Dance is a beautiful and valuable ritual among Bakhtiari tribes which is the symbol of unity, sympathy, correlation and cooperation of them. Bakhtiari people are resolute and accurate in performing their traditional dances and also they dance in various forms in their happiness ceremonies and wedding parties. First of all, you should be familiar with the words related to Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari dance the most important of which is "Tushmal".
In fact, "Tushmal"s are some Bakhtiari musicians and local singers who have an essential role in performing dance ceremonies. Their traditional music and poetries have been sustainable by the sound of Sorena and drum and it makes a kind of coordination and excitement with the sound of their instruments. Each tribe in Bakhtiari area has an exclusive Tushmals who is accompanying the tribe in all happiness ceremonies or mourning. The beautiful philosophy of dance in Bakhtiari tribe is taken from the background and the type of the nomadic life of them. Bakhtiari’s elders start the dance as the forefront of the dance group. In most of the dances, women with colorful clothes and local accessories on their cloth, dance with the rhythm of Toshmals, simultaneously with men who wore the local clothes. This dance is performed in some regions of Iran such as Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer Ahmad, Khuzestan, Bushehr and Fars among tribes in different styles. As a whole, Bakhtiari dance is performed in several types and mostly divided into two main groups one of which is particularly for men and is a kind of martial dance and the other type is a group dance. The dance of first group is "Tarke Bazi" or "Jangnome" which is known by names of "Choub Bazi" and "Cho Bazi".
Tarke Bazi is the only type of Bakhtiari men dance that women do not participate in. This is a kind of martial dance performed 2 by 2 with pieces of wood named Tarke or Derak and the others stand at the sides and participate in dance in turn and fill the place of previous dancers. This dance is a symbol of men’s strength and prowess. The second group includes different kinds of dance which are usually performed by men and woman in a group. "Sepa" is one of the group dances in which women and men stand alternately in a circular form. This dance has a quiet rhythm which also the elders can participate in. Arabi dance is another type of Bakhtiari dance which has a fast paced rhythm mostly performed by adults because it needs to a powerful body. This dance is known to be Yalombe in rural dialect.
