Dance & Weapons

[gp]

Originally Posted by gp

Thanks to Ariel and his shaska topic which gave me the idea for this topic.

First it brought me back to my own pencak silat days. With Pencak Silat each student has to prove his graduation for each degree by fighting against a virtual opponent AND move in sync on Indonesian music. The latter being imperative. Below an example by a friend of mine in NL
Followed by 2 exhibition performances from Indonesia as performances are also accompanied by music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_WlJ9D29FQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQTw..._radio=1&t=116
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2wQ..._Iu_7Y&index=3

Back to the shaska:

First let me explain about a very interesting traditional dance in the Caucasus : the Lezginka.

Interesting because it is not only cross-border but also cross religion and centuries old. You name it ( Dagestan, Chechnya, Ossetia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Cherkess and Georgia), they all dance it
It is both slow and fast in which the female stands for grace and purity, hency portrays a swan gliding across the water in her dance movements.
Whilst the male is the protector, ruler of the sky and claims the territory and portrays an eagle. Powerfull and fierce.

A nice example is this one :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEW8bDQTBBg
As with all dances it developed / evolved from a wedding dance to an identity dance to show strenght and pride (remember the eagle...) and became a seperate or single male dance as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIkO9E_Wyc0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6sYGTpaacA

but the Caucasus has also strong women, so some don't dance like a swan but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUKpJz6Tk6o
(poor husband...)
or look at this lady at 0:53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhAUnH1tvyQ


as for the shaska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvORvTfCDH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CtAH1utQ8w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOEmMbiKNrs

it seems sadly some of the films have been removed or changed to private ...
to keep the examples still available for the future, I found sone replacements in which the ladies move like swans and the men as eagles around them
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LDZKjo9sUkk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SANJrU5PjOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AleeoXN0w-s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Ly_lsdHn8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR18c6xIiD0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Ly_lsdHn8

and away from the warriors, to the folk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrAWrgFuNmc
and a sweet little girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuDj1XQ4u5s

[gp]

shaska...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLkjBMPAP2g

and some amazing Ladies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJGFBHXpWy4

away from dancing but to what it was intended to do,
a most interesting technical move:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqeiWawbzLo

[gp]

the Ladies with their Shaska reminded me of my pentjak years
an old film fron Holland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISCawEcaSak

and from Indonesia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxEbN93FL_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Stbxe8Iek

[gp]

a Georgian dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjGnWstCi94

2 Zeybek ones :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz2FZkgleZk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgQju-8rHkU

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by gp

...
2 Zeybek ones :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz2FZkgleZk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgQju-8rHkU

Shame the Zeybek ones didn't involve the yataghans. They were just decorations shoved in the sashes.