Uzundara#Etymology and origin

The place of origin is Nagorno-Karabakh.Tkachenko, 1967, p. 274: The ancient dance "Uzundara" (literally - "long gorge") originated in Nagorno-Karabakh as a dance of a girl - a bride [Старинный танец «Узундара» (дословно — « длинное ущелье») зародился в Нагорном Карабахе как танец девушки-невесты]Peoples of the Caucasus. Volume 2. Edited by B.A. Gardanov, A.N. Guliev, S.T. Eremyan, L.I. Lavrov, G.A. Nersesov, G.S. Chitai. Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1962. - Peoples of the World: Ethnographic Essays. P. 163: The "Uzundere" dance was exclusively wedding dance. It originated in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the Uzundere area, which means "long gorge". ["Исключительно свадебным был танец «узундере».Он зародился в Нагорном Карабахе, в местности Узундере, что значит «длинное ущелье»."] The origination of the dance is claimed by both Armenians and Azerbaijanis alike due to the fact that both nations lived in Karabakh, where the Uzundere valley is located.{{cite book|author=Kamal Hasanov|url=http://www.musicacademy.edu.az/images/elmi_neshrler/qasanov_az_xalq_reqs.pdf|title=Azerbaijani Folk Dances|publisher=Iskusstvo publishing house: Research Institute of Culture|year=1978|editor=Valeria Uralskaya|location=Moscow|oclc=14699597|quote=Armenians also claim authorship of this dance. This is due to the fact that many Armenians live in Karabakh, where the Uzundere valley is located.}} According to Azerbaijani scholars, the dance originates in a Uzundara valley between Aghdam and Baş Qərvənd in the region of Karabakh.Uzundərə // Muğam Ensiklopediyası / Edited by T. Mammadov — Baku, 2008. — P. 197. According to another explanation, the dance was brought to the region by Armenians from Erzurum, who fled from the Ottoman Empire in 1828 during the Russian-Turkish war.{{cite magazine|author= Gary and Susan Lind-Sinanian|title= History of the Armenian Dance|series= Hungarian Folk Dance Types and Dialects|editor= Vytautas Beliajus|location= Denver|magazine= Viltis|url= https://socalfolkdance.org/articles/history_armenian_dance_lind-sinanian.htm|year= 1982|volume= 40|number= 5|page= 8|issn= 0042-6253}}

Translated from Azerbaijani,{{Cite book |first=T. N. |last=Tretyankova |title=Основы эстетики и художественной деятельности; музыка народов мира: учебное пособие |publisher=ЮУрГУ |year=2000 |page=126 |language=ru }}{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Узундара |encyclopedia=Энциклопедический музыкальный словарь |publisher=Советская энциклопедия |location=Moscow |year=1966 |page=526 |language=ru }}{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Узундара |encyclopedia=Спутник музыканта: энциклопедический карманный словарь-справочник |publisher=Музыка |location=Moscow |year=1964 |page=154 |language=ru }} the word Uzundara means "long gorge"{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Узундара |encyclopedia=Музыкальная энциклопедия |editor-first=Yuri |editor-last=Keldysh |location=Moscow |publisher=Советская энциклопедия, Советский композитор |year=1981 |volume=5 |language=ru }} or "long valley".{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://mugam.musigi-dunya.az/ru/u/uzundere.html |title=Узундере |language=ru |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Mugham }} The word Uzundara itself comes from the word "Uzun", which is of Old Turkic origin and means "long", and the word "Dara", which is of Persian origin and means "gorge".{{Cite book |last=Shamamyan |first=Narine |url=http://opac.flib.sci.am/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=382779 |title=Uzundara solo dance: An attempt of a historical-ethnographical research |publisher=National Academy of Sciences of Armenia |location=Yerevan |year=2016 |pages=204–208 |isbn=978-5-8080-1258-5 |language=hy }} Armenian ethnographer Srbuhi Lisitsian notes that "dara", in addition to a "gorge", can also mean a "pit".{{Cite book |last=Lisitsian |first=Srbuhi |title=Старинные пляски и театральные представления армянского народа |year=1958 |location=Yerevan |publisher=АН АрмССР |volume=I |pages=343–344 |language=ru }}

The dance is performed easily, smoothly. Circular strokes and small lateral steps are coordinated with gentle movements.Uzundara // Big Soviet Encyclopedia, 1965. — V. 44. — P. 50. It has a 3-part structure, with more active movement in the outer parts and smooth in the middle. A typical method of melodic development is the variation of two-, three- and four-bar motives.

According to Tamara Stepanovna Tkachenko, three elements alternate in Uzundara in the following order: moves in a circle, "syzme" (small, "floating" steps) and small movements forward or from side to side such as "khyrdalyk". She described those elements as "main elements of Azerbaijani female dance",Tkachenko, 1967, p. 311: "В танце в определенном порядке чередовались три основных элемента азербайджанского женского танца: ходы по кругу, «сюзмэ» и мелкие движения вперед или из стороны в сторону типа «хырдалык»." ["The three main elements of Azerbaijani female dance alternate in Uzundara in a certain order: moves in a circle, "syzme" and small movements forward or from side to side such as "khyrdalyk".] while pointing out that "syzme" is an "integral part of Armenian dance".Т.С. Ткаченко. Основные движения армянского танца // Народный танец. — Искусство, 1954. — p. 500. Tkachenko also noted that in Armenia, the lyrical dance of the bride was performed after the solemn dances of the matchmaker, parents, and groom, to the melodies of "Uzundara", "Nunufar" or "Rangi".Tamara Stepanovna Tkachenko: Армянский танец // Народный танец. — Искусство, 1954. — p. 481

|Uzundara dance performed by Tiflis Armenians of the second half of the 19th century in the film "Pepo" by Hamo Beknazarian (Armenfilm, 1935)

File:Uzundara dance melody at the opening of Kharibulbul Festival in Shusha.ogg|Melody of Uzundara dance at the opening of Kharibulbul Festival in Shusha performed by Azerbaijani kamancheh players

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• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-oco2GTY5c&ab_channel=kamalyamM Azerbaijanis performing Uzundara]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sYOcJvSeMo Armenians performing Uzundara]

Category:Music of Azerbaijan

Category:Azerbaijani dances

Category:Music of Armenia

Category:Armenian dances

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