The well-known Caucasian people have their own way of life, culture and traditions. But of all the customs, only national dances stand out. It's about about the famous Lezginka, who won the hearts of many fans of this dance. After all, it is through dance that all the euphoria that accumulates inside a person for a long time is transmitted. Lezginka fully makes clear the entire tradition of the Caucasian people.
Lezginka dance is more than ten years old. Only real Caucasian men can convey all the aesthetics and courage of dance. At the same time, there is grace and tact in the dance. Not now detailed information about when the Lezginka dance originated. However, many experts argue that the modern one is built from ancient rituals that had their own culture and peculiarity.
Men and Lezginka
There is a belief that Lezginka appeared when men were getting ready for battle, they danced similar movements. This was done in order to raise morale and behave confidently in battle. Since then, this dance has become mostly masculine. Although now Lezginka is danced not only by men, but also by the weaker sex. The girls brought lightness, grace and a certain tenderness to Lezginka. Moreover, they are not at all embarrassed to dance it along with men. Lezginka has become a real culture, since even outside the Caucasus the dance is so popular that it is danced in other parts of the world. Many hold their own competitions and competitions in this dance, where the best Lezginka dancer is determined. There is another version of how the dance originated. A thousand years ago, a guy fell in love with beautiful girl and rushed to her to show his feelings. Only this love was conveyed not by words, but by actions, and even to the music. It was love mixed with passion, that’s exactly what the dance was.
Dance appearance version
Some scientists believe that the dance originated in Lezgistan, in one of the regions of Dagestan. Many believe that this dance was created in this area, which later spread throughout the republic. Now there is no way to find out at what point this element of culture appeared, although many researchers do not give up and continue their scientific activity in this direction. Usually Lezginka is danced on any occasion, be it a wedding or just a day off. The instrument that accompanies this dance is the drum. Today this dance means to a greater extent love and peace.
Lezginka – ancient folk dance Caucasian peoples. It is difficult today to say where it originated; many people dispute this primacy. Lezginka is a one-of-a-kind dance. Graceful, with very clear and sharp movements, demonstrating the strength, beauty and pride of the dancer.
Beautiful dance
There is a legend that the Lezginka was danced by ancient Caucasian warriors before battle - having a special energy, the dance raised the spirit, bestowing courage and courage. The prototype of Lezginka is ancient ritual dances. She has absorbed all the best that there is in Caucasian dances. It fascinates, attracts you with its catchy rhythm so that your legs ask to dance, and your whole body begins to move to the beat of the fast-paced melody. Lezginka will not leave anyone indifferent.
Uniting Lezginka
Lezginka is danced by over 100 peoples (Karachais, Balkars, Avars, Circassians, Adygs, Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, etc.). Each of them has its own characteristic movements, but there are some that are performed in the same way by everyone. Everyone has the same dance language. Here the Lezginka acts as a cultural “bridge” between peoples. Caucasians can stand in a large circle anywhere and start. They don't need to explain anything to each other - the rhythm will do it itself.
Performance technique
The Lezginka melody is dynamic and clear. The pace is fast. Musical time signature– 6/8. Posture is very important: a man holds himself extremely straight, taut, like a string. The chest is slightly protruded forward. Almost the entire dance takes place on tiptoes. Movements are jerky and sharp. Throughout the body there is beauty, grace and at the same time masculinity and strength. The arms are spread out like the wings of an eagle, and the legs make dozens of movements per minute.
Man and woman
Lezginka is predominantly male dance, because he demonstrates purely masculine qualities - courage, strength, belligerence. A woman, in public, should not repeat the movements of her partner, making sharp lunges - this is indecent. She must be feminine. A straight back, a raised chin, a smile, smooth swings of the arms, graceful steps - that’s how a girl is.
Another thing is a close circle of friends where you can completely surrender to the dance. Women dance with pleasure, putting all their soul and passion into it. And how could it be otherwise? After all, Lezginka is a catchy, fiery dance, loved by all peoples. It is impossible to resist him.
Every nation wants its history to be remembered, traditions and culture to be respected. There are no two identical states on Earth. Each has its own roots and unique features - a highlight. It is one of these wonderful peoples that we will discuss further.
Caucasus - terrain high mountains, excellent wines and hot Caucasian blood. However, many years ago, when this region was still wild and untamed, the amazing Lezgin people (Caucasian nationality) lived here, awakening the modern civilized Caucasus to life. These were people with rich and ancient history. For many centuries they were better known as “legs” or “leki”. Living in the south, he constantly defended himself from the great ancient conquerors of Persia and Rome.
