Georgian dance ( ka, ქართული ცეკვა) is the traditional dance of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. It stems from military moves, sports games, and dances celebrated during holidays in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The dance was popularized by the founders of the

Georgian National Ballet The Georgian National Ballet ( ka, ქართული ეროვნული ბალეტი, tr) is the first professional state dance company in Georgia (country), Georgia. Founded by husband and wife Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvil ...

, Iliko Sukhishvili, and his wife, Nino Ramishvili. Two folk dances, Perkhuli and Khorumi, are inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list.

Types of Georgian dance

Kartuli (ქართული)

Kartuli dance is a romantic, or wedding dance. It is performed by a dance couple. During the dance, the man is not allowed to touch the woman and must keep a certain distance from his partner. The man's upper body is motionless at all times. It shows that even in love, men must control their feelings. The man focuses his eyes on his partner as if she were the only woman in the whole world. The woman keeps her eyes downcast at all times and glides on the rough floor as a swan on the smooth surface of a lake. There have been only a few great performers of Kartuli including Nino Ramishvili, Iliko Sukhishvili, Iamze Dolaberidze, and Pridon Sulaberidze.

Khorumi (ხორუმი)

This

war dance A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare. Martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like setting ...

originated in

Guria Guria ( ka, გურია) is a region (''mkhare'') in Georgia (country), Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 104,338 (2023), with Ozurgeti as the regional cap ...

, southwestern Georgia, based off the numerous invasions of the country. The dance was originally performed by only a few men. However, over time it has grown. In today's version of Khorumi, 30-40 dancers can participate, as long as the number is odd. The dance has four parts: searching for a campsite, the reconnoiter of the enemy camp, the fight, and the victory and its celebration. It is strong and simple but distinctive movements and the exactness of lines create a sense of awe on stage. The dance incorporates the themes of search war, and the celebration of victory as well as the courage and glory of Georgian soldiers. Khorumi is traditionally accompanied by instruments and is not accompanied by clapping. Drum ( doli) and the bagpipe (

chiboni The gudastviri ( ka, გუდასტვირი) is a droneless, double-chantered, horn-belled bagpipe played in Georgia. The term comes from the words ''guda'' (bag) and ''stviri'' (whistling). In some regions, the instrument is called th ...

) are two key instruments to accompany Khorumi. Another unique element of Khorumi is that it has a specific rhythm, based on five beat meter (3+2).

Acharuli (აჭარული)

Acharuli is a dance originated from a place of the same name. It is distinguished from other dances with its colorful costumes and playful mood. Its simple but definite movements of both men and women create on stage. The dance is characterized with graceful, soft, and playful flirtation between the male and female dancers. Unlike Kartuli, the relationship between men and women in this dance is more informal and lighthearted.

Partsa (ფარცა)

Partsa originated in

and is characterized by its fast pace, rhythm, festive mood, and colorfulness. Partsa mesmerizes the audience with not only speed and gracefulness, but also with "live towers."

Kazbeguri (ყაზბეგური)

Kazbeguri originated in the

Kazbegi Municipality Kazbegi ( ka, ყაზბეგის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a district of Georgia, in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti in east-north Georgia. The main settlement is Stepantsminda, accounting for about half of the tota ...

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains * * Azerbaijani: , * * * * * * * * * * * is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region ...

of Georgia. The dance was created to portray relatively cold and rough atmosphere of the mountains, shown through the vigor and the strictness of the movements and foot stomping. This dance is performed mainly by men. Costumes are long black coloured shirts, black trousers, pairs of black boots, and black headgears. Musical instruments include

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...

panduri The panduri ( ka, ფანდური) is a Music of Georgia (country)#Folk music, traditional Georgian three-string plucked string instrument, plucked instrument common in all regions of Eastern Georgia (country), Eastern Georgia: such as Psha ...

, a

changi Changi ( ) is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the ...

, and drums.

Khanjluri (ხანჯლური)

Khanjluri is based on the idea of competition and war. Khanjluri is one of those dances. In this dance, shepherds, dressed in red

chokha A chokha, or ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; also known as a cherkeska, is a woolen coat (clothing), coat with a high neck that is part of the traditional male dress of peoples of the Caucasus. It was in wide use among Avars (Caucasus), Avars, ...

s (traditional men's wear) compete with each other in the usage of daggers and in performing complicated movements. One performer replaces another, and the courage and skill overflow on stage. Since Khanjluri involves daggers and knives, it requires tremendous skill and practice on the part of the performers.

Khevsuruli (ხევსურული)

This mountain dance unites love, courage, respect for women, toughness, competition, skill, beauty, and colorfulness into one performance. The dance starts out with a flirting couple. Unexpectedly, another young man appears, also seeking the hand of the woman. Vigorous fighting between the two men and their supporters ensues. The quarrel is stopped temporarily by the woman's veil. Traditionally, when a woman throws her head veil between two men, all disagreements and fighting halts. However, as soon as the woman leaves the scene, the fighting continues. The young men from both sides attack each other with swords and shields. On some occasions, one man has to fight off 3 attackers. At the end, a woman (or women) comes in and stops the fighting with her veil once again. However, the finale of the dance is "open" –meaning that the audience does not know the outcome of the fighting. Khevsuruli is very technical and requires intense practice and utmost skill in order to perform the dance without hurting anyone.

