Georgian folk dance

The tradition & historical record

The Georgian dance (Georgian: ქართული ცეკვა), commonly known as Kartuli, is the traditional dance of Georgia. It stems from military moves, sports games, and dances celebrated during holidays in the Middle Ages. The dance was popularized by the founders of the Georgian National Ballet, Iliko Sukhishvili, and his wife, Nino Ramishvili. Two folk dances, Perkhuli and Khorumi, are on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list. ¹

The folk dances of the Georgian people have an ancient history, as evidenced by numerous historical sources and archaeological findings. Georgian tribes inhabited the eastern part of the Black Sea coast several centuries before the adoption of Christianity. The works of the ancient Greek geographer Strabo contain vivid descriptions of the pagan rituals of the Georgians, which included elements of dance. The arrival of Christianity introduced significant changes into the life of the population; however, many rituals were preserved and adapted to the new religion. Within these rituals, dance gradually assumed a leading role, while the religious content diminished. In this way, Georgian dances developed into an integral element of folk artistic culture. It is known that by the 4th century BCE, secular music was widespread among Georgian tribes. The Colchian tribes began their battles with martial songs and dances. During the medieval period, dance became increasingly professionalized, and performances were frequently held in the palaces of kings and feudal lords. At this time, solo and paired dances underwent significant development, and canonical dance movements became firmly established. ¹

Kartuli (ქართული) dance is a romantic, or wedding dance, performed by a couple. During the dance, the man is not allowed to touch the woman and must keep a certain distance. 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. ¹

Khorumi (ხორუმი) is a war dance originating in Guria, southwestern Georgia, and is based on 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 precise lines create a sense of awe. The dance portrays the themes of search war, the celebration of victory, and 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) 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). ¹

Acharuli (აჭარული) is a bright and cheerful dance that originates from the Adjara region of Georgia. It portrays playful flirtation between men and women. The mood of the dance is relaxed, joyful, and lively, with dancers wearing colorful costumes, predominantly featuring the color red. Unlike the Kartuli dance, the interaction between men and women in Acharuli is more relaxed and informal. ¹

Partsa (ფარცა) is a fast pace dance originating in Guria and is characterized by its rhythm, festive mood, and colorfulness. Partsa mesmerizes the audience with not only speed and gracefulness, but also with "live towers". ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Georgian dance”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Georgian folk dance is type of dance, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 2 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²