Nationality "Lezgins": history
A long time ago, several original mountain tribes united in order to create their own state, unlike anyone else, with its own spiritual culture and deep traditions. It was the beginning of the 13th century. Well, they succeeded very well, because today the Lezgins (nationality) live in the southernmost territories of Russia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. For a long time they inhabited the Dagestan region, which continually passed into the possession of new invaders. The inhabitants of that area at that time were called “emirs of Lezgistan.” Over time, the state split into many small khanates that fought for their independence.
People who honor traditions
Let's take a closer look at this nationality. Lezgins have a rather bright and explosive character. For a long time, these Caucasian people have honored the customs of hospitality, kunakism and, of course, blood feud. It is noteworthy that very big role Proper parenting plays a role in their culture. Surprisingly, they begin to raise the baby even when he is in the mother’s womb. This is probably what distinguishes Lezgins. Nationality has a lot interesting traditions. Here is one of them.
If women could not have children, that is, they were childless, they were sent to the sacred places of the Caucasus. In case of success, namely the birth of children of different sexes, families who were friends with each other promised each other to marry their children in the future. They sincerely believed in the healing power sacred places and took such trips very seriously. Some argue that such a custom was formed as a result of the desire to strengthen friendly and family ties between certain families.
Ancient rituals and modern life
Lezgin - what kind of nation is this? Let's take a closer look below. Despite their small numbers, the Lezgins have quite fundamental moral standards, which are associated with long traditions.
Of the wedding customs, one can highlight one of the most striking - bride kidnapping. The most interesting thing is that such a tradition was practiced both with and without the consent of the bride. As it turned out, there was no ransom as such. For the young woman, a certain payment was simply made to her parents. Perhaps today for some it resembles some kind of purchase and seems not entirely worthy, but practice shows that the majority local residents We treated this with joy and great enthusiasm.
Eastern traditions of hospitality
Lezgins have a special attitude towards guests and elderly people. They are shown special respect. Old people are not allowed to do difficult work, and guests are not allowed to do household chores at all, even if they urgently ask for it. Guests are given all the best: they sleep on the most comfortable bed, even if the owners may spend the night on the floor. Sometimes I wish that even today many peoples could better study their culture and learn something useful from there, especially regarding how to treat guests. People today have achieved a lot, but have lost something valuable - an understanding of the true nature of human relationships.
Eastern cultures, in principle, differ from others in their special attitudes towards women. In the East they have always been considered minor members of society. The Lezgin culture is no exception, but it is safe to say that, despite this situation, men have always treated Lezgin women with deep respect. It was considered a great shame for a Lezgin family to raise a hand against a woman or to insult her dignity in some other way.
Spiritual heritage or what is the national religion of the Lezgins?
What can be said about the spiritual heritage of the ancient Lezgins? Today the majority professes Islam. Scientists readily admit that religious culture people has not been thoroughly studied, but its roots certainly go back to paganism and are largely intertwined with folk mythology. For example, Lezgins still have a rather curious idea of how the planet is located in space. amazing planet Earth. They believe that it rests on the horns of Yaru Yatz (Red Bull), which, in turn, stands on Chiehi Yad (translated as “Big Water”). This is a rather interesting design. Although it is somewhat contrary to scientific evidence, some people believe in it very sincerely. Like these ones unusual performances Lezgins talked about peace. A nationality whose religion is Islam is quite distinctive.
famous all over the world
Some are outraged by the fact that these religious teachings are filled with mythology and quite often contradict generally accepted concepts about common sense. Modern life This people has largely accepted the principles of modernity. They certainly respect traditions, but they are much less fanatical about them than before. Special attention attracts tourists and travelers national dance Lezgin. Today there are very few people who have never heard of Lezginka.
This original and fascinating dance has been danced by Lezgins for a long time. This nationality is quite distinctive, and the dance is proof of this. How long ago Lezginka arose and how old it is is not known for certain. Some suggest that it originates from ritual Caucasian dances.
Lezginka is a very dynamic and movement-filled dance. By the way, modern name It was the Russians who gave it to him. The cheerful and cheerful music to which this dance is performed did not leave many indifferent famous composers. Some of them even slightly changed or interpreted the old traditional melody in a different way.
Hello, dear readers. The object of our today's research is the famous Lezginka dance. There is rather scant and contradictory information about him on the Internet. Without pretending to be the judge of last resort, we decided to collect in one article all the most interesting things about the main dance of the peoples of the Caucasus.
The history of the origin of Lezginka. Whose dance is this?
Debate about who came up with it beautiful dance and where it originated, they still do not subside. The reason for all these disputes is simple - every nation is trying to assign itself the status of ancestor and founder. We can only say for sure that the Caucasian Lezginka first appeared to the world in and this is where her “homeland” is located.
