Qasemabadi Dance

Source: Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=SXONRRDtT84&ab_channel=NavakDanceEnsemble

The Qasemabadi dance is performed by women at ceremonies and special occasions and symbolizes different aspects of life such as marriage, harvest, and religious devotion. These dances tell stories and imitate culturally important events such as the act of rice farming. Even the movement of clothing is very important during the dance, you can watch the women’s skirts come to life as they blossom while they spin. 

There are a few key elements as part of the dance: hand gestures, foot movements and stances, circular and linear body movements to represent the passage of time, facial expressions to convey emotions and context as well as synchronization as a manifestation of a shared cultural understanding. 

Hand gestures can symbolize the elements of earth, wind, water and fire. Water is a swift flowing motion while fire is represented in a flicking motion. See if you can find these movements in the video and act them out! Some gestures have religious connotations and are meant to represent deities or mythological stories. Closed palms, for example, represent reverence and prayer. 

Some foot movements and stances are meant to showcase the dynamics between a strong warrior attitude versus a fluidity and agile grace. Some even represent animal figures and nature. A low crouch with quick steps mimics a bird’s movements, while sweeping leg gestures simulate ocean waves.

(Jafari and Pournasrani, 133-150).