Armen Shahinyan
Prof. Lynn McMurrey
Dance 100
8 December 2018
Final Research Project: Armenian Folk Dance
Hidden within the mountain ranges of Eurasia lies a small region of concentrated culture and ancient tradition. The luscious landscape has long seen many wars, yet long for nothing but a peaceful life. This region is known as the Caucasus. It is made up of four countries, being Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and a small part of Russia. As with most nations that border each other, the cultures and traditions these countries have share many similarities, yet at the same time can be easily distinguished from one another. Arguably one of the most distinct of these cultures is that of the Armenians. The Armenian culture dates back thousands of years, and fortunately, through the love for their culture, Armenians have kept their centuries old traditions close to their hearts and embrace them on a daily basis. One of the most prominent of Armenian tradition is dance. To truly understand the significance of Armenian dance, one must first observe the origins of the people and the dance form, as well as its development over the years, notable dances, and its relevance today.
The Armenians are an ancient people. Their lineage can be traced down thousands of years. The first noted use of the term Armenian was around the years of 363, when the Kingdom of Armenia was split between the Roman and Persian Empires. However, genetically, Armenians go back centuries before. Armenians are descendants of Hayk Nahapet, who is claimed to have been a descendent of the Biblical figure Noah. Legend dictates that in the year 2492 B.C., Hayk Nahapet defeated the forces of Babylon and founded the Kingdom. Armenians actually call themselves “Hay/Hayer” (singular/plural), with the name alluding to the warrior Hayk himself (“Armenian People”, advantour.com). At this time, Armenians were polytheistic. Interestingly, Armenians were the only pagans that had a god of hospitality and greatiousnes. Centuries later, when Christianity was being preached, one of the preachers, St. Gregory the Illuminator, travelled to the Kingdom of Armenian and spread his message. In 301 A.D. Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as the state religion and St. Gregory became the patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church (“Gregory the Illuminator”, newadvent.com). It was this early history that firmly planted the roots of the Armenian dance form.
The Armenian dance form is among the oldest and most varied in Eurasia. Due to their geographic location, Armenia became a crossroad for caravans and trader of many ethnic and cultural background. These interactions left their influence and can still be seen in the culture today. To study Armenian culture, specifically dance, can prove to be an ordeal. This is because, in the beginning of the 20th century, during the Armenian Genocide, most manuscripts containing information on Armenian culture were burned. However, Armenians cherish their culture and, along with its distinct roots and traditions, kept it alive and flourishing by not only oral tradition, but also making certain that they embrace it in their household day-by-day. This translates especially well into dance. One of the most important elements of Armenian dance is the music. Armenian dance is almost entirely done to music, with very few exceptions that only started in the 1900’s. Before the introduction of European instruments such as piano, violin, and clarinet, Armenians used their own folk instruments. These included woodwinds such as the notable duduk (a national symbol), shvil, zurna, and blul, along with string instruments like the tar, saz, and kamancha, and percussions such as dhol and daf. Dhol is notable in the sense that i is almost always present in dance music, considering the Armenian dance form requires strong beats and distinct rhythm. Being a nation that has constantly been either in conflict or in the center of conflict, many Armenian dances can be seen as war dances. These dances were mainly performed by men, especially soldiers. Some dances were done before a battle to intimidate the opponent. These dances showed their physical strength, as well as included displays of weapon usage. Another distinct branch of this dance form is victory dances. These dances, incredibly similar to war dances, were done as celebrations of victory. They always include an element of holding one another by the back, representing unity and brotherhood. These dances used to also be mainly don by men, but today can be performed by anyone (“History of Armenian Dance”, Lind-Sinanian). A modern example of its use was during the 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution, where during the peaceful protests, victory dances like Kochari were danced in the Republic Square (“Did Armenian Just Dance its Way to Revolution?”, Ferris-Rotman). Another branch of the Armenian dance form is centered around the woman. These dances would show women as being beautiful and hard working. The movements are very fluid,yet show any rigidness when keeping a pose. Interestingly, the final poses for movements, both with men and women, almost always display the hands over the head and facing out, representing power. A less common branch includes narrative dances. These dances, as the name suggests, tell a story. These dances are usually referred to by the general name of Katak Par, meaning Joke Dance, owing to the fact that most narratives included aspects of comedy. These were most common in plays, but are often performed during concerts and gatherings. It is worth noting that regional and village dances usually fall under this category as well Finally, the most common dances are called Kefi Parer, or Party Dances. These are actually a simple set of movements that most Armenian learn at gatherings and festivals. These are very simple and are intended for everyone to be able to do them. This goes back to the idea of unity and brotherhood, and work to strengthen community (“History of Armenian Dance”, Lind-Sinanian). And as with most cultures, there are certain dances from each of these branches that are the most famous and most often performed.
