Yarkhushta ( hy, Յարխուշտա (modern orthography) or Եարխուշտայ (classical/traditional orthography), ) is an Armenian folk and martial dance associated with the highlands of the historical region of

Sasun Sason ( hy, Սասուն, translit=Sasun, ku, Qabilcewz, ar, قبل جوز; formerly known as Sasun or Sassoun) is a district and town in the Batman Province of Turkey. It was formerly part of the sanjak of Siirt, which was in Diyarbakır ...

Western Armenia Western Armenia (Western Armenian: Արեւմտեան Հայաստան, ''Arevmdian Hayasdan'') is a term to refer to the eastern parts of Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire) that are part of the historical homeland of the Armenians. Weste ...

. Yarkhushta belongs to a wider category of Armenian "clap dances" (ծափ-պարեր, ''tsap parer''). The dance is performed by men, who face each other in pairs. The key element of the dance is a forward movement when participants rapidly approach one another and vigorously clap onto the palms of hands of dancers in the opposite row.

History and tradition

Yarkhushta is believed to have its origins in the

early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

as it is mentioned in the works of Movses Khorenatsi,

Faustus of Byzantium Faustus of Byzantium (also Faustus the Byzantine, hy, Փաւստոս Բուզանդ, translit=P'awstos Buzand) was an Armenian historian of the 5th century. Faustus' ''History of the Armenians'' (also known as '' Buzandaran Patmut'iwnk) exists ...

, and

Grigor Magistros Grigor Magistros ( hy, Գրիգոր Մագիստրոս; "Gregory the ''magistros''"; ca. 990–1058) was an Armenian prince, linguist, scholar and public functionary. A layman of the princely Pahlavuni family that claimed descent from the dyn ...

. Yarkhushta has traditionally been danced by Armenian soldiers before combat engagements, partly for ritualistic purposes, and partly in order to cast off fear and boost battle spirit for more effective

hand-to-hand combat Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Hun ...

Euphorigenic effect

The tune of the dance is played intentionally very loudly by two '' zurna'' or ''

pku Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism that results in decreased metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine. Untreated PKU can lead to intellectual disability, seizures, behavioral problems, and mental disorders. It may also resu ...

'' ( hy, պկու) hornpipes and one or more double-headed

bass drums The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...

, each struck with a mallet and a stick from opposite sides of the drum's cylinder. It has been demonstrated that the combination of hornpipe's high-frequency tone and the bass drums' deep, low-frequency beat create a combination of sounds with wide peak-to-peak amplitude that is capable of placing the dancers in the state of euphoric trance. This factor amplifies the effect of adrenaline/

epinephrine Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone and medication which is involved in regulating visceral functions (e.g., respiration). It appears as a white microcrystalline granule. Adrenaline is normally produced by the adrenal glands and ...

rush that the dancing of yarkhushta usually produces.

Modern revival

In modern-day

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

, yarkhushta is popular in settlements populated by refugees from Sassoun after the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...

, especially in villages around the towns of

Talin Talin may refer to: Places *Talin, Armenia, a city * Tálín, a municipality and village in the Czech Republic *Tallinn, capital of Estonia * Talin, Iran, a village in West Azerbaijan Province *Talin, Syria, a village in Tartus Governorate Other * ...

Aparan Aparan (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia, located in the Aragatsotn Province, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 6,451. As per the 2016 offic ...

, and

Ashtarak Ashtarak (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, located on the left bank of Kasagh River along the gorge, northwest of the capital Yerevan. It is the administrative centre of the Aragatsotn pr ...

. The dance was popularized in the late 1930s by Srbuhi Lisitsian who taught at the Yerevan Dance College. In 1957, the dance underwent further choreographic refinement by folk culture enthusiast Vahram Aristakesian and was performed by a folk dance troupe from the village of

Ashnak Ashnak ( hy, Աշնակ) is a village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The village is known from the 5th century, but was relocated to its present site in 1830. The town's environs include the ruins of a 10th-century chapel, a 5th-century c ...

. The dance was revived in the 1980s by the folk group Maratuk and, later, by the folk ensemble Karin. There are attempts to introduce yarkhushta into curriculum of dances and songs of the

Armenian Army The Armed Forces of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի զինված ուժեր, Hayastani zinvats uzher), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army ( hy, Հայկական Բանակ, Haykakan Banak), is the national military of Armenia. It consist ...

. There are several poems and samples of visual art that touch on the theme of yarkhushta. Among them is the poem "Dance of Sassoun" («Սասունցիների պարը») by

Gevorg Emin Gevorg Emin (, September 30, 1919 – June 11, 1998) was an Armenian poet, essayist, and translator. Biography Emin, the son of a school teacher, was born in the town of Ashtarak. In 1927, his family moved to Yerevan, the capital of Sovi ...

published in 1975. Yarkhushta also features prominently in the films ''Men'' («Տղամարդիկ», 1972) and ''Yarkhushta'' (2004), produced by Gagik Harutyunyan.

Gallery

Image:Armenian martial dance Yarkhushta 2.jpg Image:Armenian martial dance Yarkhushta 4.jpg Image:Armenian martial dance Yarkhushta 5.jpg Image:Armenian martial dance Yarkhushta 7.jpg

Video links

Yarkhushta danced by Maratuk folk groupYarkhushta danced by Karin folk groupThe Yarkhushta tune (instrumental)

References

{{Europe topic, Dance in

Dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...