Halay

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Halay (Kurdish: Dilan) is a famous dance in the Middle East. Two traditional music instruments, literally meaning a drum and wind-pipe (or flute). Played together usually with no songs, in many ceremonies such as; weddings, funerals and welcoming (however for funerals played for unmarried men, accompanied by singing). It is a symbol for the tempestuous way of life in its place of origin, Anatolia. It is a national dance in Armenia and Turkey.

The traditional form of the Halay is played on the zurna, supported by a davul but in the recent years electronic drums and melodies has formed another style of halay which is mainly played indoors i.e. indoor weddings. Halay dancers form a circle or a line, while holding each other with the little finger or shoulder to shoulder or even hand to hand with the last and first player holding a piece of cloth — usually called "mendil" (from arabic) between Arabs, Kurds,Turkmen and Turks.

The halay has spread from Anatolia to many other regions, such as Armenia and the Balkans.

[edit] Halay in Weddings

In many Kurdish, Turkish, Turkmen, Arabic, Persian, Greek and Albanian weddings people dance Halay for hours as a tradition and every city or memleket has their own style and forms, particularly, within the Kurdish communities.