Kurdish dances (Kurdish: Govend, Dîlan, Helperkê, Helperge, Şayî; دیلان, گۆڤەند, ھەڵپەڕگە, ھەڵپەڕکێ, شایی) are a group of traditional dances among Kurds. It is a form of a circle dance, with a single or a couple of figure dancers often added to the geometrical center of the dancing circle. At times musicians playing on a drum or a double reed wind instrument known as a zurna, accompany the dancers.[1] Often there are dancers twirling handkerchiefs who lead the half-circled group of dancers.[1] The dancers, generally the females, but also, on occasions, the males, wear traditional Kurdish clothes.[2] The Kurds dance on several occasions such as Kurdish festivals, birthdays, New Years, Newroz, marriage and other ceremonies[3] and the dances have several names which often relate to local names and traditions.[3] Its noteworthy that these folkloric dances are mixed-gender which distinguishes the Kurds from other neighbouring Muslim populations.[4] On March 3, 2023, Iranian police shut down a sports centre over mixed-gender Kurdish dances.[5]
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See also
edit- Kurdish culture
- Kurdish traditional clothing
- Armenian dance
- Assyrian folk dance
- Dabke (a form of Arabic dance)
- Syrtos (Greek)
- Turkish dance
References
edit- ^ a b Shwartz-Be'eri, Ora; Yiśraʼel (Jerusalem), Muzeʼon (2000). The Jews of Kurdistan: Daily Life, Customs, Arts and Crafts. UPNE. p. 64. ISBN 978-965-278-238-0.
- ^ "Learn About Kurdish Dance |". The Kurdish Project.
- ^ a b Sabah Ghafour, Goran (2021-09-22). "Dance: A unique signature of Kurdish identity". Kurdistan24. Erbil. Archived from the original on 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
- ^ Kurds, Kurdistan, Part 4. "Dances and music", The Encyclopedia of Islam, Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, B. Lewis & Ch. Pellat, Vol. V, KHE-MAHI, Leiden, E.J. BRILL Publishers, 1986, 1263 pp. (see p. 477).
- ^ "KHRN: Iran shuts down sports centre over mixed-gender Kurdish dance". 6 March 2023.