Cultural Memory and Dance: “Circassian Wedding”

Dance culture has an important place among the Circassians who migrated from Caucasia to Anatolia. For Circassians, dance can appear at any time in their daily life, creating a context in which cultural memory is preserved and ritually relieved. At the same time, the dance creates a context in which social norms, called Khabze, which represent the whole of the “Circassian Morality”, are maintained. Circassian dance, also known as “Circassian Wedding”, is popular among Circassian youth and frequently performed by them. For young people, dance is seen as an important tool in establishing a connection with the past and preserving cultural memory. In addition, it can be said that dance has a bonding role in communication environments between young people and adults. In this context, the "Circassian Dance Studies" conducted at the Fidan Yazıcıoğlu Cultural Center in 2013, among the youth between the ages of 15-23, within the North Caucasus Cultural Association in Sivas province, constitutes the subject area of our research. In this article, firstly, it is aimed to give information about the dance called “Circassian Wedding”, within the framework of the field data obtained according to the “guided interview technique” (21 questions prepared beforehand by addressing 44 people). On the other hand, Circassian dance and its functions for its performers will be emphasized through Erving Goffman's concept of showcase, which has an important place in performance studies. In this context, it is aimed to be analyzed of the performance framework of Circassian dance through the concepts that are thought to be important in terms of performance, such as “set”, “personal showcase”, “attitude”, “appearance”, “given impression” and “rediating impression”.

Keywords

Antropology, cultural memory, Khabze, performance, dance, Circassian Wedding.