THE STORY Attan is nationally seen and Qarsak is now also now seen as national. Of course, there are these ultra-nationalists who have not to do with Qarsak because they only want to dance Attan. So in Afghanistan, there are over 48 ethnic groups and over 200 languages, and also Hazaras speak Hazaragi, as Tajiki ... but there are also regions, or Hazara in the north who speak Pashto completely ... the stems are totally mixed . The Baluchis in the north speak Dari but with a P

THE STORY Bandari is famous among the young generation who had the experience of migration in Iran. I personally had that experience. Like, one of the dance styles was literally called “Bangari.” “Bangar” means “port.” P-O-R-T. It’s like you’re shaking your shoulders you’re moving around, you’re moving up your hands, and your fingers are moving, just moving. Socially, people who are coming from Iran, spending many years in Iran, their identity was formed in Iran. They love Ir

THE STORY Dance in Afghanistan doesn’t have a huge role I don't think. Only really at weddings, and then men and women are separate. Dance just doesn’t have that big a role and it probably couldn’t have a big role. Dance is a universal language, but in Afghanistan, because it has such strict rules in terms of gender, then maybe it’s harder to come together over dance, though I do think that dance is a good way to become closer to people when it does happen, a form of communic

THE STORY Afghans, the only thing that would be like deep rooted in our culture is something like the attan, that men used to do before they go to war. We have something called the attan milli, which is the real traditional attan that actually men dance to not women. But women learn it now. So it's different, it's complicated, you have to learn the beats of the drums, know how to dance to it. So regular attan that you do at like a wedding, it's just simple. They'll come they'

THE STORY Here outside Afghanistan at weddings, I haven't noticed great differences between Attans. But in Afghanistan it is different because they have many different kinds of Attan. Every tribe has a different variety. If the Attan is mixed with both men and women, only men and women related to each other would dance with each other. I don't really dance, but I like to watch. If you do not dance, you are more the listener than the speaker. When I watch Attan, I understand s

THE STORY As a child I loved dancing, especially Bollywood. In Canada I had friends that I got to dance with. Now in the US, I actually dance more for exercise. I think Afghan dancing here in the US has become very similar. There is no versatility left in Afghan dance. It’s all sort of boom boom boom, but the beauty and delicacy has gone. The skill isn’t really there. A good example of decent dance is the dancer Setara from the 1970s. She did a Herati dance. Her dance is very

THE STORY For Samanac celebration, the food is cooked for days, and to make this cooking time more exciting, it is danced and sung while the women stir the food and continue cooking. In general, I believe that women are more for culture - they never part with the family and relatives at festivals or celebrations - where men are politicians, and if there are festivals or celebrations, men are all sitting around at the table and discussing politics. Young people are both. I dan

THE STORY Pishpo is about 2000 years old and used to be danced in front of Buddha (at that time there were Buddhists). Raqs is “soft”, like a soft dance, or ladies dancing. It’s very popular and everyone can do it. Bandari – it’s the name of a city in south Iran but also a dance from there – is something I used to dance, but only in Iran. Those in Northern Iran can’t do the dance as well. I can dance it well. Sakina guzlari literally means the “game of a song,” and it’s prett

THE STORY "Milli Attan" is our "national dance" because it indeed belongs to Afghans since the start of the millennium. No matter what struggle has come to Afghanistan, Tajikis, Uzbek, Turkmen, Arabs and all ethnicities alike have done the milli attan. In Afghanistan this national dance is automatically connected to an instrument called " Dohl." This is a drum. You cannot do attan without the drum. Interestingly enough, this instrument and dance are always so linked with anot

THE STORY Learning techno parco dance was a self learning process. I started by watching clips on YouTube and video clips. Also we have two rappers as well. Also through watching American movies like “Step Up 1” “Step Up 2” “Step Up 3.” The name of our group is “Face Off.” We perform in festivals, TV programs. Most of the people are simply believing that techno parco is senseless moves, and to some extent, western moves. People believe that this is a branch of gymnastic and a