Mtiuluri (მთიულური)

Mtiuluri is also a mountain dance. Similar to Khevsuruli, Mtiuluri is also based on competition. However, in this dance, the competition is mainly between two groups of young men and is a celebration of skill and art. At first, groups compete in performing complicated movements. Then, the girl's dance, which is followed by an individual dancer's performance of amazing "tricks" on their knees and toes. At the end, everyone dances a beautiful finale. This dance is reminiscent of a festival in the mountains.

Simdi (სიმდი) and Khonga (ხონგა)

Ossetian folk dances. The costumes in both dances are distinguished with long sleeves. The headwear of both the women and the men are exceptionally high. However, in Khonga or Invitation Dance ( Ossetian Wedding Dance), men dance on demi-pointe, entirely on the balls of their feet. Khonga is performed by a few dancers and is characterized by the grace and softness of the movements. Simdi is danced by many couples. The beauty of Simdi is in the strict graphic outline of the dance, the contrast between black and white costumes, the softness of movements, and the strictness of line formations.

Kintouri (კინტოური) and Shalakho (შალახო)

Kintouri portrays the city life in old

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

. The dance takes its name after "

Kinto A kinto ( ka, კინტო) was a trader or an unemployed person mostly occupied in entertaining others in Georgian ''dukhans'' (restaurants), popular in Tbilisi in the 19th century and early in the 20th century. The Georgian Kintouri (or ' ...

s" who were small merchants in Tbilisi. They wore black outfits with baggy pants and usually carried their goods on their heads around the city. When a customer chose goods, a kinto would take the silk shawl hanging from his silver belt and wrap the fruits and vegetables in them to weigh. Kintos were known to be cunning, swift and informal. Such characteristics of Kinto are well shown in Kintouri. The dance is light natured.

Samaia (სამაია)

Samaia is performed by 3 women and, originally, was considered to be a

Paganism Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

dance. However, today's Samaia is a representation of

Tamar of Georgia Tamar the Great ( ka, თამარ მეფე, tr , ; 1160 – 18 January 1213) queen regnant, reigned as the List of monarchs of Georgia#Kings of unified Georgia (1008–1490), Queen of Kingdom of Georgia, Georgia from 1184 to 1213, ...

, who reigned in 12th-13th centuries and was the first empress of Georgia. There are only 4 frescos that keep the much-revered image of Empress Tamar. Simon Virsaladze based the costumes of Samaia on the Empress's clothing on those frescos. In addition, the trinity idea in the dance represents

as a young princess, a wise mother and the powerful empress. All these three images are united in one harmonious picture. The simple but soft and graceful movements create an atmosphere of beauty, glory and power that surrounded the Empress's reign.

Jeirani (ჯეირანი)

The word "jeirani" means

gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...

. This dance tells the story of the hunt. It was choreographed by Nino Ramishvili for the

. The dance incorporates classical ballet movements and a hunting scene.

Karachokheli (ყარაჩოხელი)

Karachokheli were the ordinary craftsman of Georgia. They typically wore black

(traditional men's wear). They were known for hard work yet a carefree life, as well as a love of

Georgian wine Georgia (country), Georgia is one of the oldest List of wine-producing countries, wine-producing countries in the world. The fertile valleys and protective slopes of the South Caucasus were home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine product ...

and beautiful women, all of which are well represented in the dance.

Davluri (დავლური)

Davluri is also a city dance, but unlike Kintouri and Karachokheli, it portrays the city aristocracy. The dance is similar to Kartuli. However, the movements in Davluri are less complicated and the male/female relationship is less formal. The dance is performed by many couples and with the music and colorful costumes, paints a picture of an aristocratic feast on stage.

Mkhedruli (მხედრული)

The name of this dance was based off the word "Mkhedari", which means cavalryman. The dance begins in a raging tempo, becoming more and more violent. The legs of the cavalryman imitate the fast movements of the horse, while their body and arm movements impersonate the battle with enemy.

Parikaoba (ფარიკაობა)

A warrior dance from

Khevsureti Khevsureti () is a historical and ethnographic region in eastern Georgia. Khevsurs are the branch of Kartvelian ( Georgian) people located along both the northern (''Pirikita khevsureti'') and southern (''Piraketa khevsureti'') slopes of the Grea ...

in northeast Georgia, where a girl enters, looking for her beloved. He appears only to encounter others, precipitating an energetic battle with his sword and shield. When the girl throws down her headdress, the men must stop according to tradition, only to renew their battle soon after.

Gallery

Image:Svan dance.jpg, Svanuri Image:Georgian dance 7.jpg, Acharuli Image:Mtiuluri.jpg, Mtiuluri Image:Georgian Dancers (14632845282).jpg, Samaia

References

{{Dance