International DANCE

Georgian State Dance Company combines dance, music

By Sean Santiago, contributing writer
Posted on November 19, 2007

This past Wednesday, the Georgian State Dance Company performed at JMU as part of the Masterpiece Season Encore Series. Known internationally for the cultural expression in its competitive, acrobatic dancing, the Georgian State Dance Company provided the JMU community with a unique experience.

The performance consisted of two parts. The men began the show with the Khorumi, a dance that depicts warfare between Georgia and the invading armies of the Turks and Mongolians. With aggressive movements and a distinct style, the dancers conveyed a sense of their country’s history and an understanding of their people.

Contrasting colors and elaborate costumes contributed to the sense of cultural immersion, as did the accompanying orchestra providing traditional Georgian music. At one point they performed without the accompaniment of the dancers to help the audience better appreciate each musician’s part in the overall production.

Another important aspect of the dance was the relationship between men and women. The women often performed slow, graceful pieces to which the men responded in competition for the lady’s affection. For some of the dances the women took a more active role in the courtship. One piece, the Simdi, was a wedding dance that exhibited the formal nature of the ceremony through a black and white color scheme and refined movements.

The most popular dance was undoubtedly the Khevsuruli, a highly choreographed dance the men performed with swords. The fighting progressed  with the dancing as the men first battled each other in a relatively light duel. Before long they were double fisting their weapons, hacking at each other with immense force.

Such elaborate choreography would have been impressive even with a small company, but with eighty dancers and numerous costume changes the performance was doubly impressive and almost exhausting to watch. Each dance blended seamlessly into the next, playing off the seemingly identical dancers to further the sense one was watching an army changing guard. The Georgian State Dance Company provided a one-of-a-kind experience for dance lovers, and a unique alternative to the more modern dances.