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undressed, although they were very hot from dancing. This beloved even with the tip of his finger. He simply wants to
was repeated several times and the boys undressed slowly present his own self to her; driven by youthful desire he
but without defiling the virtuous feelings of the onlookers spreads wide his hands like an eagle, makes free circular
and then in the same slow movements they would put on moves in front of his beloved, carries his neck beautifully,
their clothes. The dance continued long and required great makes moves of his feet so fast as if does not touches the
endurance from the performers. We would like once more to ground. After inviting the lady to dance, his passion calms
stress that Georgia is an Orthodox Christian country and the down giving way to great respect and reverence and in an
lovers of such a dance simply could not give themselves the honorary distance he follows the woman, who is sliding
right to perform such bold dances. Only professional dancers like a swan. For some time the woman dances alone,
or kinto-like frantic plebs could dare to perform “Kolsarma” gently holding up her hands; being a bit restrained, but still
and “Ialas Tamashoba”. It is of special mention that in the coquetting with the man; she expresses permanent wish
Georgian dances we often come across choreographic or to subdue him, to enjoy his worship. In the finale, they are
musical motifs of neighboring, friendly or hostile nations, together in the whirl of passion without showing an erotic
which indicates open relations of our people to the foreign move. They are occupied in this whirl. The woman covers
culture and, on the other part, all this enriched the national her face shyly with her hand, which strongly inspires the
choreography. man. It seems he loses his restraint, trying insistently to
Sometimes it happened so that the best samples of the look into her face, wants to read in her eyes the verdict to
Georgian dance were given the names of a foreign country, his emotion, does not allow her to move freely, but as soon
which needed fight for returning the national belonging. as the music stops, this love mystery ends too – the man
Unfortunately, such events are not quite rare – our friends lowers his head thanking the woman for happiness received
and enemies often try to appropriate our writers or our from the dance.
alphabet, saying they are their authors; sometimes they Such is the dance culture of Georgia, but due to the
dispute with us for architectural monuments and, in general, strongest troubles the country faced during its hard history,
even for our territory. One among such disputable issues Georgia failed to bring this culture to a higher classical
is dance of couples – “Kartuli”, which was somehow called stage. In the period when in the heart of Europe – in the
“Lekuri”. This was opposed first by dancer and teacher Aleksi Renaissance Italy – opera and ballet scenic art was being
Aleksidze and then, by Dimitri Janelidze, researcher of the formed, Georgia was desperately fighting against numerous
Georgian theater. They proved that the moves of this dance enemies raiding the country from all over. This continued for
do not coincide with those of “Lekuri”, neither the order; what centuries. In 1453 after fall of Constantinople and dissolution
is most important, Lezghins are of Muslim religion, which of the Byzantine Empire, Georgia, being the last outpost
makes it impossible for a boy and a girl to dance together. along the whole perimeter of the European Christianity,
Charming lyrical duet of “Kartuli” dance tells us about love appeared to be in isolation for almost 300 years from the
affair of one couple only. “Kartuli” is a generalized image of European civilization. That’s why it is not surprising that
refined relations between a knight and a lady. It shows how Georgia was cut from the European cultural-educational
a courteous and gallant Georgian man imagines his attitude processes for the same period. The Kingdoms of Kartl-
40 to his beloved. It shows well his great love. But, whatever Kakheti and Imereti were divided between the Ottoman
passionate fire is burning inside him, he never touches his Empire and Iran. Georgians time and again arranged