#govend

KURDISH FOLK DANCE (kurdish: govend | halperkê) is a traditional hand-holding circle/line dance similar to those of the balkans, the levant (dabke), and of the caucasus. for kurds, both men and women dance in the same line, even holding hands, which is what separates kurds from the traditional gender-separated muslim world.

it’s believed this dance is at least 3,000 years old.

kurdish dance reflects samples of kurdish life over a span of thousands of years. rhythmic and elegant movements have originated from the kurdish way of life, beliefs, work and struggle, war and quarrel. if you look closely, some dances imitate the movements of animals, such as rams and bulls.

a common theme of this dance is unity. it’s achieved through close contact with other dancers and all movements must be performed simultaneously and synchronously.

the different ways the dancers are kept together are:

tilîya biçûk: dancers hold each others pinkies - most seen in the western portions of kurdistan [kurmancî speakers]

kelepçe: dancers are holding hands - most seen in the eastern portions of kurdistan [soranî speakers]

kêmber: dancers lock arms (one’s left & one’s right), the left hand is always put behind the dancer’s back and tucked into his piştwênd (scarf belt) - mostly seen in eastern kurdistan [hewramî and some soranî speakers]

mil: dancers hold each other by the shoulders (mil means ‘neck’ in kurdish). similar to this greek dance.

serbest: no contact between dancers, individual dancing (right here too)- least common in greater kurdistan area but is widely done in khorasan.

the dance line is led by the [kur:] sergovendu or the [sor:] serçopî (line leader and pacemaker) who carries the serçopî, a piece of cloth that is twirled in the air by the first and last dancers of the line. the rest of the dancers are called gawanî. the last dancer is called that as well in soranî but in kurmancî s/he is called the bingovendu.

it is considered impolite to take the place of the sergovendu/serçopî before one full circle is danced or until s/he gives it up. the line leader has free mobility to dance separately in front of the gawanî, as shown in this video. s/he also dictates which dance they will dance and at which speed.

the folk dance comes in many forms, depending on geographical location and tribe. dances from the cities of wan and bidlîs (this one is rly good) in northern kurdistan are the hardest to perform; they require speed and energy while performing a variety of movements. the easiest to perform but hardest to pick up is the dance from mêrdîn; while its moves are simple, it requires a developed sense of rhythm.

**if this post is updated, i will reblog it. click ‘keep reading’ to view some examples of each dance.

kurdish villagers dance in preparation for a wedding in ghara kilissa. eastern kurdistan. circa 1950s-1960s.