Feature Article
Introduction to Dance in Iran: Part I
by Robyn Friend
Iran is a fascinating country, and little known in the West. Unlike
many of its near
neighbors, it is not an Arab country; most of its inhabitants are linguistically,
culturally, and ethnically distinct from their Arab neighbors to the
west and south.
Iranians are more closely related to Tajiks, Kurds and Afghans than
to Arabs.
Within Iran is found a mosaic of different local languages, cultures,
and ways of life.
Tent-dwelling tribal nomads of the southwest plains, rice farmers in
the northern
coastal rain forest, fiercely independent mountain folk of the northwest,
pearl fishers
of the tropical southern Persian Gulf -- all have their own distinct
styles of music and
dance.
There is one type of dance that seems to be most common in Iran and
among
Iranians of the Diaspora, and with which non-Iranians are most likely
to be familiar.
This is the solo improvisation, a type of dance that has been part
of professional and
family home entertainment from Central Asia to the Mediterranean for
centuries. Its
origins are uncertain, but it has been portrayed in Iranian art and
literature since
pre- Islamic times.
Iranian Social dance: A Foundation for Persian Classical Dance
The social dance form of this traditional dance is sometimes referred
to as raqs-e
tehrânî, meaning "dance of Tehran", Tehran being the current
capital of Iran. Similar
dances are done in various forms across a wide area; the Iranian version
shares
many features in common with the social dances of the Uighurs, Tajiks,
Uzbeks,
Anatolian Turks, Armenians, and the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean
and the
Balkans (e.g., Bulgarian ruçenica, Macedonian Roma cocek). Raqs-e
tehrani can be
done as a social dance by individuals, couples, or groups. Though the
dancers may
dance together and relate to one another, there is no requirement to
synchronize
steps or follow one another in any way; thus regardless of how many
dancers
participate, each one is essentially dancing solo. Depending on how
restrictive the
social situation is, groups or couples can be mixed or same-sex.
In raqs-e tehrânî, the arms are held at approximately shoulder
level; the emphasis is
on delicate hand turns, coy facial expressions, and gentle hip and
foot movements.
All movements are improvised to dance music most often in a 6/8 rhythm
called reng.
This is the major Iranian dance form for Iranians currently living
outside Iran, and can
be seen at all Iranian emigrant events where dancing by guests forms
part of the
entertainment. It is a dance for participation and recreation, not
primarily for viewing
by others.
Persian Classical Dance: A Description
The raqs-e tehrânî dance style forms a basis for Persian
classical dance, the
theatricalization of Iranian popular social dance.The execution is
more refined and
sophisticated, elaborated into an art intended for viewing by others,
either in a
professional or family home setting. Like raqs-e tehrani, the movements
involve upper
body flexibility and grace, a variety of facial expressions. A feature
of classical
Persian dance is raqs-e bazak, the "makeup dance" in which the dancer
mimes, in
time to the music, the movements of a lady's toilette such as brushing
her hair and
putting on jewelry and makeup. A dancer might also manipulate objects
such as tea
glasses, or may use finger cymbals or other objects to mark the rhythm.
Unlike ballet or the classical dance forms of India and Japan, Persian
classical dance
has no formalized steps or schools, and the emphasis is on improvisation
rather than
choreography. There are limits of style, attitude, and musical interpretation
within
which the dance can be said to be traditionally Persian, and beyond
which the dance
is no longer considered Persian. Within these boundaries, however,
great leeway is
given the dancer for improvisation and expression.
Persian Classical Dance: A Brief History
During the Safavid (1501-1732) and Qajar (1779-1924) dynasties professional
public
dancers were known as motrebi or lûtî, and were generally
prostitutes. Throughout
Iran, particularly in urban areas, groups of these motrebi or lûtî
included musicians,
singers, dancers, acrobats, actors, and others. Similar groups of dancers
and
entertainers were attached to the court and formed a major part of
entertainment
for guests. In addition to dancing, these women also provided other
entertainment:
At the banquets and receptions where they performed, women dancers typically
engaged in a combination of dancing and entertainment that included
juggling,
acrobatics, and magician's tricks.. [Mathee, 2000, p.140]
Dance also forms an integral part of traditional rû- howzî
theater pieces, and each
role has its characteristic dance style; e.g., Hajji Firuz, roles played
by men dressed
as women, and so forth. These groups performed on the street and were
available
for hire at weddings and other parties. These entertainments could
be highly vulgar,
and included suggestive lyrics and movements.
Motrebi-style dance flourished as popular and court entertainment throughout
the
Qajar period, until the early part of the 20th century, when Westernization
(qarb-zadegi) and the strict attitudes of Shah Rezâ Pahlavî
caused traditional Iranian
arts to fall out of public favor. Professional dance became the province
mainly of
low-class nightclub performers, prostitutes, and non-Muslims (Nazemi,
personal
communication, 1993; for a discussion of Motrebi groups in Mashad,
see Blum, pages
155 to 162).
Professional dance began to enjoy a return to respectability and fashion
when
Mohammad Reza Shah (1941-1978) married Sorayya; musicians and dancers
were
again invited into the court. This also gave rise to the non-traditional
dance
performance based on the European model of set choreographies, scenery,
and
concert-hall venues. In 1967, a government-subsidized dance group,
Sâzmân-e
foklor-e Irân (which performed in the United States as "The Mahalli
Dancers of Iran"),
was founded under the direction of Robert De Warren of the British
Royal Ballet. They
performed both Iranian folk dance choreographed for the stage, and
balletic
presentations of Iranian epic tales (e.g., "Haft Peykar"). Another
professional dance
group, Bâle-ye mellî-e Pârs, was founded by A. Nâzemî,
who, in addition to his ballet
choreographies on traditional themes, researched and set choreographies
of Iranian
village and tribal dance, and brought outstanding performers from tribes
and villages
to Tehran to appear on television. Traditional performance dance also
began to make
a comeback with the revival of traditional rû-howzî theater.
--
Dr. Robyn C. Friend is a singer, dancer choreographer and linguist who
specializes in
Iranian and Turkic folklore. She has studied with noted teachers in
Iran, Turkey, and
the US and continues to do research both at home and abroad. She has
a Ph.D. in
Iranian languages from UCLA, and has authored numerous papers in both
scholarly
and popular publications. Her teaching and choreographic credits include
work for
AMAN, the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, and Het Internationaal
Danstheater of
Amsterdam. She teaches and performs, mostly for the Iranian community,
in Los
Angeles.
--
Bibliography
Blum, R. S. Musics in Contact: The Cultivation of Oral Repertoires in
Meshed, Iran.
Oberlin College Doctoral Dissertation, 1972.
Mahdavi, Medea. Personal communication, 2000.
Matthee, Rudi "Prostitutes, Courtesans and Dancing Girls: Women Entertainers
in
Safavid Iran", Iran and Beyond: Essays in Middle Eastern History in
Honor of Nikki R.
Keddie, Rudi Matthee and Beth Baron, ed. Mazda Publishers, Inc., Costa
Mesa,
California, 2000.
Nazemi, A. Personal communication, 1993.
©Copyright 2000 - Discover Belly Dance - All Rights Reserved.