Kyrgyz Dance - "Besh-Yrgaï"

Besh - Yrgai

A youth dance accompanied by a song. It tells about the life of young people, about a new life where women are not bound by the laws of antiquity. It is performed to a song and an orchestra of komuz players in even pairs. It can also be performed to a recording or accompanied by a piano.

The dance was choreographed by N. Tugelov, with musical arrangement by P. Shubin.

Costumes of the Performers

Girl's costume. A dress in bright colors (yellow, orange, pink, raspberry) made of silk; a vest in a deeper tone (dark green, dark red, purple) made of velvet or plush, decorated along the edges and hem with golden tinsel or embroidery featuring Kyrgyz patterns.

Headgear — a fur hat with a velvet top in the color of the vest, with a tuft of owl feathers on top. Hair is braided into four braids. Footwear — soft boots with a medium heel.

Boy's costume. A shirt made of white fabric. A beshmet made of blue or green velvet or plush with a narrow stripe, decorated with a circular pattern. A belt made of thick leather with embellishments. Trousers made of dark brown or dark green pleats, tucked into boots (ichigi) made of leather, painted on the shafts.

Headgear — a pointed white felt hat, decorated with red ribbon and a tassel of the same color on a cord; with a slit in front, the brim is lined with black plush.

Description of the Dance

Dancers pair up and are positioned evenly at the first and second side wings. Girls stand to the right of the boys.

Boys hold girls at the waist with their right hand, the left hand is slightly above the 2nd position, and the head is slightly tilted towards the girl. The left hand of the girl rests on the boy's shoulder, the right hand is in the 2nd position, and the head is slightly tilted towards the boy (see Fig. 104).

The introductory verse of the song is performed.

First figure (8 bars)

1—8 bars
All dancers perform "movement 1" ("basic Kyrgyz step") walking in a circle counterclockwise (see Fig. 105).

Those at the right wings turn to face the back of the stage, while those at the left wings face the audience and form pairs in two lines.

While moving, boys and girls make a rotational movement with the wrist of the free hand inward. Girls stand half a step ahead of the boys on the right side (see Fig. 106).

Second figure (24 bars)

1—2 bars
Boys, giving way to the girls for dancing, take three steps to the right. At the same time, girls start taking three steps with a stomp on the left foot to the left ("movement 2" — "steps with a stomp").

3—4 bars.
Dancers repeat the movements of bars 1—2. Boys start moving with the left foot to the left and stomp with the right foot, while girls start moving with the right foot and stomp with the left.

5—6 bars
Boys, turning to the right, perform "movement 1," starting with the right foot, making a circle in place, facing away from each other. At this time, the hands (right — at head level, palm facing inward, left — at shoulder level, palm facing outward) make a rotational movement inward.

Girls, performing "movement 1," start with the right foot, turn in place to the right, and line up facing the audience in a single line in front of the boys.

7—8 bars
Boys repeat the movements of bars 5—6 to the left, starting the movement with the left foot.

Raise the hands to the sides slightly above the head, bending them slightly.

Boys "movement 1" go in the opposite direction, but starting the movement with the left foot and changing the position of the hands (see Fig. 107). At the end of the 8th bar, all dancers line up facing the audience in two lines.

Repeat bars 7—8 of the musical accompaniment.

1—4 bars
On the count of "one" of the 1st bar, boys step forward with the right foot. On the count of "two" of the 1st bar, they pull the left leg to the right and lower themselves onto the left knee. In bars 2, 3, and 4, boys clap their hands, as if encouraging and inviting the girls to dance.

Girls step to the right with the right foot and back, turning to face the boys on the count of "one" of the 1st bar. Girls in the second line take another step with the left foot towards the boys.

All girls are happy with the boys' invitation but do not want to show it. Covering their faces with their hands, girls turn to the right for 1—2 bars, starting with the right foot "movement 1." In bars 3—4, they perform the movement to the left.

