Kurdish dance

Kurdish dances (Kurdish: Govend, Dîlan, Helperkê, Helperge, Şayî; دیلان, گۆڤەند, ھەڵپەڕگە, ھەڵپەڕکێ, شایی) are a group of traditional dances among Kurds. It is a form of a circle dance, with a single or a couple of figure dancers often added to the geometrical center of the dancing circle. At times musicians playing on a drum or a double reed wind instrument known as a zurna, accompany the dancers.^[1] Often there are dancers twirling handkerchiefs who lead the half-circled group of dancers.^[1] The dancers, generally women, but also, on occasions, men, wear traditional Kurdish clothes.^[2] The Kurds dance on several occasions such as Kurdish festivals, birthdays, New Years, Newroz, marriage and other ceremonies^[3] and the dances have several names which often relate to local names and traditions.^[3] Its noteworthy that these folkloric dances are mixed-gender which distinguishes the Kurds from other neighbouring Muslim populations.^[4] On March 3, 2023, Iranian police shut down a sports centre over mixed-gender Kurdish dances.^[5]

Mixed gender Kurdish Dances.

Kurdish folk dance during Nowruz celebrations.

See also

• Kurdish culture
• Kurdish traditional clothing
• Armenian dance
• Assyrian folk dance
• Dabke (a form of Arabic dance)
• Syrtos (Greek)
• Turkish dance