Kochari

Kochari (Armenian: Քոչարի; Azerbaijani: Köçəri; Kurdish: Koçerî; Greek: Κότσαρι Kotsari), is an old folk dance, danced today by Pontic Greeks, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Assyrians, Turks and Kurds.

Kochari is closely related to the "Haleh" or "Yalli", a dance common to Azerbaijanis, Assyrians, and Kurds.

"Govand" is also part of this family of dances. See also the kurdish word for dance, Govend.

Etymology

• In Armenian, Kochari literally means "knee-go". Koch means "knee" and ari means "go".
• In Pontic Greek, the 'kotsi' refers to the heel of the foot and the Greeks consider the heel to be the main part of the foot which the dancer uses. The Pontic Greek term for limp is 'kotso' and the Pontic Greek kochari is considered to contain a number of limps.
• In many Turkic languages, Kochari means "nomad" (Köçəri (Azeri), Gochar, Goçede).
• In Kurdish, the word for nomads is Koçer, thus the name Koçerî makes it "Nomadian" (Nomadian dance).

Versions

Armenian

A part of Armenian kochari

Armenians have been dancing Kochari for over a thousand years. The dance is danced to a 2/4 rhythm. Dancers form a closed circle, putting their hands on each other's shoulders. This may symbolize the alienation that this minority community felt at the time of the dance's birth.

The dance is danced by both men and women and is intended to be intimidating. More modern forms of Kochari have added a "tremolo step," which involves shaking the whole body. It spread to the eastern part of Armenia after Armenians were driven out of Anatolia because of the genocide caused by Turkey. This movement is appropriate for its name, which in various Turkish languages signifies "nomad"

Azerbaijani

Music of Azerbaijani kochari

It is one of the widely spread dances known as Yalli (Halay) in Azerbaijan, especially in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and sorrounding areas. This dancing is included to the dancings of the Azerbaijani people. The “Kochari” dancing, consisting of slow and rapid parts, is of three variants. In the men or women lining up one after another or one woman after one man position, a yallihead (holder) holds a stick in his / her hand. This stick isn’t to punish the dancers but factually it has a dancing importance.

Today this dancing is played in the ancient Nakhchivan land of which Sharur, Sadarak, Kangarli, Julfa and Shahbuz regions’ folklore collectives and it gives a stimule to the weddings.

Kurdish Koçerî

Koçerî is a special form of the "Delîlo" or "Şêxanî" kurdish dance, and as the name says, it is very common and more frequently danced by the Kurdish nomads. Koçerî simply means "nomadian" in Kurdish, where "Koçer" means nomad, thus the term is used by Kurds for the dance that nomads dance. Among Kurdish nomads however, this is a specialty, not the only dance they know of.

Pontic Greek kotsari

The Pontic Greeks and Armenians have many vigorous warlike dances such as the Kochari.

Unlike most Pontic dances, the Kotsari is in an even rhythm (2/4), originally danced in a closed circle. The dance is very popular today; however, it is often danced differently from the original. There is a consistent, vicious double bounce, also referred to as tremoulo. It is danced hand to shoulder and travels to the right. There are few variations which may be added to the step. It's a dance that tries to fear the viewers. At the start, it is danced by both men and women. Then, men go in front and do their figures.

External links

• Kochari music - Pontic sample´ Armenian sample, Assyrian sample, Turkish sample
• Kochari dance - Pontic variant, Azeri variant, Armenian variant
• Kotchari (Κότσαρι) )