Title: Lezginka
Date: Saturday 15th-Saturday 29th March 1969
Type: Dance
Company: Dagestan Dance Company
Location: Royal Albert Hall, London, England
Director: Tankho Israelov
Collection Number: 2411_1969_01

Dances

Act 1

Dance of Youth

Dagestan Suite. A brilliant introduction to the programme in which the young men and women who live in the mountain regions of Dagestan show off their beauty and strength.

My Small Mountain

Avarsky Dance. A dance-duet in which the young men and girls of the Dagestan mountains compete with each other. This is the only dance in the programme where the girls actually vie with the boys.

Khars

Clapping Dance. A favourite folk dance of the Tatsky people who live in the South of Dagestan.

Avarsky Competitive Dance

A dance in which the young men of Dagestan compete with each other to see who will jump the highest.

Alabugei-Baharai

A dance in which one side of the humour of Russia is shown to full advantage. A young girl of the upper mountain region pretends to pick and choose from among the young bachelors of the village.

Dance of the Drummers

In this dance the artists prove their great virtuosity on the drums as well as showing the technique of their dancing.

Vrasploh

A short humorous scene where an unsuccessful suitor is laughed at. The action is set in Dagestan.

Untsukultsy

Choreographic composition. The dancer act out a heroic scene taken from the period of the Dagestan wars.

Yai Iygi

Girls’ Dance. A favourite dance of the women of South Dagestan. The girls of the company perform a lyrical and deeply moving dance.

Zovkra

Folk Dance. Zovkra is the name of a village famed for its acrobats, dancers and wire-walkers. This dance full of acrobatic feats of all kinds is breathtaking in its energy and tempo.

Act 2

Lezginka

Folk Dance. The word Lezginka is a popular Dagestan dance after which the company gets its name. The Republic of Dagestan honours the company by making it the national dance ensemble of the state.

At the Spring

Folk Dance. This Dagestan folk dance compares pure love to the cool and invigorating water drawn from a spring. It is full of the charm and freshness of youth.

Dance of the Mountain Folk

The men dressed in soldiers’ capes are resting, singing their favourite song before they march. The dance portrays daredevil horse-riding after which the men enjoy themselves in a swirling tempestuous dance.

Gerchek Rush

Girls’ Dance. A gently flowing lyrical dance by the women of the company, in praise of their beauty and grace.

Folk Games

Dagestan folk-humour, a colourful choreographic dance composed of Dagestan jokes, games and dances.

Alavlu-Kyzlar

Women’s Dance. A noble dance seemingly rhythmical. This dance is performed by the young girls from the Kumik area of Dagestan.

After Work

The last dance of the programme aptly name ‘after work’ begins light-heartedly, and portrays competitive high-jumping by the Dagestan horsemen, developing into a tempestuous finale by the whole Dagestan Dance Company.

Crew

For Lezginka

Producer: Victor Hochhauser

For the Dagestan Dance Company

Artistic Director: Tankho Israelov
Company Director: Grigori Weissblat

For Victor Hochhauser Ltd.

Public Relations: Anna Barr
Press Officer: Duncan Melvin
Tour Manager: Andrew Meynall
Tour Secretary: Nancy Davies
Coordinator: Valerie Greenwood

Programme Printed By: T.W. Pegg & Sons Ltd.