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See also Austrian folk dancing
See also Ethnic Dances of China
Traditional Turkish Cypriot folk dances can be divided into 5 categories: Karsilamas, Sirtos, Zeybeks, Ciftetellis & Arabiyes, and Topical Dances.
Karsilama means coming face to face in Turkish. It is danced by two or more dancers by coming face to face, among whom there exists a very good friendship. This causes a smiling mimic on the dancers' faces because of their happiness of enjoying together. There are separate women karsilamas and men karsilamas. In some karsilamas dancers use a handkerchief and dance by (each of them) holding one side of it. Some dancers might from time to time show their special talents like spinning, jumping, kneeling, or hitting their feet or legs or the ground with their hands in accordance with the rhythm of the music simultaneously with spinning or jumping or kneeling... Karsilamas are named with numbers. Karsilama 1, Karsilama 2, Karsilama 3, Karsilama 4, Women's Karsilama 3, Women's Karsilama 4, etc... And they are usually played and danced in the same ascending order as listed here.
Sirtos are one of the most liked folk dances and music in Cyprus. Sirto comes from the Greek Syrtos. However, it is easy to also observe the Turkish motives in the ones used in Cyprus. Even Ottoman Sultans liked very much this Greek music form and composed songs in that form. The most popular non-anonymous example is the Hicaz Sirto of 32nd Ottoman Sultan Abdul Aziz, which is known in North Cyprus among Turkish Cypriots as Aziziye Sirto. Similarly it is known (played and danced) in the South Cyprus among Greek Cypriots as Aziziyes Syrtos. This is quite normal taking into consideration that the two communities lived together for a very long time in Cyprus history. In some parts of sirtos pairs of dancers hold a handkerchief from its two sides as in karsilamas. When one of the dancers starts making skillful movements the other stops dancing and keeps holding the handkerchief firmly so that his friend will not fall down. Seherli Sirtosu, Aziziye Sirto, Iskele Sirtosu, Azize, Kina Sirtosu, etc, are the most popular sirtos...
Zeybeks are relatively slow and have more swaggering attitude than other dances. They represent the determination, braveness and strength of the males. Zeybeks' origin is known to be Turkish. They have also been used by Greeks. Greek Cypriots call it "Zeybekikos" and Rhodos Greeks call it "Turkikos". They are very popular in Western and Central Anatolia. In zeybeks which have lyrics, the parts with lyrics are not danced. Cyprus Zeybeks are relatively faster. Abdal Zeybegi, Sarhos Zeybegi, Kibris Zeybegi, Iskele Zeybegi are the most popular zeybeks...
Ciftetellis and Arabiyes are free dance forms danced by females. Female dancers swing their heads, shake their shoulders and chests, swing their bellies and hips, etc, mostly to attract males. Some examples are Ciftetelli, Bahriye Ciftetellisi, Mevlana, Arabiye 1, Arabiye 2, etc...
These are the dramatic dances with some themes from daily life or special events. They can be categorized into 5 groups according to their themes: animal motions and behaviors, daily and special human activities, male-female relations, nature facts and events, fights and battles with or without guns. Music of many of these dances contain lyrics. The significance of these lyrics is to strengthen the effect of the movements in the dances. These dances enable skillful dancers to illustrate interesting aspects of the corresponding themes. Orak, Kozan, Kartal, Topal, Degirmenci, Nisan, etc, are the most popular examples in this category...
- Some examples Topical Dances:
- Orak: Orak means sickle in Turkish. This dance is about harvesting time. Farmer men use their sickles to harvest. Their women also help them. The women give water (in jugs) to thirsty and tired men. Some of the men, when they become vigorous or when they want to show off, start to show their expertise in using their sickles. They throw up and catch their sickles repeatedly, use two sickles simultaneously for harvesting, etc...
- Kozan: This is danced with a water jug in "henna nights" (a part of wedding ceremonies), after the bride's hand has been put henna. At the end of this dance which is danced by only females, the bride brakes the jug by throwing it to the ground. The broken jug symbolizes an everlasting happiness. Another belief is that the pieces of this broken jug (and the coins and sweets put a-priori inside the jug) which spread on the ground when the jug is broken symbolize fertility.
- Kartal: Kartal means eagle in Turkish. This dance is about the struggle of an eagle not to let his prey be seized by other eagles.
