Folk Dance
“All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing” said Moliere once.
Havelock Ellis remarked that “Dancing is the loftiest, most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life: IT IS LIFE ITSELF!”
Still others believe that “Any problem in the world can be solved by dancing.” This may sound a little overbearing, but in certain dancing brings happiness and peace to the soul for at least the longevity of the performance. Why? Because, it is “the only art form where the artist is also the medium of expression.”
You may wonder why such strong statements about dancing. For Georgian people, dancing was not just another extracurricular activity. It was the life.
Visitors are often surprised when they arrive in Georgia to find a feeling of having entered a completely different country. They have indeed entered a completely different culture. Georgia is a country that draws people back again and again.
The beauty and originality of the Georgian folk dances is perhaps due to their ability to reflect so many different aspects of Georgian life. They are divided according to their origin and content into ritual and ceremonilal, work, game and comic dances. The survival of paganism in certain remote mountain districts, have similarly had an influence on Georgian folk dances.
In form, Georgian dances are divided into solo, pair and group. Each dancer has to subordinate to the requirements of a common plan and expression in the dance. At the same time, the performers do not lose their individuality, since several dances demand competition between partners in strength, agility, elevation and bold movements. In the new folk dances which have been created in the last twenty or thirty years, a change has been noticed in the pattern of woman’s dances. They have acquired more liveiness, boldness and energy of movement without infringing, however, on the traditional strictness of the dancer’s conduct.
The males dances can also boast a highly original technique for, unlike any other dancers in the world, they dance on their toes without the aid of “block” shoes. In the women’s dances, in contrast to classical ballet, dancing on pointe is unknown.
The role of female dancers is an interesting one. The woman never openly tries to attract her partner’s attention in the dance - as though she does not wish to be noticeed him. She appears unware of her partner’s tender feelings, maintainind an attitude of distance and awareness of her beauty.
Now, without much more ado, we would like to introduce to you the art of Georgian Folk dancing. These breathtaking and absolutely awesome dances represent a live history book expressing the centuries of Georgian art, culture, and tradition.
Georgian Folk dances are not very famous around the world, but their magnificence and the beauty cannot be forgotten by anyone who sees it. Many times have Georgian dance groups, whether professional or amateur, mesmerized the world with the beauty. The beautiful costumes blend history and art in one single harmony. This, coupled with at times rough and technical movements, leaves the audience in total awe. Georgian Folk dances give immense pleasure to not only the audience, but to the dancers also.
Before we go into a detailed description of each dance, let us give you a general overview of the dances. Each dance portrays the life of the region in which it originated, and thus is diverse and unique. The mountain dances, such as Khevsuruli, Kazbeguri, or Mtiuluri, are sharply different from some valley dances: for examle Acharuli and Davluri.
The costumes are different for every dance and resemble the clothing of the past in different regions of Georgia. The choreographic structure of many dances has been modified to fit the stage performance. Most of the modifications were born out of the choreographic genius of Nino Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili (the founders of the Georgian National Ballet)