There are dances that are considered the backbone of the Armenian dance form. These include Bert, Kochari, Yarkhushta, Shalakho, Shurjpar, and many more. Bert is arguably the most recognizable. Ber translates to “fortress” and is called so because of the shape the dancers create. Men stand in circles around each other. Then the outermost circle would stand in the shoulders of the inner circle, creating the shape of a fortress. Then, there will always be a soloist that would jump from the top circle, the fortress would open up, and he would perform his solo, representing the warrior defending the fortress. Another recognizable dance is Kochari. This is a victory dance that demands numbers. The more people join in the better. It represents victory and unity. It used to be done after winning a battle. Recently, there have been famous videos during the Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenian soldiers would link arms, and on the front line, dance Kochari to boost morale and show the world their strength in the darkest times.Yarkhushta is a famous martial dance, which involves two men dancing around each other and striking their arms as hard as possible, while in the back a group of men and women would dance something similar to Kochari. Shalakh is one of the most famous among Armenians. It is traditionally danced by men, but today many women also do it. It was traditionally the dance of the Armenian princes, only to be accompanied by a single maiden. Today, it is considered a great skill to be able to dance it, and no party or event is complete without it. On a similar note, no event is complete without a Shurjpar. It translates to “circle dance” and is exactly that. Groups would join pinkies and do a simple set of steps in a circle. Slowly the steps would become complicated and usually only a few dancers remain (“History of Armenian Dance”, Lind-Sinanian). It is through the love of dance, and the will to preserve what they have that Armenians perform and live through these dances.
These dances are fairly traditional, changing very little over the centuries. Reason being is because of the many instances when culture and tradition was all the Armenians had. Having faced great loss and destruction, the Armenian culture is one that carries scars that wounds, which only serve to make it more important to keep alive. Being a small ethnicity, Armenians do what they can to embrace their roots on a daily basis. Most Armenians live outside Armenia, and so culture id one of the things that connects them to their home land. This is kept alive through written and spoken language, culinary traditions, holidays, art, music, and of course dance. The significance of dance has always been the idea of optimism and courage to push through. It is worth noting that very little Armenian dances revolve around death or sadness overall (exceptions being dances from the Armenian Genocide). For this reason, the idea of change has never been a most welcome thought. If one were to change an element in the Armenian culture today, it would mean to erase something that has carried over thousands of years. As a result, these dances are almost entirely authentic and preserved (“History of Armenian Dance”, Lind-Sinanian). It can even be noticed through observing Armenian dance companies, and how most of the dances are incredibly similar. The only aspects of change within the culture come in the form of adding. New ideas are constantly introduced. For example, Armenia has recently gained a following in a Modern and Armenian Dance fusion style. Through these ways, Armenians keep their culture close to their hearts.
As can be deduced from the previous statements, Armenians keep tradition alive. Most of the ancient holidays, even some pagan ones, are still celebrated today. A great deal of traditional food is always present on the dinner table. And music and dance are impossible to miss in the daily lives of near all Armenians. Today, dance is used mainly for two things: To celebrate, and to educate. The most common, as with many cultures, is to celebrate. Armenians celebrate life, love, brotherhood, birth, and any other positivity they can find an excuse to enjoy with friends and family. Large parties can often be organized for small reasons like traveling the next day, and the baby’s first tooth sprouting. Dance is also used to educate people about the culture and history of Armenia. These would include the more traditional and ancient dances. Whatever the case, it is made clear that to be Armenian means one must have a passionate love towards their people, history, and culture.
Armenians are among some of the oldest ethnicities. The people have seen much war and violence that continues to this day. Though through their history of split empires, religious conversion, the Armenian Genocide, Soviet rule, a corrupt government, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, these people have remained proud of who they are. This is especially expressed through ther dance. With a history spanning for as long as the Armenians have existed, dance has remained the most respected art form in Armenia, and is practiced all over the word by those living in and out of Armenia. As the Armenian people have done and shall continue to do, Armenian folk dance shall thrive and remain a key to preserving the culture and history of this geographically small, yet proud and willful nation.