- Topal: Topal means lamed in Turkish. This dance is about the struggle of a lamed bridegroom candidate with his "would be" father-in-law who does not like him as a husband for his daughter even though he is also lamed.
- Kartuli - The dance Kartuli many times reminds the audience of a wedding . Kartuli is a truly romantic dance. It is performed by a dance couple and incorporates the softness and gracefulness of a woman and dignity and love of a man. It shows that even in love, men uphold their respect and manners by not touching the woman and maintaining a certain distance from her. The man’s eyes are always focused on his woman partner as if she was the only being in the whole world. Furthermore, at all times, man’s upper body stays motionless. On the other hand, the woman keeps her eyes downcast at all times and glides on the rough floor as a swan on the smooth surface of a lake. The utmost skill, which is necessary to perform Kartuli, has earned the dance a reputation of one of the most difficult dances. There were only a few great performers of Kartuli. Some of these are Nino Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili, and Iamze Dolaberidze and Pridon Sulaberidze.
- Khorumi – This war dance has originated in the region of Achara, which is located in the southwestern region of Georgia. The dance was originally performed by only a few man. However, over time it has grown in scale. In today’s version of Khorumi, thirty or forty dancers can participate. Although the number of performers changed, the content of the dance is still the same. The dance brings to life Georgian army of the past centuries. A few men who are searching the area for a campsite and enemy camps perform the initial "prelude" to the dance. Afterwards, they call the army onto the battlefield. The exit of the army is quite breathtaking. Its strength, simple but distinctive movements and the exactness of lines create a sense of awe on stage. The dance incorporates in itself the themes of search, war, and the celebration of victory as well as courage and glory of Georgian soldiers. Since Georgia has seen many wars throughout its history, Khorumi is a call from the past and reminds us that in order to have peace, we must have war.
- Acharuli – Acharuli has also originated in the region of Achara. It is where the dance gets its name from. Acharuli is distinguished from other dances with its colorful costumes and the playful mood that simple but definite movements of both men and women create on stage. The dance is characterized with graceful, soft, and playful flirtation between the males and females. Unlike Kartuli, the relationship between men and women in this dance is more informal and lighthearted. Acharuli instills the sense of happiness in both the dancer and the audience.
- Partsa – Partsa has its origins in Guria (another region in Georgia) and is characterized by its fast pace, rhythm, festive mood, and colorfulness. As a performer, I can say that during a partsa performance, a dancer feels like a bird in the sky, flying across the stage barely touching the floor. Partsa mesmerizes the audience with not only speed and gracefulness, but also with "live towers." This dance creates a mood and a desire to party.
- Kazbeguri – Kazbeguri takes us to the Northern Mountains of Georgia, which is marked with a diverse culture and traditions. The relatively cold and rough atmosphere of the mountains is shown through the vigor and the strictness of the movements. This dance is performed by only men and portrays the toughness and endurance of the mountain people.
- Khanjluri – Historically, Georgians tend to strive for excellence. This trend is portrayed in our folk dances. Thus, many Georgian dances are based on the idea of competition. Khanjluri is one of those dances. In this dance, shepherds, dressed in red chokhas (traditional men’s wear) compete with each other in the usage of daggers and in performing complicated movements. One performer replaces another, and the courage and skill overflows on stage. Since Khanjluri involves daggers and knives, it requires tremendous skill and practice on the part of the performers.
- Khevsuruli – This mountain dance is probably the best representative of the Georgian spirit. It unites love, courage, and respect for women, toughness, competition, skill, beauty, and colorfulness into one amazing performance. The dance starts out with a flirting couple. Unexpectedly, another young men appears, also seeking the hand of the woman. A conflict breaks out and soon turns into a vigorous fighting between the two men and their supporters. The quarrel is stopped temporarily by the woman’s veil. Traditionally, when a woman throws her head veil between two men, all disagreements and fighting halts. However, as soon as the woman leaves the scene, the fighting continues even more vigorously. The young men from both sides attack each other with swords and shields. In some occasions, one man has to fight off three attackers. At the end, a woman (or women) comes in and stops the fighting with her veil once again. However, the final of the dance is "open" –meaning that the audience does not know the outcome of the fighting. As a characteristic of Georgian dances, Khevsuruli is also very technical and requires intense practice and utmost skill in order to perform the dance without hurting anyone.
