CultureGilgit - Baltistan
World Dance DAY
International Dance Day (World Dance Day) has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID), an umbrella organization within UNESCO for all kinds of dance.
The holiday was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute. The date was suggested by Pyotr Gusev to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre.
Among the goals of the Dance Day are to increase the awareness of the importance of dance among the general public, as well as to persuade governments all over the world to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education, from primary to higher. Source
Incredible view …some thing very special of our tradition .
The dance is the symbol of happiness and the celebration of the world dance day reflects the happiness of the people. I think our youth should make involved in those activities which keeps them away from bad habbits and terror like activities. This should be our prime objective that how to preserve our youth from bad activities. We all should wel come the said like activities which gains nothing but gives alotttttt…… Happy World’s Dance Day to all…
A good step towards happiness and jolly. I personally appericate the effort of the well reputable organization and hope that in the future it will remain to be continued.
i love my traditional dance ………..cuze………… it is less a dance more a………… prayer.
cheers
mehmood mathour
Thanks (CID) for organizing such a wonderful event in this depressing environment throughout the country. It’s good to see people happy around. Long live MAPARISHT for promoting and preserving our traditions and culture.
It seems a very successful event – once again cong (CID)
Ejaz Gilgit
Very surprising, Where some places are facing war,unrest,unhappiness and grief in other parts of our country but this opportunity shows and give messages for others that the people are peace lovers and enjoys himself and for others means they love life with happiness, peace.
Identification is by Tradition / Culture, so to be continued via various channels may be locals and international,The promoters would be given encouragement and particularly the International Dance Council whom give this opportunity to people to celebrate.
By posting this picture PT has immortalized some of the elders and ageing generation of Gulmit for all times to come. All Gulmitiks and many Gojalis will always recognize and remember many of the dance party members captured in this snapshot.
Thanks PT editors for internationalising our way of dance. Keep up the good work, as always.
Mutabiat, Islamabad
Dear PT
I am from Wakhan Badkhshan congratulation to all Wakhis for celebrating the world Dance day and I enjoy it very much the traditional dance of wakhis.
Keep it up.
Faz Ullah
Wakhan Qazidah Badkhshan Afghanistan
Dear Xikmurdum
Congratulation to Kunjuod Xikmurdum for celebrating the World dancing day in Gulmit Kunjuod which shows to the world our Cultural dress and dances, So the Gulmit Kunjuod Pakistan Xikmurdum done good job from the anther Xikmurdums in the world (like China, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan) to celebrate the world beig events.
Keep it up.
Ali aman Gojali
Badakhshon
this is what a pull out of the originality from Wakhi Culture,is it merely a dance for the youths?? , WE the youths must learn from the gestures from the floor and respected Mapeers, how deciplined,organized ,civilized and socially intact. to me this is our actual root and origine.
MIrzaW
RWP
i just love it becouse my dear( Late)father was one of the top good dancers of his time in gojal….just FABULOUS…to see the elders in that drtess and having dance….
Didar Karim Bari
Rupani Foundation ECD project
Gilgit
My house mates do not favour our dance much. They are of the opinion that it is aesthetically not very pleasant, monotonous and there is no rhythm amongst the instruments. I think they are not that far from the point.
Look at the impoverishment of our culture that we are celebrating days according to the timetable set by exogenous institution. We are so dependent on outside funding that even we are ready to dance to devil tunes. What is the difference between professionals dancers dancing in private for money and we who are even more ready to dance to extract some money. my head hangs in shame after witnessing this event. Dance should be organically attached to cultural roots or events or subjective impulse. Being narcissist we are not aware that we are making ourselves buffoon to the outside world. When world sees such activities they mock at us and we mistakingly see it as an appreciation, especially we people in Hunza/Gojal feel so proud to be entertainers at the whim of the West. Nevertheless, congratulations to all who are ready to have a dance on ‘Dance Day’ which is unheard of until now. I know that my words appear to be a view of pessimist. but i believe that right pessimism is better than false optimism. Let our nation wallow in the mud of false optimism and narcissism.
Dear Khameto
I hate addressing you with this senseless, culturally irrelevant name. I urge you to use your original identity instead of ducking behind fake names.
I am responding to let know you that there is no shame in dancing. It is one of the many ways of expressing freedom, happiness and excietment. These elders of our community were not, i repeat, were not dancing for reasons that have besieged your perplexed mind. This photograph, taken during another local festival, was used here to symbolize a golden tradition of ours.
We posted the news about the world dance day, because we consider ourselves an active part of the global human community. The internet will give you plenty of information about the ‘unheard of’ world dance day. I, recently, attended the Song of Mohanjodaro, performed by Sheema Kirmani of the Tehreek-e-Niswan, at Arts council Karachi. So, in fact, this is not that obscure a ‘world day’.
We haven’t adopted other’s cultures, by celebrating world dance day. We are just adding to the colors of a pluralistic, global, society, maintaining our distinct identity. It is all about perceptions and pre-occupations.