In the Russian lexicon, a similar name for the dance was established during the 19th century. It is known that at that time all the mountain peoples of Dagestan were called the collective term “Lezgins”. This is where the name of the dance itself comes from. Interesting conclusions can be reached if we analyze the etymology of the word “Lezginka”. Its root is “lek”, which means “eagle”. Thus, it can be assumed that this is an "eagle dance". Pay attention to the position of the bird's wings and the dancer's hands:
There is another theory about the appearance of dance. The Georgians, who also claim to be the ancestors, used the word “lak” (equivalent to the word “lek”) to designate all the Dagestan peoples. And some experts, not without reason, believe that the Lezginka personifies the dance of mountain aurochs (this is a large steep-horned goat that lives in the mountains).
We prefer the first theory of the appearance of dance. In a pair of Lezginkas, even the naked eye can see that the man, with his fiery movements, personifies the pride of the eagle, and the woman – beauty and modesty beautiful swan. This is a magical dance; in ancient times, dancers, alternating circles and switching rhythms, firstly, charmed the sacrificial animal, and secondly, sought to achieve the highest harmony of merging themselves with the deity and the natural world.
Former soloist and director, and now a veteran of the famous academic, Eldar Mirzoev, once said:
“Lezginka is not an ethnic dance of any particular ethnic group. The simple fact is that in the east very often the term “lek”, “lezg”, “laks” acted as a general name for all Dagestanis. Thus, Lezginka is primarily a common Dagestan dance. The secret of the popularity of both the dance and the Lezginka ensemble lies precisely in its original Dagestan origin, which in itself implies Caucasian authenticity.
We, Dagestanis, have managed to preserve, I think, the most ancient, archaic features of this dance. The origins of Lezginka go back centuries. We are talking about totemistic rituals as ancient as the world itself. Apparently, these dances embody the idea of fertility, masculinity, and fire. Pay attention to the dancer’s arm extended to the side - this is a horn, a symbol of fertility and masculinity. The position of the girl's hands means the same thing, but, of course, in a girlish version. The Tur is one of the main totemistic ancestors of the Dagestanis; people in the mountains have long hunted Turs, domesticated them, wild goats.
In ancient times, Dagestanis largely ate the meat of aurochs, wild goats, and wild bulls. By the way, it is no coincidence that the dancer stands on the tips of his toes; this is again borrowed from tours. In the museums of Dagestan, and just under open air In the mountain villages you can see and see for yourself how often the ancients depicted the morning, the mountain goat. These are always clearly ritual, magical images. The same is equally true for dance.”
The Dagestan school of folk dance is recognized as the strongest in the world. Here, children are accustomed to the rhythms of the mountains almost from the cradle. Folk dance has entered into, it dictates its requirements not only to appearance(to posture, for example), but also accustoms you to the rhythm of perception of life.
Lezginka accumulates, reflects and retains a lot of things: applied arts, legends and customs, folk music and theater. In addition, dance is the most important element way of life mountaineers, an unsurpassed and not fully disclosed phenomenon of uniting everyone. This is not just a dance, it is a standard of stateliness, beauty and nobility. He is a direct expression of the true mountain character - freedom-loving, proud and unyielding.
Types of dance: classification and description
ABOUT current state dance is little spoken and written today. Issues of staging and choreography, classification and other nuances are accessible to a narrow circle of specialists. If you do not take into account (the so-called pop), then you will practically not be able to find information about the fundamentals anywhere. At first glance, they seem simple, but it is very important to know them and be able to interpret them.
In fact, we are one of the first to make an attempt to somehow classify the Caucasian Lezginka. The first thing that comes to mind is the geography of the dance’s distribution.
Dances of the peoples of the North Caucasus
- Classical (Dagestan) Lezginka.
It was specially highlighted as a separate item. After all, this is the most common dance in the Caucasus and beyond. If you dig deeper, you can decompose it even further. For example, separate directions include wedding or couples lezginka.
- National dances of Dagestan.
What did you think? We wrote that every nation has its own dance. And in the Republic of Dagestan there are only 14 indigenous peoples (36 in total). And they are completely different from the classic Lezginka. A completely different rhythm of music, costumes, movements, steps. The nature of the dance itself is different. Therefore, all these dances (Kumyk, Avar, Dargin, Gergebel, Lak, Lezgin, Andean, Tabasaran, Akushinsky, and so on) are combined into a separate group.