- Mtiuluri – Mtiuluri is also a mountain dance. Similar to Khevsuruli, Mtiuluri is also based on competition. However, in this dance, the competition is mainly between two groups of young men. It is more like a celebration of skill and art. At first, groups compete in performing complicated movements. Then, we see girl’s dance, which is followed by individual dancer's performance of amazing "tricks" on their knees and toes. At the end, everyone dances a beautiful final. This dance truly reminds us of a festival in the mountains.
- Khonga and Simdi – Both of these dances have their roots in Osetia – a region in Northern Georgia. They have much in common but are also significantly different from each other. The costumes in both dances are distinguished with long sleeves. In addition, the headwear of both the women and the men are exceptionally high. The movements in both dances are also similar. However, in Khonga men dance on point, which is particularly difficult but is a beautiful sight. Khonga is performed by a few dancers and is characterized by the grace and softness of the movements. On the other hand, Simdi is danced by many couples. The beauty of Simdi is in the strict graphic outline of the dance, the contrast between black and white costumes, the softness of movements, the strictness of line formations, and the harmony created by all of the above.
- Kintouri – Kintouri is one of the city dances portraying the city life in old Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The dance takes its name after "kintos" who were small merchants in Tbilisi. They wore black outfits with baggy pants and usually carried their goods (mostly food) on their heads around the city. When a customer chose goods, a kinto would take the silk shawl hanging from his silver belt and wrap the fruits and vegetables in them to weigh (Sited from The Georgian National Ballet). Kintos were known to be cunning, swift, and informal. Such characteristics of kinto are well shown in Kintouri. The dance is light natured and fun to watch.
- Samaia – The dance Samaia is performed by three women and originally, was considered to be a dance of Pagan times. However, today’s Samaia is a representation of King Tamar and her glory. King Tamar in many sources is mentioned as a Queen of Georgia. However, she was considered to be the king of the United Kingdom of Georgia in 12th-13th centuries and was the first woman king in Georgia’s history. There are only four frescos that keep the much-revered image of King Tamar. Simon Virsaladze based the costumes of Samaia on the King’s clothing on those frescos. In addition, the trinity idea in the dance represents King Tamar as a young princess, a wise mother and the powerful king. All these three images are united in one harmonious picture. Moreover, the simple but soft and graceful movements create an atmosphere of beauty, glory and power that surrounded the King’s reign.
- Jeirani – This dance is built on the hunting episode on a doe and is beautifully choreographed by Nino Ramishvili. The dance incorporates not only classical ballet movements but also paints a breathtaking picture of a hunting scene. Everyone who saw Jeirani performed by Nino Ramishvili cannot forget the beautiful body movements, unique dance steps and the dancing spirit charged into the audience (The Georgian National Ballet).
- Karachokheli – Karachokheli was a city craftsman and generally wore black chokha (traditional men's wear). They were known for hard work and, at the same time, for a carefree life. His love for life, wine (which Georgia is famous for) and beautiful women is well represented in the dance Karachokheli.
- Davluri – Davluri is also a city dance, but unlike Kintouri and Karachokheli, it portrays the city aristocracy. The dance reminds us of Kartuli. However, the movements in Davluri are less complicated and the male/female relationship is less formal. The dance is performed by many couples and with the music and colorful costumes, paints a picture of an aristocratic feast on stage.
Names of many Greek dances may be found spelt either ending with -o or with -os. This is due to the fact that the word for "dance" in Greek is a masculine noun, while the dance itself can also be referred to by a neuter adjective used substantively. Thus one may find both "hasapiko" ("the butcher thing") and "hasapikos (horos)" - "the butcher (dance)."
