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Washington DC Turkish Folk
Dance Troupe
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Ciftetelli
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Ciftetelli is one of the most
common and most popular dances of Turkey. It is danced throughout
Turkey, and much of the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Cifte telli literally means two strings, which refers to the instruments
that accompany the dancers. The music has a very specific count that
can be found in a lot of Middle Eastern music.
This dance can be split into
a few different sections. The actual Ciftetelli is happy, lively
music with a combination of instruments, varying in tempo from slow to
medium to fast. As it speeds up, the dance movements become more
abandoned and exhilarating. During these fast combinations of dance steps
vary with the use of the 'zil'. |
Taksim, the next section of
the dance, is incomplete contrast to the Ciftetelli rhythm. This is usually
a improvised solo, invariably making use of the ud or clarinet, both of
which produce a soulful wailing sound. This section is played much more
slowly and is more dramatic and intense. As such, the dancers moves are
more graceful and sensual.
The costumes worn by the dancers
resemble those worn by women who would have lived in the imperial palaces
of the Ottoman Empire. They do not represent a single region. |
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