Yarkhushta
Armenian folk dance T-shirt
Yarkhushta is the well-known martial dance of Sasun, in which men face each other in pairs and strike their palms together in a sharp clap. The illustration catches two men in traditional costume mid-clap on a green hill, with a green hand-lettered title. Printed on the back, with a small MUNQ logo on the front.
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About the dance
Yarkhushta began as a martial game and over time became a martial dance. Its roots are in Sasun and the wider Taron region, and it is still danced today, especially in villages settled by descendants of people from Sasun.
The most likely reading of the name joins yar, Persian for “beloved” or “companion”, with khusht, “short spear” or “weapon”: a “comrade in arms”. The dancers move in a circle that breaks into two facing lines. The lines advance as if to attack, the dancers meet with a clap of the palms and pull back, and the circle forms again. The music is usually in 4/4, starting at a moderate tempo and gradually speeding up.
Source: Karin Traditional Song and Dance Ensemble (opens in a new tab)
