Folk Dancing!

Today I’m going to talk about North Cyprus folk dancing. Despite having grown up doing ballet and tap dancing lessons, I’m still one of those people you see at the side of the dance floor at parties, bobbing awkwardly to the beat and picking at the buffet food. I’ve never seen it as an activity representative of expression so much as one of great embarrassment! North Cyprus has a completely different idea though, with folk dancing being an expression of emotion and enjoyment shared with others. It is a big part of the countries culture and tradition.

This style of dance dates back to around 1910, with the performance of the kartchilamas, which is still to this day one of the most popular of the folk dances. This consists of a series of dances that vary considering the performer, the location and the era. They form a part of a whole, with the kartchilamas often being followed by other folk dances including the Syrtos, which involves dancing in a circle holding your partner.  These moves are brought out at weddings and other such ceremonious celebrations.

The music played to accompany the folk dancing is traditional, using a reed instrument named a Zurna that creates an ambient sound of the Middle East. Two types of drums are also played in order to create a beat: the darbuka and dayyul, which are hit with a stick.

The dance also has its own unique costume, which can slightly vary but is mostly made up of a colourful head dress, scarf embellished with gold coins and a white knee length dress with embroidery on for women. Men wear a white shirt, black knee high trousers and a cloth belt. They also accessorise with a pocket watch and handkerchief.

So next time you’re in North Cyprus why not give it a go? Trying new things and feeling a bit silly is all part of the holiday experience after all! You’ll find that many hotels offer a folk night as part of their entertainment, while there is also the Kyrenia Municipality Folk Dance Group, who tour their folk dancing shows at festivals all over the world, showing others the spirit of carefree enjoyment and happiness that makes the folk dancing of North Cyprus such a proud tradition of the country. You can check them out below: