Attan

Kabuli Attan by Afghan girls in the USA

Attan (Pashto: اتڼ) is a form of dance that originated in the Pashtun regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Attan began as a folk dance conducted by Pashtuns in times of war or during weddings or other celebrations (engagements, new year, and informal gatherings). It is now considered the national dance of Afghanistan.[1]

The performance of attan dance in the open air has long been customary in the Afghan culture.[2] Attan is a special type of dance performed by a troupe of 50 to 100 dancers who wave red scarves in the air while musicians beat drums. This dance is common among the Pashtuns and the ruling elite promoted it as the national dance of Afghanistan.[3]

Origin

Attan is a traditional Pashtun dance. It is said to be one of the oldest forms of Pashtun Pagan dance. Some identify attan as a religious ceremony of early Zoroastrians placing its origins as early as 2000 BCE, while others have placed even older going back to King Yama's celebration of Nowroz and warriors dancing and circling around the fire. This was later modified into an Islamic dance to allow the dancers to get "closer to God." This virtual attan practiced by many Afghan poets and mystics had even reached to corners of Turkey, known in Europe as the Rumi Dance. It is usually performed with a Dhol, which is a double-headed barrel drum. The dance can be anywhere from 5 minute to 30 minutes long. There are many different regional variations of attan, the most famous being Kabuli, Paktiyaya, Mazari, Shenwari, Kandahari, Sistani, Herati, Pashayi, and Nuristani. During King Yama's time, attan was performed before going to a war because it used to give the army the confidence that they could win the battle. Attan is the national dance of Afghanistan and has spread and become a part of festivals, weddings, and other forms of celebrations, and has its origins from Pashtun areas.

Movement of the Dance

To the accompaniment of drums and pipes the dancers form a circle, taking each other by the hand or preparing to revolve in circles of their own. The dance starts with slow steps that gradually get faster and faster until it seems the performers must drop from exhaustion. However, the dance continues, sometimes for two or three hours at a stretch, with no breaks except a lowering of tempo or changes in the tunes and songs.[4]

What the Attan Dance consists of: The dancers gather in a circle, and then is followed by music which starts slow at first, and then gradually speeds up. There is a consistent beat and rhythm, and during that specific beat is when they clap inside the circle, so the movement of the hands is outside prior to the beat. It is then followed by the dancers bringing their hands out and then clapping inside the circle, and it is the same routine and pattern of movement, which then get faster. As the movements and routine get faster, the one clap turns into two claps, and the dancers who are more advanced, at times will add turns into the movements. All in all, they must keep the circular path with the clap on the beat, every other move added is up to the individuals who originate and add their own personal style to the dance. Common dance moves involve the extending of arms into air and the stretch and extension of legs. When extending arms into air, there are times when the hands are free or there is the waving of the regalia and extension of the attire to show the detail and color.

Instruments

Most essential instrument of course is the Dhol (Drum). But dhols vary by sizes, for some types the size is relatively small. The reason for that could be geographic but the distinction between dhols is apparent among the various types of Attans. The tablah (also known as darbukkah or dumbak) is a single-headed hand-drum found in most Arab music ensembles. The goblet-shaped body (cylindrical with a slightly narrowed waist) was traditionally made out of fired clay, and the sounding head out of goat, calf, or fish skin, stretched and glued permanently on the body. The second most important instrument is the zurna surnay, although very common, the surna is not essential with every type. Another instrument that is specific to some styles, is the Harmonium (Baja), given the size and shape of the harmonium it is usually played while sitting on the ground, but for Attans, the harmonium is bound in a shawl that is wrapped around the players back. A very rare one is the Sarangi just like Baja this one too is supposed to be played while sitting down but for Attan, the musicians strap it in front to walk along the group of dancers.

Attire

Attan regalia for a woman, with mirrors on the front, sleeves, and the bottom of the dress.

Performers often wear traditional regalia when participating in the lively dance. For men, the pakol (a thick wool hat) is usually worn, as well as a waskata (thick wool vest)[5] Usually during the celebratory occasions, men can also be seen wearing suits and ties for a more formal look.[6] The women can be found wearing bright, colorful dresses. These dresses can be accompanied with tiny mirrors on them which are said to symbolize light. The tiny mirrors add great detail and shine under the lights as the women move and dance.

Styles and Types

A Pashtun man performing Khattak dance

The Attan is performed differently in many of the different Pashtun tribes. Some styles of Attan portray themes of war while others portray celebration, especially for events such as marriage, engagements, family gatherings and also as a prelude to the arrival of spring.

All different kinds of Attan are danced with the beats of the drums. However they all differ in style. The beater of the drum known as "Dum", who instantaneously change the rhythm, is circled by the performers. Below is a list of common attan styles.

Gender Roles in Dancing

Most conspicuous are the younger men, with a coloured scarf in one hand, sometimes a sword in the other (such as the Khattak style Attan). The women, colourfully clad in traditional Afghan dress, join in the dance.[4] The men and women are separated in more conservative areas such as Afghanistan and neither can see the other sex dancing. However, in modern areas like the west, both genders dance side by side. Often, women change into an Attan dress while the men remain in their original clothes at a wedding or gathering. This can be due to how the women's clothing is very intricate and quite a sight to see. In the past, musicians and singers were men because social norms at the time prohibited women from playing musical instruments, singing songs, or dancing in front of male counterparts. Dancing by men and women together increasingly gained momentum among the educated and upper- and middle-class urban families in the 1970s and afterward. The Daoud Khan, Zahir Shah and the Communist regimes encouraged young men and women to defy traditional values and participate in these public activities.[8]

Taliban and the Attan

However puritanical the Taliban were, they refrained from prohibiting the Attan dance due to it being engrained into Pashtun culture, which many Taliban are a part of. There are even examples of the Taliban performing the Attan dance before engaging Western occupation forces in battle; this shows the prominence of the Attan in Paktunwali (the Pashtun code of honour). Even though women could not perform the Attan publicly, it was still common in weddings, celebrations and engagements behind closed doors.

References

  1. Rubin, D.; Pong, C.S.; Chaturvedi, R.; Majumdar, R.; Tanokura, M. (2001). The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Asia/Pacific. Routledge. p. 38. ISBN 9780415260879. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  2. "attan." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 13 Oct. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/42102/attan>.
  3. Emadi, Hafizullah (2005) Cultures and Customs of Afghanistan. Greenwood Press: Westport. ISBN 0-313-33089-1.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Wilber, Donald N., (1962) Afghanistan, Its People, Its Society Its Culture. New Haven: Hraf Press. ISBN 3121000493
  5. "Hats and Caps - Village Hat Shop - Best Selection Online". villagehatshop.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  6. http://www.k5.dion.ne.jp/~museum/costume/costume_picture/waskat01.JPG
  7. "For the Love of ATTAN | I Opyne". iopyne.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  8. Emadi, Hafizullah.(2005) Cultures and Customs of Afghanistan. Westport: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-33089-1.

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