Kurdish dance

Kurdish dances (Kurdish: Govend, Dîlan, Dawet, Helperkê, Şayî; دیلان, گۆڤەند, داوەت, 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 typically 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]

Kurdish dances are each performed with a specific melody and style, some of which are named as follows:

• Şêxanî
• Bagiyê
• Şamîranê
• Til Mercan
• Lorke
• Evdîşo
• Koçerî
• Rewendî
• Bêriyokê
• Milanê
• Axişte (Serhed Region)
• Dim Dime (Urmia to Duhok)

  

• Akmelî
• Lo Mîro
• Baso
• Lê Gulê
• Hicrokê
• Navçeliyê
• Çoxo
• Eyşokê
• Mîrkut
• Geliyê Başkala (Suka Hewlêrê)
• Zêrînê
• Reyhanî
• Sûrçiyanî
• Herkiyanî
• Hey Borî
• Welato
• Emer Axayo
• Siyarkî (Swarkî)
• Hoy Narê
• Hey Dîlan
• Meraan Axa
• Kurtê
• Helize
• Nalbendan
• Sê pê
• Royne
• Daxe
• Geryan
• Çepî
• Sê car