- Antikrystos
- Baidoushka
- Ballos
- Fysouni
- Gaida
- Hasapiko (Chasapiko, Khasapiko, Hassapiko,Kasap,Butcher Dance )
- Serviko,(Fast Hasapiko)Serbian Style
- Horos
- Evdokia (Zeibekiko)
- Ikariotikos
- Kalamatiano
- Kalymnikos
- Karagouna
- Karsilamas (Antikrystos, Marinella)
- Kerkyraikos (Rouga)
- Khoros
- Kleistos
- Koftos
- Kotsari,Kochari
- Lerikos
- Leventikos
- Makedonia (dance)
- Mandilatos,Mandra
- Menousis
- Omal (Lemona, Dipat)
- Pidikhtos
- Pogonisios
- Serra
- Sousta
- Sta tria
- Svarniara
- Syrtos (Syrto, Sirto)
- Tik
- Trata
- Tsakonikos
- Tsamiko
- Tsifteteli (Tsifte-Teli)
- Tsirigotikos (Kythiraikos, Bourdaris)
- Yerakina
- Zeibekiko (Zembekiko, Zeybek, Zembetiko)
- Zonaradiko
- Horah
Western
Tetovo, Gostivar, Debar, Mavrovo, Kicevo, Krushevo and Porece Female dances are elegant and gracious, while male dances are firm, with complex movements
Southwestern
Bitola, Prilep, Ohrid and Prespa Lake, Lerin, Kostur, Voden These dances are characterized by epic choreographic elements and complex rhythmic structures
Southern
Tikves, Gevgelija, Valandovo, Dojran, Strumica Dances from this region often contain combat elements
Northern
upper Vardar, Polog Valley (Tetovo, Gostivar), Skopsko, Skopska Crna Gora, Skopska Blatija, Veles, Ovce Pole
These dances are tipycally fast-paced, with energetic movements; usually performed at gatherings
Eastern
Kumanovo, Kriva Palanka, Delcevo, Pehcevo, Kocani, Berovo, Stip Radovis Fast paced dances, with stomping steps
- Batute
- Brâul (Braul), Sash dance
- Buciumeana, hornpipe dance
- Căluşari (Calusari, Calus (Calusul)
- Ciuleandra
- Hora a circle dance
- Geamparale
- Joc
- Joc cu bâta (Jocul cu bâta, Joc cu bata), Joc with stick
- maruntel
- Perinita (Periniţa), translated as "Little pillow", a dance of wedding traditions, a.k.a. Handkerchief Joc
- Pe loc (Pe Loc), "On Spot", a stomping dance
- Poarga românesca (Romanian polka)
- Sarba
- Tropotite
- Hambo (Swedish)
- Schottish (Swedish)
- Snoa (Norwegian)
- Polska
- Fannike (Danish)
- Vals (Scandinavian)
- Rask (Danish)
- Sønderhoning (Danish)
- Humppa (Finnish)
- Tanhu (Finnish)
Varieties of Style, Scale and Rhythm and Spheres of Use Varieties of Folk Music Music accompanied by words can be classified under the following headings: Türkü (folksongs), Koşma (free-form folk songs about love or nature), Semai (folk song ın Semai poetic form), Mani (a traditional Turkish quatrain form), Destan (epic), Deyiş (speech), Uzun Hava (long melody), Bozlak (a folk song form), Ağıt (a lament), Hoyrat, Maya (a variety of Turkish folksong), Boğaz Havası (throat tune), Teke Zorlatması, Ninni (lullaby), Tekerleme (a playful form in folk narrative), etc. These are divided into free-forms or improvisations with no obligatory metrical or rhythmic form, known as Uzun Hava, and those which no have a set metrical or rhythmic structure, known as ‘Kırık Havalar,’ (Broken Melodies). Both can also be employed at the same time. Music generally played without words, and dance tunes, go by the names Halay, Bengi, Karşılama, Zeybek, Horon, Bar etc. Folk Music Scales Although Turkish folk music melodies possess the same note and scale modules as traditional Ottoman Classical Music, the melodies known as ‘Makam’ (similar to the medieval concept of mode) in Turkish folk music can be known by different names depending on the region, such as: Beşiri, Garip, Kerem, Misket, Müstezad etc. Rhythm and Beat in Folk Music Simple beats such as 2/4, 4/4 and 3/4, irregular beats such as 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 7/4 and 5/4, and mixed beats such as 8/8, 10/8 and 12/8 are used in folk music. Folk Music Spheres of Use Melodies of differing types and styles have been created by the people in various spheres and stages of life, joyful or sad, from birth to death. Minstrel singers, accompanying themselves on the saz, played a most important role in the development and spread of Turkish folk music
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List of dances sorted by origin 
