Attan


Attan is a form of dance that originated in Afghanistan. The Attan began as a folk dance conducted by Pashtuns in times of war or during weddings or other celebrations. A long customary in the Pashtun culture, it is now considered the national dance of Afghanistan and is popularly carried by all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.
Attan is a special type of dance performed by a troupe of 50 to 100 dancers who wave scarves in the air while musicians beat drums. As time has passed, the special dance has changed from a dance done by troupe dancers only to anyone who wishes to perform this dance at any celebration.

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 believe it is even older, going back to King Yama's celebration of Nowroz and warriors dancing and circling around the fire. It is usually performed with a Dohol, which is a double-headed barrel drum. The dance can be anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes long. There are many different regional variations of attan, the most famous being Mahsudi, Kabuli, Paktiyaya, Shenwari, Kandahari, Sistani, and Herati. During King Yama's time, attan was performed before going to war because it used to give the army the confidence that they could win the battle. As well as being the national dance of Afghanistan, attan is also a very popular part of festivals, weddings, and other forms of celebrations.

Movement

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.
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 Dohol. But dohols vary by sizes, for some types the size is relatively small. The reason for that could be geographic but the distinction between dohols is apparent among the various types of Attans. The Dumbak is a single-headed hand-drum found in most Arab music ensembles. The goblet-shaped body 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.

Attire

Performers often wear traditional regalia when participating in the lively dance. Usually during the celebratory occasions, men can also be seen wearing suits and ties for a more formal look. 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

The Attan is performed differently in many of the different parts of Afghanistan. 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, and the celebration of Nowroz.
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.
The women, colourfully clad in traditional dress, join in the dance. Often, women change into an Attan dress while the men remain in their original clothes at a wedding or gathering. In the past, musicians and singers were mostly men. 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.