Music, dance and storytellingMiddle East
Kurdish dance
In its own language: Govend (گۆڤەند)
Circle dances of the Kurds, led by handkerchief twirlers, for weddings and Newroz
Kurdish dance is a set of traditional dances kept by Kurds, usually performed in a circle or half-circle with a figure dancer or two in the middle. They belong to weddings, Newroz and other New Year days, festivals, birthdays and ceremonies, and each has its own melody.
When is Kurdish dance kept?
Kurdish dance is kept at the gatherings where Kurds celebrate, such as Newroz, other New Year days, festivals, weddings, birthdays and further ceremonies..
Kurdish dance is a group of traditional dances kept by Kurds, danced in a ring or half-ring to a named melody. Drum and zurna players keep time; dancers at the front twirl handkerchiefs and the line follows. Kurds dance at weddings, Newroz and other New Years, birthdays, festivals and ceremonies, in traditional Kurdish clothes, and the ranks are often mixed.
What it is
Kurdish dance is a family of dances rather than a single one, and Kurds name it in several ways, among them govend, dîlan, dawet, helperkê and şayî. The usual picture is a ring or a half-ring of dancers standing side by side. Often one dancer, or a pair, stands inside the ring as a figure dancer. Every dance goes with its own melody, so a change of tune means a change of step. Names often come from a place or from an older local custom.
Music and movement
Musicians give the sound: a drummer, a player of the zurna, which is a double-reed wind instrument, or both at once. Dancers at the front of the line twirl handkerchiefs while the rest follow the step they set. The group often forms a half-circle rather than a closed ring. Each dance keeps its own melody and its own style, and the dancers match whichever piece is being played. A change of tune means a change of dance.
Clothes and occasions
Dancers wear traditional Kurdish clothes, and the dress helps mark the event as a Kurdish one. Women generally make up most of the line, though men take part too, and these folk dances are usually mixed, with men and women dancing together. That sets Kurdish practice apart from other Muslim communities nearby, the article says. The dances belong to happy gatherings: Kurdish festivals, birthdays, New Year and Newroz, marriages and other ceremonies.
Names and places
The dances go by many names, and each one keeps its own melody and style, so dancers know from the music which dance has been called. Axişte is tied to the Serhed region, and Dim Dime is linked to the stretch between Urmia and Duhok. Şêxanî, Lorke, Koçerî, Herkiyanî, Rewendî and Sê pê are among the others, and the list runs to dozens. Many names are bound up with the places and customs of a particular area.
How Kurdish dance is kept
Dancers stand shoulder to shoulder and arrange themselves in a circle or half-circle, usually with a figure dancer or two in the middle. When the musicians begin, the melody tells everyone which dance is being called. Handkerchief twirlers at the front of the line lead, and the others follow the step. Women often form most of the group, with men joining, and at many gatherings the line is mixed. The dancing goes on through weddings, festivals, birthdays and ceremonies. The dance belongs to the gathering rather than to a stage.
When and where
No single date belongs to Kurdish dance. It comes with the occasions when Kurds gather: Newroz and other New Year celebrations, Kurdish festivals, birthdays, marriages and other ceremonies. Nothing in the sources fixes it to one day of the year, and different dances belong to different events.
The dances belong to Kurdish communities, in their home regions and wherever Kurds have settled. They are most at home at weddings and large festivals. Place names travel inside the dances: one style, Dim Dime, carries the route from Urmia to Duhok in its name.
What Kurdish dance means
Taking part matters more than watching. Because the line moves together and the steps are shared, the dance says something about who belongs with whom: relatives, neighbours and guests in one row. Dancers put on traditional Kurdish dress, so a wedding or a festival looks like a Kurdish occasion. Each melody carries a name, and many of those names hold a place or an older custom. The article also notes that women and men commonly dance side by side here, unlike other Muslim communities nearby.
Questions people ask about Kurdish dance
When is Kurdish dance kept?
Kurdish dance is kept at the gatherings where Kurds celebrate, such as Newroz, other New Year days, festivals, weddings, birthdays and further ceremonies..
What is Kurdish dance?
It is a group of traditional dances kept by Kurds. Dancers usually stand side by side in a circle or half-circle, with one or two figure dancers in the middle, while a drum or a zurna, a double-reed wind instrument, plays the melody for each named dance.
Where is it kept?
Among Kurdish communities, in their home regions and in the places Kurds have moved to. It is most visible at weddings and at large festivals, where the biggest rings form. One dance, Dim Dime, is linked in its name to the route between Urmia and Duhok.
Who dances, and do men and women dance together?
Women usually make up most of the line, and men take part as well; these dances are typically mixed, the article says. Dancers wear traditional Kurdish clothes, and musicians playing a drum or a zurna accompany them.
What part do the handkerchiefs play?
At the head of the half-circle, dancers twirl handkerchiefs and the rest of the line follows them. The article names this as part of how the dances are led but says nothing more about what the cloth means.
See also
NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnics
Islamic marriageThe sacred contract, agreement and wedding celebration forming an Islamic marriage
Persian gardenAn ancient tradition of creating walled, geometric sanctuaries of shade and flowing water
Yaldā NightA solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaGood reading and sources
- Kurdish dance on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Kurdish dance", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.
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