Kochari, an Armenian dance performed in Lebanon
Lebanon is a multicultural country and the diversity of its people creates harmony and a colorful panorama. Cultures and traditions are preserved and passed on from one generation to another. The Armenians who are part of the Lebanese people have a rich culture transmitted by their ancestors expatriated because of the genocide so they have one more reason to preserve and safeguard their culture and tradition.
Kochari dance is one of the Amenian intangible cultural heritage elements. The word means “Knee Come” when literally translated in English. This Eurasian “folk” dance is said to have originated from Armenia. According to the cultural history of Armenia, this dance style is extremely old and is said to have originated about 1000 years ago. It was basically created as a form of a “war dance”. The movements were based on the military and hunting experience. The dance itself was a special ritual conspiracy of the behavior in the upcoming battle. It also helped soldiers to dispose themselves for the battle.
Kochari is considered to be the most popular Armenian dance style. There exist various styles of this dance depending on the region of origin within the country. In addition, the music used in this dance basically consists of a rhythm that ranges from moderate to about fast. The musical instruments include two zurna hornpipes, and one or more double headed bass drums.
In terms of technique, the performers i.e. male and female initially dance around the circle to the rhythm of the music by holding hands. Generally, the main dancer announces about the figure change by a loud voice or by waving the handkerchief. The movements in the dance are springy, some of them appeared in the course of time when the cult of animals was widely spread, and exactly that’s why they remind the jumping of horned animals.
The costume used in this dance style will vary according to the gender. For males, the attire worn includes a maroon trouser and overcoat, and a golden colored vest. For females, the attire worn will include a golden colored top, a maroon and golden skirt, and a maroon combined with golden colored design headgear.
Kochari in Lebanon is performed on stages as part of dance group performances or spontaneously during joyful events. For the last years, young Armenians in Lebanon are interested in learning Armenian ethnic dance. In addition of the Armenian dance troupes, technology provides with a lot of opportunities like the videos on YouTube explaining how the dance and the steps should be performed and what it means. This way attracts the youth (17-18 years old) who are really excited to know something new about their identity. Also, some volunteers teach the steps of kochari to young people in Bourj Hammoud streets, an Armenian town near Beirut, especially during community events.