ZeeGooner's video: Ancient Armenian War Dance - YARKHOUSTA

Karin Folk Ensemble dancing a timeless Armenian war dance dedicated to the Armenian general from diaspora Monte Melkonian from the first Artsakh war, who completely decimated entire regiments of turkic azeri troops. Yarkhushta (Armenian: Յարխուշտա, pronounced [jɑɾχuʃtɑ]) is an Armenian folk and martial dance[1] associated with the highlands of the historical region of Sassoun in Western Armenia.[2][3][4] Yarkhushta belongs to a wider category of Armenian "clap dances" (ծափ-պարեր, tsap parer).[5] The dance is performed by men, who face each other in pairs. The key element of the dance is a forward movement when participants rapidly approach one another and vigorously clap onto the palms of hands of dancers in the opposite row [1]. Yarkhushta is believed to have its origins in the early Middle Ages as it is mentioned in the works of Movses Khorenatsi, Faustus of Byzantium, and Grigor Magistros.[1] Yarkhushta has traditionally been danced by Armenian soldiers before combat engagements, partly for ritualistic purposes, and partly in order to cast off fear and boost battle spirit.[6] The tune of the dance is played intentionally very loudly by two zurna hornpipes and one or more double-headed bass drums, each struck with a mallet and a stick from opposite sides of the drum's cylinder. It has been demonstrated that the combination of zurna's high-frequency tone and the bass drums' deep, low-frequency beat create a combination of sounds with wide peak-to-peak amplitude that is capable of placing the dancers in the state of euphoric trance. This factor amplifies the effect of adrenaline/epinephrine rush that the dancing of yarkhushta usually produces.[7]