Lezgian.
Mountaineers say that the song and dance is the soul of the people.
Epic Dagestan. Here music in everything: in a roar of waves of the Caspian Sea, in a murmur of a crystal spring, in clatter of hoofs of a hot racer. Even the echo of snow tops and fogs of gorges sing anthems to the beautiful native land.
For me Dagestan - an indissoluble chain of symbols: papakha, staff, dagger, urbech, gvay, zurna, Rasoul Gamzatov, Lezgian.
Yes, Lezgian.
Not for nothing this music an accurate rhythm, a lightning of movements drew to itself attention of composers: Glinka in the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila", Rubenstein in "Demon" couldn't do without rough, full force majeure, passion of an enchanting spectacle.
About the Lezgian I was told by Demir Sherifaliyev from the Akhtynsky area - the Lezgian on a nationality. And as differently, after all сказ about the Lezgian:
- It is the most ancient ritual ceremony of the proud, freedom-loving Caucasus. Dance - an echo of the pagan beliefs singing of an image of an eagle which hunts on a fallow deer. Eagle in Lezghin is “lek”. Where eagles fly - wolves have nothing to do.
What is the Lezgian?
The Lezgian is a mainly man's dance with daggers. It is impossible to present that the Lezgian one girls danced, in turn, dance without their participation - a commonplace.
The Lezgian is a peculiar dance competition between dancers - fast, temperamental, demanding the big force, dexterity, indefatigability from the young man and smoothness, grace from the girl.
The Lezgian doesn't take away force, and gives them, multiplies... It is a positive charge of huge power. Spiritual control before heavy hunting, bloody fight, is so strong in it power.
The Lezgian is not simply jumps under music. It is emission of mood, a state of mind by means of harmonious movements of a body...
The Lezgian is a rattling mix. In it laughter and tears, pleasure and sufferings, true love and fierce hatred, strong friendship and irreconcilable hostility.
The Lezgian happens different. Is Avarian, Chechen, Georgian... but essence one: for those who lets in dance the life, it becomes the Universe, the driving force which isn't allowing for a second to stop... Paints the world around in indescribably bright magic paints.
The homeland of the Lezgian is Lezgistan where for the first time and there was a name of surprising dance so esteemed in the Caucasus, and the Dagestan Lezgian, in turn, the most spectacular and interesting by right is considered. Dance received a proper name during invasion of the Arab Caliphate. Arabs of mountaineers called clangs or leks. That in transfer means mining bandits. It were fearless soldiers who a sword won freedom and independence.
Military victories this peoples noted with ritual dance: at the edges of a valley made fire and in the center - the main fire. Around the main soldiers who have caused a stir on hunting or in fight settled down.
In those distant age-old centuries the people of the Caucasus held sacred traditions, observed customs of ancestors. The special attitude towards the lady was one of such customs. The woman, whether it be mother, the wife, the daughter or the sister, was perceived as the keeper of a home. More reverent, jealous attitude to a weak half, than in the Caucasus, you won't meet anywhere. Insult of the woman - an insult of all of peoples. The shame could be redeemed only with blood. Severe laws of mountains didn't allow young goryanka to appear on the street one and to talk to foreign men. The young girl left the house only accompanied by the father or the brother. The foreign man couldn't approach or start talking to it without consent of relatives. By centuries-old Caucasian traditions where the chastity and respect of the young man for the girl remain still, was considered indecent to express the feelings, to speak about them publicly. Therefore sympathies young expressed in dance.
The wedding was the main holiday for which people of the different people often conflicting among themselves gathered. The legend which has reached up to now, says: on one of such weddings of the young Dzhigit the girl in an environment of brothers struck indescribable beauty. It was similar to a swan, protected by falcons. Heart of the young man escaped from a breast and departed to it. Flashing music flashed. The Dzhigit desperately darted off in incendiary dance. Having risen by socks, having proudly stretched hands wings, it smoothly spun, bent a knee, jumped again as if being going to fly up. The Dzhigit showed all feelings, the love in a mad tuft.
So this noble dance was born.
Later the Lezgian began to dance in couple. The young man and the girl keep at some distance from each other. They circle, carrying out difficult lines of this or that drawing. Look of the young man the burning. He tries to glance all dance to the girl in eyes. The girl doesn't dare to lift a look, estimating the man of courage gradually. Movements express it inaccessibility. As if white the swan floats a goryanka around, gracefully bending a camp and smoothly conducting a hand. The Dzhigit - that obediently after it, a prompt throw blocking a way. The rhythm becomes more and more expressional, fire eyes sparkle. Air is broken off by shout: Op-pia! Op-pia! XIopc! Top the guy near the girl curls: Ors-tokh! As sa! In dance there is some kind of game: the girl escapes, the guy directs behind her, however she is willful, he should exhaust her in the drawing; the young man tries to hold disturbing vision, but thus doesn't dare to concern at all. For it - death.
... Each other a look only concerning,
Their dance in music soars,
Duet, into the poem turning,
As nice dialogue sounds...
Now other times. Now the Lezgian by right is considered dance of friendship, love and happiness. If the young man attracted to the girl, she obediently floats ahead, enticing him for itself. Dance by mutual bow each other comes to an end. After wires of the partner the dancer temperamentally, under fervent shouts of friends, executes an exulting chord of a victory...
Soft maiden grace, high-speed, loading man's rhythms the Lezgian bewitches and at the same time gets dancing and observing. The viewer is ready to dart off and break into a dance!
Are able to dance in Dagestan and love!
Any holiday doesn't do without the Lezgian. Prompt, fire, winged dance of Dagestanis - truly national. Also that mountaineer who isn't able to dance is bad. It is interesting that the Lezgian dance everywhere. Accompaniment doesn't require many tools. Sometimes manage simple cottons of hands, setting a rhythm if only the mood burst forth...
Once, on the road from Okhta to Derbent, the radio wave poured over us an irrepressible rhythm of the Lezgian. Abdoul sharply I braked on the edge of a night roadside and under light of headlights together with Mugutdin, Ramys, Magaram it was let in dance.
Interest. Delight! Envy... Burned! .
"So they... the most interesting kolenets... without me! . will take it", - blood in veins began to boil, and with exulting shout:
- I want that! - snapping fingers, I twirled in wild infectious dance. - As sa! As sa!!!
Guys if you see us dancing the Lezgian on the road, don't pass by.
Join!