General

Culture

Dance

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BALKARIANS AND KARACHAYS
Geography and territory of Karachay-Balkars

Balkars and Karachays belong to the Turk nationalities living the most high in the mountains. They occupy the canyons and foothills of Central Caucasus along the rivers Kuban , Zelenchuk, Malka, Baksan, Chegem, Cherek and their tributaries. Nearly all “five-thousanders” (the highest peaks) of Caucasus are situated on the territory of Balkaria and Karachai, such as Mingi-tau, Dikh-taw, Koshtan-tau, Gulcha and others. The largest glaciers and n?v? fields can be found there too: Azau, Terskol, Itkol, Cheget and others. The territory of Balkaria and Karachai abounds in mountain-masses, woods, fertile valleys and Alpine meadows.

General description of the Karachai-Balkarian people top

Balkarians and Karachays are among the most ancient nationalities of Caucasus . The roots of their history and culture are intimately intertwined with the history and culture of many Caucasian peoples, as well as numerous Turk nationalities, from Jakutia to Turkey , from Azerbaijan to Tatarstan, from the Kumik and Nogai to the Altai and Hakass. In the former Soviet Union , Turk peoples were second in number, after the Slavic nationalities; there are more than 200 million Turk-speaking people in the whole world. In the Alpine ravines of Caucasus , Karachai-Balkarians live side by side with the people speaking in other languages, such as Kartvelian, Adyg, Ossetian and others. Since XIV–XV centuries, Balkarians and Karachais gradually became territorially isolated, otherwise remaining the same people. The nearest neighbors call Balkarians “As” (Ossetians), “Balkar” (Kabardins), “Az” or “Ovs” (Swanes); for instance, Megrelians call Karachais “Alan”. The word “alan” is used by Balkarians to address each other.

CULTURAL - ECONOMIC RELATIONS top

Economy and culture-economic relations

Since the ancient times, Balkarians and Karachais have been engaged in Alpine, distant-pasture or “yailag” cattle rearing. In the summer, they drive their cattle to the mountain pastures called “zhailik”. The common term “yailag cattle breeding” originates from this word.

Sheep breeding generally dominates at Balkarians and Karachais; however, cattle and horse cultivation was very important too. The possession of huge amounts of cattle, several times more than the neighbors could have, provided all the life means to Balkarians and Karachais. The products of cattle breeding dressed, fed and shoed the people; also, it went to the all-Caucasus markets, getting exchanged on all the necessary goods: fabrics, crockery, salt and others.

Highly developed mining industry supplied Balkarians and Karachais with copper, lead, coal, niter and other raw materials. Since arable lands were scarce in Balkaria and Karachai, agriculture did not play as important role as cattle breeding in their economy.

Nevertheless, every spot of land was carefully cultivated, cleared of stones and watered with the use of ingeniously designed

CIRCULAR DANCING " Tegerek tepsew " top

" Tegerek tepsew " (Circular dance) - ancient dance. In this variant the young man The girl - acts in an image of the hawk or an eagle (qush), and (kegurchun) or a crane (zurnuk). The courageous, dexterous guy compared to the hawk Or ?????, and the beautiful girl with ???????? or a crane (zurnuk). About It brightly speak national expressions, fairy tales, sayings, toasts, national Names, images in dances, songs about them etc.
Dance " Tegerek tepsew " it is executed as solo (one pair) or mass. The first The part of dance " Tegerek tepsew " slow, is executed in the lyrical plan, the second - In fast rate. There is an execution(a performance) and one (as solo). There is a variant, When one girl dances.
So, dance opens The girl. She(it) leaves a rank and in an image ??????? goes on a circle slow Small steps, on high , smoothly allocating(removing) hands back, as though Opening wings, it is similar . Gradually hands rise up to a belt(zone), Further shoulders, is higher and above a head: she(it) wants to depart highly to the sky! Hands with Long oversleeves remind wings ???????. The girl, having finished big The circle, stops on middle of a platform. Present clap in hands, Encouraging dancing.
Guys from the group Deduce one, well owning dance " Tegerek tepsew ". That pretends, that Resists and does not want to dance: escapes from guys, but it(him) catch and ask To execute dance. It(he) has attracted to the girl, and she(it) breaks his(its) cap from a head. After that it(he) is obliged to leave for a circle and for the cap should give it(her) surprise. Having received a cap, the guy puts on her(it) on the head, and in the meantime continues The dance she(it). And the guy follows it(her). Only it(he) will catch up her(it), she(it) is fast Will change the direction in dance to exhaust it(him). The young man, having risen on socks and Highly having lifted hands above a head as wings of an eagle, "attacks" on pigeon. The girl - pigeon dexterous turns slips by the hawk or an eagle, which Unexpected sharp ?? each time appears face to face with the girl, Blocking it(her) a way: she(it) as though gets to it(him) directly in "claws". But dexterous The dancer, as a wild bird, anticipating the slightest movement of the partner, in The culmination moments easily slips past " it(him) and leads up it(him) up to full Exhaustion&. But again they appear on close distance from each other. And all repeats all over again.
Now the partner rises On socks also it is turned on a place, and the girl bypasses it(him) on distance, making The big circle. Unexpectedly the guy jumps up to it(her), and she(it), having receded sharply Back, rises on socks, in turn threatening "eagle". Having overtaken the friend with The friend, they together move that forward, back, to the right, to the left... But in The end of the ends the girl understands, that its(her) partner courageous, dexterous, as an eagle, and, Having lifted hands highly, lowers(omits) downwards meaning that she(it) recognizes his(its) force, Dexterity and that it(he) is pleasant to it(her). Now and the guy approaches to it(her) and easy Bow invites to dance, and, as though apologizing, stretches to it(her) hands. Both Make a honourable circle by young men and girls, as though emphasizing: " Look, What we pair! " The Guy is inspired and again that acts in an image of an eagle, rising on Socks, and as if having stretched wings, in an image of the hunter, simulating shooting from Onions(bow). In turn the girl, as if ???????, floats in dance, lifting, That lowering(omitting) hands - wings. The deification of dance is prompt and bright. It is necessary to tell, that in Dance " Tegerek tepsew " partners had big freedom of movements. And still: The guy should behave in a chivalrous manner: it(he) could not come(step) to the girl in an impulse Dance on a hem of a dress or on a leg to push the girl etc. In the given variant It was impossible to turn to the girl a back, and only to keep to it(her) in Half-revolution; it(he) had no right to take arm the girl under, as in dances "Marako", "Dzhija", "Dzhot tuwul", "Qisir", "Abezeh".
If The guy danced worse, than the girl other guy which could beat off her(it) Danced better it(him).
the Guy had no right in dance To go ahead girls, as though not noticing her(it). It(he) could dance beside or behind It(her).
*nbsp; *nbsp; *nbsp; *nbsp; Regarding dance where they were in an image of birds, not It was necessary to smile. It was possible to do(make) it only in that part of dance, where they Acted in a role in love.
Known executors " Tegerek tepsew " strictly adhered to the ordered rules and valued the Glory of skilful dancers and dancers. To show weak execution(performance) of dance Meant to direct on itself a stream of sneers on the part of present, which on Chastooshkas critical could compose other day Character.