5—8 bars
Boys, rising from their knees, "movement 1" spin to the right. Hands are raised between the 2nd and 3rd positions. At the end of the 8th bar, they line up facing the audience.

Girls "movement 1" in bars 5—6 start to go around the boys from the left side. In bars 7—8 — from the right. Hands are open in the 2nd position, and the head turns in the direction of the hand movement. At the end of the 8th bar, girls stand in front of their partners (to the right of them) facing the audience in two lines (see Fig. 108).

Repeat bars 1—8 of the music.

1—4 bars
Boys hold girls at the waist with their right hand and, performing "movement 1," reach the front of the stage; the front line, turning counterclockwise, goes to the places of the second line.

5—8 bars
All dancers spin in place to the left "movement 1".

Third figure (32 bars)

1—8 bars
Boys and girls walk in pairs in a circle counterclockwise "movement 1" and at the end of the 8th bar line up in a circle facing the center of the stage (see Fig. 109).

9—10 bars
Boys perform "movement 3" ("turn with a stomp") starting with the right foot to the right. Hands are opened to the sides in the 2nd position. At the end of the 2nd bar — a strong stomp with the left foot. Boys place their hands on their waists and, leaning back, admire the girls.

Girls run around the boys from the left side and return to the starting position at the end of the 10th bar "movement 1". Girls, turning either right or left, seem to hide from the boys' gaze "movement 1".

11—12 bars
Boys repeat bars 9—10 "movement 3" to the left. Girls repeat movements of bars 9—10 to the right.

13—16 bars
Boys perform "movement 1" (hands on the waist), dancing in place. Girls repeat movements of bars 9—10 to the left.

17—24 bars
Boys, taking the girls by the waist, spin to the right "movement 1". At the end of the 24th bar, a semicircle is formed (see Fig. 110).

25—32 bars
On the count of "one" of the 25th bar, boys sit down, crossing their legs, facing the center of the circle. In the following bars, swaying to the right and left, boys clap their hands, as if inviting the girls to dance. During the dance, boys clap their hands, glance at each other, and nod approvingly.

Girls enter the semicircle on "one" of the 25th bar "movement 5" ("Dance of the Girls"). At the end of the 28th bar, they form a circle and, as if consulting, repeat the movement. By the end of the 32nd bar, girls again "consult" and turn over their right shoulder towards the boys (see Fig. 111).

Fourth figure (40 bars)

1—4 bars
Dance of the girls in a circle. Girls stand facing the boys, touching each other's shoulders. On "one" of the 1st bar, girls step forward with the right foot, raising their hands up through the 2nd position: right hand above the left, slightly bent at the elbow, left hand at face level. On "two" — step back with the left foot, opening hands to the sides, touching each other. On "one" of the 2nd bar, stepping onto the right foot, jump to the right on the right foot, pulling the left foot to the right (hands are extended to the left, as if pushing something away from the waist). On "two" of the 2nd bar, repeat the step to the right with a jump and a lean to the right (hands are pulled to the waist and then again extended to the left). In bars 3—4, the movement is repeated, but with the other leg and in the opposite direction.

5—8 bars
On "one" of the 5th bar, girls step to the right with the right foot, placing the left foot behind the right on the toe. Hands are moved to the right at chest level. On "two" of the 5th bar — step to the left with the left foot, placing the right foot behind on the toe.

Hands are moved to the left, and the head is tilted in the direction of the hand movement. On the 6th bar — turn on the right foot to the right by 360°. Hands in the 3rd position.

In bars 7—8, repeat the movements of bars 5—6.

Repeat bars 1—8 of the music.

1—4 bars
Girls on "one" of the 1st bar step forward with the right foot towards the boys. On the count of "two" of the 1st bar — step with the left foot, simultaneously raising the right leg forward, bending at the knee. The right hand is lowered to the knee and sharply moves in the direction of the thigh (the left hand is in the 3rd position).

Repeat the movement three more times, moving away from the center of the circle and turning sideways to the boys.

