Ishkhanats Par
Armenian folk dance T-shirt
Ishkhanats Par, the dance of princes, is a proud, majestic dance, considered one of the most difficult in the Armenian repertoire. One theory holds that it began as a pagan temple dance. The illustration shows four dancers standing shoulder to shoulder before a green mountain, hand on heart, the men in yellow fur-trimmed waistcoats and the women in red. Printed on the back.
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About the dance
The best-known version of Ishkhanats Par comes from the Armenian villages of the Kaputan area near Lake Urmia, in Persian Armenia; other versions were danced in Hayots Dzor and Shatakh. People usually called it Sheikhani, the dance of leaders or princes, which gives the name Ishkhanats Par, “dance of princes”. Princes and people of rank led the line and gave generous gifts to the zurna and dhol players.
Among the Armenians of Urmia it was danced at pilgrimages to the monasteries of St Stephen and St Thaddeus, at feasts and, above all, at weddings. Men and women dance it together in a line. It starts slowly, like the “heavy” dances, and gradually speeds up. It takes real skill, so it was mostly danced by young and middle-aged dancers.
Source: Karin Traditional Song and Dance Ensemble (opens in a new tab)
