Kurdish dance group performs in New York

Mayn Zard, a Kurdish dance group founded by an Iranian-born Kurd in 2010, has performed in various venues across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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NEW YORK, United States (Kurdistan24) – Mayn Zard, a Kurdish dance group founded by an Iranian-born Kurd in 2010, has performed in various venues across Canada and in Mexico and the United States.

On April 17, the group was at the Madison Avenue of New York City, showcasing the beauty of Kurdish music, dance and costumes. 

Through halparke – a Kurdish dance – the group revealed an underrepresented image of Kurdistan, one associated with beauty, glory and solidarity instead of tragedy and oppression. 

Mostafa Nosraty, Soheila Dashti, Ashkan Lahoori, Tara Shojai, Omid Zaroori and Sabri Gholami were the performers.

"We performed in front of the mayor of New York and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from Americans who seemed enchanted by the lively music and the dance. We were proud," Ashkan Lahoori told Kurdistan24.

Creative and determined, Mayn Zard, led by the Toronto-based engineer, Mostafa Nosrati, has been able to offer new choreographies regularly, while remaining true to the essence of Kurdish dance. The choreographer and leader, Nosrati, 43, is originally from Sanandaj (Sina) in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhalat). With degrees in industrial engineering and management, he has worked at oil companies and has held managerial positions at international firms.

The choreographer and leader, Nosraty, 43, is originally from Sanandaj (Sina) in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhalat). With degrees in industrial engineering and management, he has worked at oil companies and has held managerial positions at international firms.

"We have had over 50 performances at small and large venues across North America, with zero funding for the past 6 years! We showed up as the most professional group in Manhattan and performed 14 different styles," Nosraty told Kurdistan24. 

Without funds and relying only on volunteers, Mayn Zard has performed in “60x60 Dance” talent show in Toronto, Tirgan festival, and at the Canadian Parliament during a celebration marking Newroz, among various other places. They also appeared at the Kurdish Festival in Mexico. 

The dancers have been invited to perform across North America and Europe, mostly Sweden, but often the invitations could not be honored for lack of funds.

Mayn Zard performs a variety of dances from different regions of Kurdistan including Geryan (six varieties of this dance including Khan Hatge); Senai, Shekaki, Fatahpasha, Zandi, Hawshari, Daghe, Shekhani, Bafraw and Farkhe. Most are modernized and redesigned to fit performance on stages.

Halparke or Govand is an ancient round dance where men and women hold hands and move feet and shoulder rhythmically and in unison. It has roots deep in Kurdish history and is a highly symbolic performance, showing solidarity and resistance.

 

Reporting by Ava Homa
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany