in it, regarding it as a fresh air to breathe and a medium for translating their epic history to the inner world of lyricism and their world of love-making. They mock the tragic sense of life by their beautiful body movements. ...
Published [05/07/2003]
