Assyrian folk dances in Lebanon – Shora, Khigga Yaqoora, Dimdimma and Ghawerrah

In Lebanon, Assyrians are settled in specific areas in Beirut and its suburbs : Achrafieh, Sed el-Baouchrieh and Hadath and in the Bekaa valley: Zahleh. Some of these neighborhoods are named after them as Hay el-Achourieh in Sed el-Bauchrieh.

Assyrian intangible cultural heritage, dictated by religion, is transmitted by families and assyrian parishes, clubs and school (they have only one school in Lebanon: Saint Georges School in Sed el-Baouchrieh). The language is also tied to the church as well for it uses the Syriac language in liturgy. Folk dances, which are one of the markers of Assyrian identity, are mainly performed during community holidays such as religious holidays (Easter and Christmas), secular holidays like Akitu (the Assyrian New Year), but also at weddings, baptisms, confirmation and other jubiliant events. During feasts and ceremonies, women and men of all ages stand up, hold hands and start tapping their feet making gestures with their hands and shoulders accompanied by Assyrian music of a drum and of a flute. Modern Assyrian pop music and songs, using an instrumentation mostly arranged with a keyboard and electronic drums, is also very common..

Shora, Khigga Yaqoora, Dimdimma and Ghawerrah are the most common Assyrian dances performed in Lebanon.They are mainly made up of circle dances that are performed in a line with an open-ended, allowing more participants to participate in the dance. In open floor space, lines assume open circles and tend to curve or spiral depending on the availability of floor space. The head of the line, referred to as “Resha”, usually dances with a handkerchief with beads or bells added to the sides so it jingles when shaken. Those folk Assyrian dances would vary from weak to strong, depending on the mood and tempo of a song.

Assyrian folk dances, expressing joy and happiness in the Assyrian traditional way, are passed down from generation to generation since time immemorial, children acquiring the gestures from an early age by imitating adults.