I will really appreciate if you can speak these pearls with your original name.
Noor Muhammad
” Its more than just a dance “
Haha
There is no should be shame to performing his culture, we should be shame by our bad deeds. Khameto and Noor are urging about dancing. Dance is customary action of human beings in earth. No any religion has forbidden to perform dance. We are not here to make line and length of every body’s right and wrong. We needs new ideas, new think which lead us in a better way
i don’t know dancing that doesn’t mean to forbidden for others.
so give ideas instead create right wrong positions sorry for disturbing you
Please do not misunderstand that i am a religious fanatics who is opposed to creative arts, such as dance. I am open very much to new ideas but i urged critical engagement with everything new. Forget it that we can have our identity protected in global world. Wait and see what the flood gate of china is going to do with our region. Globalisation is not protector of pluralism rather it is a force of uniformity.
Dear Khameto:
Though I find it very hard to totally agree with your assertions and ruthless remarks, but I must confess, you do have a point there. I don’t understand why, we people of the mountains see the modernism as our savior. We are in a state of false belief that all the forces of globalization are here to save our very precious and grand heritage. If you are calling this our “false optimism” I totally agree with you. We see international donors and modern symbolism as the only hope of survival for us and our ways. But I won’t follow you beyond that; opportunities are also there, as are threats. What we really need to do is develop local/indigenous patronage for these forms of arts and heritage. Mr. Noor is totally right is saying that people generally dance purely out impulse and self expression (in a way you also said the same thing), no matter how artificial the event.
Well if we delve into the subject of “Narcissism of the North” it is a very subjective matter, especially considering the fact that we ourselves are the subjects of this subjectivity. Commenting on this will certainly subjugate my logical reason over my subjective feelings. But let’s face it we are madly in love with ourselves for better or for worse, it is evident every where.
Finally I can only tell you this, you have a very compelling argument for discussion here, but I must say timing and current context makes it very particular.
Dear Noor:
We are certainly adopting new cultures and communities; to start with, this blog is one of the evidences of this reality. And lets face it we are not communicating it a way that would be possible or normal if we were sitting in a village field in Gulmit, Altit or Mayun. Cultural and social transitions generally appear very innocent and unassuming. We can assure the survival of our culture and preservation of our heritage, by tackling these changes very critically and flexibly.
About the alias/name “Khameto” used by the contributor, let’s accept the fact that using aliases in the online culture it’s a very acceptable behavior. And also it’s a name deeply rooted in the heritage of our area (especially in the dance culture). I assume that Khameto has chosen this alias/name with that understanding.
Ayasho
ghafch mashoor…………………. sherin poop hisht………
Dance
Dance the desire
Dance sound one
Dance act sublime
Dance is rhythm universal
Dance is nature
Dance is nurturer
Dance to wake the sleep
Dace to provoke
Dance to evoke
Dance to free flee
Dance to think dimension
Dance to act element
Dance to emotion,
Dance to faith written
Dance with despair or glare
Dance with passion
Dance with the wind
Dance with river flow
Dance with pain of rain
Dance with misery that again
Dance with foe, to experience
Dance with friend to life
Dance with words, to massage
Dance with sound know
Dance for glory to supreme
Dance for all to be share
Dance for self recognition
Dance for dance
Be not late to make Time Dance
But never dance for Time
Dance is life or Life is Dance
Learn rhythm of dance lofty
Although, our moderator called my alias as culturally insensitive, i did not remark against his comments. the decision was taken not to become reactionary. Indeed, Noor’s comments are culturally insensitive as he did not know Khameto and labelled it. Kudos for Ayesho who rightly observed that this name is ‘deeply rooted in the heritage of our area (especially in the dance culture).’ he assumption is right that i have chosen this alias/name with that understanding. Khameto was famous shaman and he said to have maximum guardian goddess and fairies in his control. that is why his predictions are mostly accurate than others. I do not say that what shamans (bitan in Brushashki and Danyal in Shina) are scientific phenomena and we should believe in them. what is important is that it is rooted in culture. Does Noor know about his prediction about fight at Khunjerab with nation of small people and blue eyes. Well we will wait until new great game reaches there. I have every right to use alias. if moderator want to block my email he is free to do so. i am here to check the limits of tolerance of our people.
At least now Khameto is making some sense, of the issue.
Dear Khameto,
Your words sound more like a fearful man than a open minded pessimist. Forgive my judgmental opinion, but I have taken the excuse that you are using an alias and so am I.
You have very well mentioned the threat from opportune broadening of the trade link and resultant havoc of KKH. We have already started pay the price for this expansion. Please refer to the link below, if you haven’t gone through analysis already.
Dear Khamito
You r blazing your blood, Change is change it will happen no one is able to stop it , and it is not possible to isolate ourselves from the world.
Change yourself with change otherwise change will change U