DANCE

Atan, a 7/8 meter circle dance, is considered the national dance of Afghanistan. It is performed by groups of up to ten or more to the accompaniment of the large dhol usually played with sticks and sometimes the sorna (double reed pipe). The 7/8 beat is divided in two measure increments with the main accents falling on 1, 4, 6, 8 and pickup accents on 3, 13 and 14. The atan begins with an announcement by the drum, the dancers then move slowly in a circle around the drummer(s). Speed builds gradually until accelerated to wild movement and rhythm. The dancers go through various attitudes and figures, sometimes singing, sometimes shouting or at other times clapping or snapping their fingers. The dancers often carry handkerchiefs in their hands. Quick spinning and whirling movements of the body are prominent; although in some areas movement of the head and flying hair is more important. In villages the men may carry swords and guns while dancing the atan and the dance can go on for hours, sometimes until dawn. Although the dance is usually a men's dance, on rare ocasions it is performed by men and women together known as ghberg atan. In this case the men sing love songs, answered by the women, and the dialogue continues along with the dance. Advanced moves done with scarves in each hand are characterized by rhythmic snappy head tosses which follow the spins. The Atan can also be done by a group of all women.

HERATI ATAN

      The first type, the Herat urban style of atan, begins with a greeting called mauzun qadam (elegant rhythmic step) also referred to as razm o gozasht, which starts with men in a row. When the leader raises his hand, others in the line follow suit and begin walking in procession. The dancers move forward in a single line stepping slowly to the rhythm with heads turned to the side as if respectfully facing viewing dignitaries or the audience in a military manner. At first the raised hand twists inward back and forth in time to the music then both hands are raised by the leader, followed by the group. Then the group claps with hands above the head. Music for this would be played on dutar and doira or even dhol and sorna in 4/4 pattern. After the mauzun qadam which ends in a brief halt, comes the official national 7/8 beat atan which is a circle dance referred to as dauregi in Herat. This begins with a slow stepping to the beat and progresses with dancers making 1/4 and then 1/2 turns, stamping the foot and clapping hands (chak) once, twice or three times, at the appropriate places in the music. Small hand scarves can be used in the village rendition of thedance and can be in the colors of red and green or sometimes white, carried either by the leader or by all of the dancers. The leader gives the command to clap twice by saying "du" meaning two, or "se" meaning three. The dancers move together and apart in a circle like a flower opening and closing. The traditional atan tune, known as Shah Mast, speeds to a frenzy before the leader might call out to the musicians "bezan aushari!" meaning play aushari