Attan (English:Dance) (Parisian: Raqs) (Pashto: اتڼ) is a form of dance that originated in Afghanistan. Attan began as a folk dance conducted by Pashtuns
in times of war or during weddings or other celebrations (engagements,
new year, and informal gatherings). It is now considered the national
dance of Afghanistan.
The performance of attan dance in the open air has long been customary in the Pashtun culture and is carried by all Pashtuns, of all ethnic groups. Attan is a special type of dance performed by a troupe of 50 to 100
dancers who wave red scarves in the air while musicians beat drums. This
dance is common among the Pashtuns and promoted it as the national
dance of Afghanistan.Dance steps
To the accompaniment of drums and pipes the dancers form a circle,
taking each other by the hand or preparing to revolve in circles of
their own. The dance starts with slow steps that gradually get faster
and faster until it seems the performers must drop from exhaustion.
However, the dance continues, sometimes for two or three hours at a
stretch, with no breaks except a lowering of tempo or changes in the
tunes and songs.
What the Attan Dance consists of: The dancers gather in a circle,
and then is followed by music which starts slow at first, and then
gradually speeds up. There is a consistent beat and rhythm, and during
that specific beat is when they clap inside the circle, so the movement
of the hands is outside prior to the beat. It is then followed by the
dancers bringing their hands out and then clapping inside the circle,
and it is the same routine and pattern of movement, which then get
faster. As the movements and routine get faster, the one clap turns into
two claps, and the dancers who are more advanced, at times will add
turns into the movements. All in all, they must keep the circular path
with the clap on the beat, every other move added is up to the
individuals who originate and add their own personal style to the dance.
Common dance moves involve the extending of arms into air and the
stretch and extension of legs. When extending arms into air, there are
times when the hands are free or there is the waving of the regalia and
extension of the attire to show the detail and color.
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