5—8 bars
Boys stand up, take the girls by the waist; girls place their left hands on the boys' right shoulders. Four pairs of dancers form a small circle in the center of the stage, while the remaining pairs disperse to the corners of the stage (see Fig. 112).

Repeat bars 1—8 of the musical accompaniment.

1—4 bars
Pairs in the center of the circle spin to the right, while the others spin to the left ("movement 1"). 5—8 bars

Boys kneel and clap their hands, while girls, performing "movement 1," walk in a circle around their partners counterclockwise, making a wave-like circular movement with their hands. At the end of the 8th bar, boys stand up.

Repeat bars 1—8 of the musical accompaniment.

1—4 bars
Boys turn to the right, stand back to back, and then perform a turn in place — "movement 1".

At the same time, girls on the 1st bar, facing each other, step forward with the right foot with a slight jump, clapping their right hand against the left in the 8th position. On the 2nd bar, they step in place with the left foot with a slight jump. On the 3rd bar, stepping onto the right foot, they take a step forward with the left foot with a slight jump. On the 4th bar, girls turn over their right shoulder (four simple steps).

5—8 bars
Boys turn to face each other. Girls repeat the movements of bars 1—4.

Repeat bars 1—8 of the musical accompaniment.

1—4 bars
Boys, standing in the inner circle, take the girls by the waist and move to the left in a clockwise direction.

At the same time, boys in the outer circle, taking the girls by the waist, move in a circle counterclockwise "movement 1" (see Fig. 113).

5—8 bars
Continuing to move "movement 1," the dancing pairs go offstage: the inner circle to the third right wing, the outer circle to the third left wing (see Fig. 114).

Movement 1. "Basic Kyrgyz Step".

Starting position — feet in 6th position. Hands: right — in 2nd, left — in 3rd position, palm of the left hand lowered.

Musical meter — 2/4. one Step with the heel of the right foot forward onto the whole foot, knee relaxed.

At the same time, raise the left foot with the toe behind the heel of the right, bending the knee.

two Stepping onto the left foot, lift the right.

three Step forward with the right foot from the heel to the whole foot.

and Pull the left foot to the right.

The movement is repeated with the left foot.

Movement 2. "Steps with a Stomp".

Starting position — 6th position of the feet, hands on the waist.

Performed over two bars.

Step with the right foot to the right.

Place the left foot behind the right foot.

Step with the right foot to the right.

Stomp with the left foot next to the right.

Movement 3. "Turn with a Stomp".

Starting position — feet in 1st position, hands on the waist.

one Step with the right foot to the right,

and Step with the left foot to the right, opening the hands to the 2nd position, starting to turn to the right.

two Step forward with the right foot to the right, continuing the turn by 360°.

and Stomp with the left foot, hands on the waist.

The movement continues with the left foot turning by 360°. 

Starting position — feet in 3rd position, hands in the preparatory position.

one Step with the right foot to the right, turning to the right by 90°, hands raised up, right hand above the head, left at head level.

and Place the left foot behind on the toe, rotating the wrists inward and upward, turning the head towards the raised hand.

two Step with the left foot to the left, turning to the left by 180°, pulling the right foot behind on the toe. Raise the left hand above the head, right at head level.

and Rotate the hands inward and upward, turning the head towards the raised hand. The movement is repeated with the right foot.

Movement 5. "Dance of the Girls".

Starting position — feet in 1st position, hands in 1st position.

Performed over two bars.

1st bar
one Step forward with the right foot, place the left foot next to the right foot. At the same time, extend the right hand to the 2nd position.

two A small step forward with the left foot. Move the left hand to the 1st position.

2nd bar
one Step forward with the right foot to the center of the circle, lean the body forward, and lower the hands down.

two Straighten up, place the left foot next to the right foot, and move the hands from the bottom up through the 2nd position and return to the 2nd position.

The movement is repeated, starting with the right foot.