Tamzara

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Tamzara is an Armenian folk dance native to the Armenian Highlands. In Armenia the dance originally had a ritual character, it was a wedding song and dance. Now "Tamzara" has lost its former ritual significance, when it was performed during almost all community events and parties. It is today performed by Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis (in the regions of Sharur, Nakhchivan and parts of Iranian Azerbaijan), Greeks and Turks. In post-Soviet Armenia, tamzara dance is gaining more and more popularity among all strata of the population. This dance was also especially popular in the formerly Armenian-populated regions of Erzincan, Erzurum, Kigi, Arapgir, Harput, and Malatya. There are many versions of Tamzara, with slightly different music and steps, coming from the various regions and old villages in the Armenian Highlands. According to Folk Dance Federation of California, Inc (July, 2001) Tamzara is performed by Armenians not only in Armenia, also in the countries of Armenian Diaspora. Some scholars suggest that the dance may have originated in the ancient village of Tamzara, located in the northeastern part of Sebastia/Sivas, which was once part of Western Armenia. The name is believed to stem from a local story: “The leader of the village offered his guests his hospitality and always called for his daughter-in-law Zara to serve them ‘tan’ (yoghurt mixed with salt and water).