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Crimean Tatar Folk Dance

Crimean Tatar folk dance is an original branch of Crimean Tatar folkloric choreography that reflects the identity, traditions, and customs of the people. Dances accompany family and folk rituals (primarily weddings) and are a source of pride and national heritage.

Overview

An article by Lenura Khalilova and Elnara Abdullayeva ("Krymska Svitlytsia", 2016, No. 50) describes Crimean Tatar choreography as multifaceted, atypical, and diverse. Previously, Crimean Tatars did not have stage dances: the people gathered at celebrations and simply improvised to the music, primarily at weddings. Weddings held a special place among rituals, and the tradition of putting money under the hat of the best dancer (which was later given to the musicians) contributed to a peculiar professionalization of the dance—performing not only for oneself, but also for the audience. It was at weddings that all the masters of Crimean Tatar choreography received their education.

Crimean Tatar choreography is free of sharp hand movements. Men's dances celebrate bravery, strength, and martial skill: a stately, slender posture, arms spread to the sides with half-bent elbows, soft undulating arm movements, and wrist rotations. Women's dances are slender, graceful, and majestic, with arms held slightly below shoulder height and undulating movements from right to left. The main foot movement is an alternating step on toes. The dances are rich in torso rotations.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • "Khoran": round dance at weddings; the groom and bride stand in the center of the circle, surrounded by dancing girls and boys. The dance pattern reflects the sun, with the center of the circle symbolizing the center of the Universe; it was performed to "In the Dogwood Forest" or "Varyrach".
  • "Khaitarma" ("Return"): the most beloved dance of the Crimean Tatars, portraying the image of a simple person with restrained movements, performed by couples at weddings and holidays.
  • "Agyr Ava ve Khaitarma": solemn and graceful, consisting of two parts—a slow static part and a fast temperamental part.
  • "Akay Avasy" (Karshilama, "face to face"): in ancient times exclusively a men's dance, expressing a man's strength and dignity; later it was also danced by women and by multiple couples.
  • "Tym-Tym": a solo dance from Feodosia, without mandatory figures and with free improvisation; the main movement is wrist trembling, with each finger seemingly responding to the sounds of the violin (legend of the violinist and the girl "Tym-Tym").
  • "Emir-Dzhelyal": a delicate women's dance depicting the figure of a beautiful girl floating to the music; consists of slow and fast parts, with wrist turns during a plié.
  • "Choban Avasy": a traditional men's shepherd dance, expressive and sharp, performed with a shepherd's staff; young men compete in skill and agility.
  • "Yavluk Avasy": a handkerchief dance at weddings and celebrations; young men beckon the girls, who lay a kerchief on the floor, which the man picks up from a split or a torso rotation without using his hands.
  • "Dzhiyin": an original dance performed during the Kyna Gedzhesi (Henna Night) ritual; previously, girls sang along in a separate room while young men danced on the roof to instrumental accompaniment.
  • Gifting of Money: all couple wedding dances are accompanied by gifting money—a symbol of transmitting positive energy rather than a display of wealth.
  • Learning from Childhood: Crimean Tatars begin teaching children to dance from early childhood so that proper breathing and posture control are developed from a young age; almost everyone knows how to dance.
  • Masters of Choreography: Usein Bakkal, Selime Chelebiieva, Rustem Gaziyev, Remziye Bakkal, Enver Alimov, Khairi Emir-Zade, Shakhzade Mamutov, Akim Dzhemilev, Refat Asanov.
  • Pride of the Nation: Crimean Tatar Folk Dance — article by Lenura Khalilova and Elnara Abdullayeva in the newspaper "Krymska Svitlytsia" (2016, No. 50), the main source.
  • Ethnogenesis of Crimean Tatars — centuries-long process of formation of the Crimean Tatar people as the indigenous population of the peninsula, bearer of the described dance tradition.
  • Crimean Tatars in Kherson Region (History of Settlement) — the fate of the people after the 1944 deportation and the preservation of cultural heritage, including choreography.
  • Andriy Shchekun — editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Krymska Svitlytsia", where the source was published.
  • Ashik Umer — 17th-century Crimean Tatar poet-ashik, representative of the same cultural tradition.
  • Umer Ipchi — Crimean Tatar writer and playwright, representative of the same cultural tradition.
  • Shefika Gasprinska — Crimean Tatar educator and leader of the women's movement, representative of the same ethnic group.