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Washington DC Turkish Folk
Dance Troupe
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Trabzon
| First the feet start
moving, and then the hands follow. Just like the harsh feel of the
mountains and the Black Sea, this nature is seen clearly in the Horon dance.
It is generally danced in a line or circle, depending on how big the group
is. It depicts the desire of these people to work with and alongside
nature and each other. It is the liveliest and fastest paced of the
Turkish folk dances. Literally every part of the body moves one way
or another during the dance. Usually the dancers clasp fingers and extend
their arms just below or above shoulder height, standing comfortable apart
from one another. At other times, their bodies are closer together, with
arms at their sides or bent at the elbows. |
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| One of the most characteristic
movements, in horon dances, is a fast shoulder shimmy and/or trembling
of the entire body, which suggests the movements of the hamsi (one of the
types of fish that lives primarily in the Black Sea, a kind of anchovy.
Usually the tempo is kept up by the "kemenceci", or fiddler, who stomps
the beat with his foot as he plays, or by the zurna and davul players working
together. The line can be started with as little as two people, but one
person always leads. The leader calls out the changes from one move
to another using language that is very specifically native to this part
of Turkey. This dance includes the following Horons: |
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Duz Horon, or straight Horon,
is generally danced by women. It ismade up of the basic moves.
Akcabat Sallamasi originates
from the township of Akcabat. It is accompanied by davul and zurna.
It is a slower, more dignified version of the Horons, and is used as a
connector between other dances. It gets faster as the dance comes
to an end.
Siksara is the most representative
of the people in Trabzon. It is very lively, with harsh movements,
and the dancers shaking every part of the body throughout the dance.
Kiz Horon, or Girl's Horon,
is a very basic Horon that can be accompanied by song. |
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