- Dances of other North Caucasian peoples (excluding RD). This group occupies a whole layer: Karachay, Kabardian (slamey), Ossetian dances “”, “Honga” and so on. Sometimes they are very different from each other. For example, if the Chechen Lezginka “lights up, tears and rushes,” then the Ossetian dance is very calm in performance.
Dances of the peoples of Transcaucasia
This group is very extensive, it includes dances from three independent states at once - (for example, “Yalli” and “Vagzali”), Georgia (“Kartuli”, “Narnari”, “Kisturi”, “Abraguli”) and Armenia. Of course, Georgian dances stand apart here. After all, it was the Georgian by nationality - the great grandfather - who at the beginning of the 20th century showed the world the magnificence of Lezginka on World Festival folk dance in London.
The work of his grandfather was continued by the Sukhishvili dynasty, who created the unique National Ballet of Georgia in Georgia. It was here that we climbed this high level, which is even difficult to imagine. Abkhazian and Adjarian dances can be included in the same group.
Classification by version
- Male single dance.
The most common type, it is often compared to fire or lightning. And indeed it is! the main objective men in dance - ignite the fire of love in a girl’s heart. After all, in the old days they most often danced in two cases - during military operations or before battle (to raise spirits) and at a wedding (to choose a bride).
- Women's single dance.
It is performed very rarely in this form. The female Lezginka symbolizes the swan. All movements are extremely smooth and beautiful. By the way, there are male lezginka movements that are performed. It is clear that she will not perform turns and jumps, but many male movements have become firmly established in the arsenal of female dance.
Women's Lezginka symbolizes grace and charm. The plasticity of the hands plays a primary role in her dance and is a means of expressing her soul and character. She should not allow herself anything extra in the dance. The eyes are slightly lowered, the head is raised. You cannot raise your eyes above your partner’s chest and lower them below your waist. At the same time, it is not forbidden to look at your feet.
- Pair dance is one of the most beautiful.
Important historical “merits” of the Caucasian Lezginka
We tried to highlight the three most important “achievements” of the Lezginka, which influenced the development of history and fate.
- Lezginka is the most popular folk dance in the world, which has been preserved unchanged.
IN last decades almost all folk dances of the world (Russian, Ukrainian, Moldavian) have undergone very great changes. There was a fundamental shift towards stage interpretation.
Dances have lost their originality and are on the verge of extinction. Experts have been talking about this for a long time. Ask yourself, who performs Russian folk dances today? Not those dances that are danced after a bottle of vodka, but truly folk dances. Only in professional dance groups They can dance you a real Russian dance, but not in all of them.
From an early age, children are taught the rhythm of dance. Therefore, the vast majority of Caucasians can dance Lezginka. Of course, not everyone knows it perfectly, but can you imagine that Russian youth gathered to dance a folk dance?
It’s even funny to read, isn’t it? But Caucasians do it. Another thing is that you need to do this in such a way as not to disturb the peace of those around you. The fact is that everyone dances Lezginka: from young to old, from builders to regional leaders. Therefore, it can be argued that this is the most folk dance.
Moreover, today it is performed as masterfully as its fathers and great-grandfathers. He hasn't changed much since then. Yes, new movements and know-how were introduced, but the essence of the dance remained unchanged. In this regard, the question arises: why hasn’t Lezginka undergone major changes over time and become a stage performance?
The answer is obvious: main reason– this is the conservatism of the Caucasian peoples. Moreover, conservatism in everything: in everyday life, in gender relations, in culture. Traditions have always been revered above all else in the Caucasus. They even came up with a popular word “”, which everyone uses. It was this factor that helped the dance not to lose its originality. Thus, time has no power over the Lezginka. This dance is eternal. And no matter what happens around him, he will live as long as at least one Caucasian is alive.
- The dance was able to unite over 100 Caucasian peoples under “its banner.”
And this is truly an achievement on a universal scale. Millions of politicians and philosophers throughout the history of mankind have been scratching their heads over how to unite certain peoples. And the Lezginka, as if by chance, took and “united” over 100 nations under its flag. And this is not an exaggeration!
More than 36 indigenous peoples live in Dagestan alone. And there are also Kabardians, Balkars, Circassians, Karachais, Digorians, Ossetians, Circassians, Georgians, Abkhazians, Armenians, and so on. In the article about diversity, we learned that every nation has its own dance, with its own energy, music, rhythm and costumes. But there are movements that are performed by all nations, they are called “common Caucasian”.
It doesn’t matter what nationality a person is - Avar, Kumyk or Azerbaijani, upon hearing the sounds of an incendiary Lezginka, anyone starts dancing. And everyone else will support him, even if only with the exclamation “Assa.” Everyone has the same dance language. There is no need for a translator, no need for a dictionary. People understand each other by their movements.
