Video: Kochari, a Traditional Armenian Dance
A tour through the world of Kochari, Armenia's most popular folk dance, and the people who keep the tradition alive.
Kochari is a communal Armenian dance that has been practiced in the region for at least 1000 years. This dance, which varies from community to community, almost always features many dancers, both male and female, lined up together or linked around a circle. With its distinctive hopping motions, Kochari is a somewhat aggressive dance often performed by Armenian military units. One popular form of Kochari is said to be based on the threat displays of mountain goats—especially intimidating!
But for the most part, Kochari is a joyous dance performed at weddings, baptisms, and for holidays like Easter. It remains the most widespread folk dance of Armenia and is also practiced by neighboring Kurdish, Turkish, and Greek populations. This video from UNESCO takes us into the heart of Kochari and the people who keep its customs alive.
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