NEWS
KUSHTDEPTI: A DANCE BRINGING NATIONS TOGETHER
Today, an online meeting has taken place between senior officials of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan and Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) Düsen Kaseinov. A host of performing artists from Turkic-speaking countries also joined the virtual event using modern communications technology.
Meeting participants discussed the importance of encouraging a cultural dialogue between the nations and promoting their heritage through the arts. As highlighted by our country’s representatives, the last few years have seen the greatest creations and crowning glory of the Turkmen nation inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They include the folk epic Gerogly (inscribed in 2015), Kushtdepdi - the national art of singing and dancing (2017), and the traditional art of Turkmen carpet making (2019).
Several unique candidates: the craft of dutar making, the art of dutar playing and the art of bagshy, which make up an integrated whole, and the traditions of Akhalteke horse breeding and Turkmen Alabay dog breeding are waiting to be added to the List.
During the official part, the participants exchanged greetings and extended their congratulations to the people of Turkmenistan on the 25th anniversary of the country’s neutrality. Then followed performances by solo singers and members of dance ensembles from Turkic-speaking countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. The Republics of Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Kabardino-Balkaria and Sakha (Yakutia) of the Russian Federation as well as Moldova’s Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia joined the cultural event as well.
Together they organized the rousing Kushtdepdi Video Festival during which singers and dancers from the TURKSOY member countries showed online pre-recorded videos featuring their Turkmen folk dance performances accompanied by singing.
Each ensemble presented their interpretations of the ritual dance whose mesmerizing swirling movements are a true reflection of national spirit, character and vigor. A performance by the State Dance Ensemble of Turkmenistan brought the spectacular music and ethnographic festival to a close.