- Caucasian dance is one of the most universal in world culture.
What is meant by the word "universal"? Today, the National Ballet operates in Georgia, cultivating ancient dance traditions. With exactly the same success, poets and composers turn to the rhythms of the Caucasus when performing in classical ballet and on opera stage. Just remember the opera by M.I. Glinka “Ruslan and Lyudmila”:
Or the famous ballet “Gayane”. In these productions, the art of dance is simply raised to an unimaginable level, which is very difficult to comprehend:
Isn't this evidence of the uniqueness of this amazing dance? No matter what they say, today no folk dance can boast of the same successes and historically important achievements as the Caucasian Lezginka. When you hear that it is somewhere, it becomes simply funny. In the Soviet Union, religion was also banned for 70 years. But you can’t order your heart and soul!
Five fundamentals of dance - the whole essence is based on them
Many people dream of learning to dance Lezginka. Almost anyone can physically do this. a full-fledged person. But before you begin practical training, let's take a look at what the dance is based on.
There are five main “pillars” on which all dance art rests. In order to reach the top in choreography, you need to start with one “basis” and gradually move on to the next.
- The first is correct posture.
It starts with setting your posture. Beautiful and correct posture is 80% of success. Unfortunately, today it cannot be said that all beginning dancers have it correct. Many choreographers pay close attention to this issue, since it is impossible to imagine, for example, a girl who dances and slouches. It doesn't look very nice and the whole flavor of the dance is lost.
- The second is the look.
In Lezginka, the look has a special meaning. After all, in the old days it was not customary to tell a girl about your feelings. They developed an unspoken “language of views” and demonstrated it in dance. In turn, the girls had to either accept this gesture with their gaze, or simply show that she was not interested in the boy.
It is important to know that the “language of views” of men and women is completely different. If a man in a dance must show his confidence, strength, courage, and for this he needs to look into his partner’s eyes all the time, then a girl, on the contrary, needs to show a modest look. You know, performing a dance purely mechanically (training yourself) is not very difficult, the most important thing is that you enjoy it.
- Third - hand movements and positions.
The fundamental hand position is the same everywhere. Accordingly, then there are various options and forms of positions and hand movements. In the classic Lezginka there are 6-8 main positions.
- Fourth - leg movements.
There are three types of movements: a simple single movement (for example, some kind of “picking”), “characteristic movement” (cascade and alternation of movements, solo) and steps (for example, the Chechen move). Each of them has its own nuances and aspects that also need to be understood.
- Fifth - smile.
Disputed question. Some choreographers claim that a guy doesn’t need to smile while dancing. Then the question is: why do the dancers of famous ensembles smile? Even if you have beautiful posture, clear movements of your arms and legs, but there is a “stone” on your face, your dance will not bring pleasure to anyone. Radiant smile always warms people's hearts and gives joy. Therefore, smile more often.
What benefits will learning Lezginka bring?
Let's highlight ten main advantages that you will get from dancing (in fact, there are many more):
- Good mood (cheerfulness of spirit). Everyone understands that dancing is hard work, and without Have a good mood it is very difficult to overpower him. Many people turn on the lezginka instead of charging and start dancing. Like this in a simple way they get a boost of energy for the whole day.
- Beautiful and a slim body. Dancing is the same physical exercise, but to the music. It has been noticed that in 2.5 hours of intensive lezginka training a person can lose up to 1.5 kg.
- Correct posture. Great attention is paid to instilling correct posture in all dances. This is understandable, since posture is very important always and everywhere. Especially for girls.
- Better coordination of movements. Lezginka is a very dynamic dance and requires dexterity and speed of reaction. Therefore, coordination of movements improves over time.
- Development of flexibility. It has long been noted that dancers are less susceptible to injuries than others (not counting professional injuries). Due to the elasticity and flexibility of the muscles, sprains are very rare in these people.
- Beautiful gait. Correct posture, a slender figure and good coordination of movements lead to the fact that a person develops a beautiful gait over time.
- Confident look. They say that sometimes you can say more with a look than with words. It is with his gaze that the dancer conveys all the energy of the dance.
- Radiant smile. It's nice to meet people whose faces light up with a smile. All professional dancers smile very often. Moreover, it prolongs life.
- Discipline (self-control) . It is a pleasure to see how disciplined people are when they dance. Often such discipline resembles almost military drill. But the game is worth the candle! This pays off in that a person learns to control his life.
- New acquaintances (interesting interlocutors). A person should always expand his circle of acquaintances. This is necessary for its development.
