Qara jorğa - Kazackstan

Daria Bugakova
Daria Bugakova
Qara jorğa (Қара Жорға) is the name of a Kazakh folk dance and the accompanying küy (traditional instrumental piece). The dance symbolizes joy of life and the close bond between the Kazakh nomadic culture and horses. The movements of the dancers imitate the rhythm and gallop of a black trotter, highlighting the role of the horse in daily life and Kazakh culture.
This dance is performed at almost every celebration. Even if someone doesn’t know how to dance, the movements are very intuitive and easy to follow. The song celebrates life and invites people to dance and enjoy it.
It always brings me joy and a smile on my face whenever I hear the music! I immediately start to move and dance. Because I learned the dance when I was a kid, in some sense it is a special melody for me. I would say that it is a song that really represents our country, welcoming and inviting everyone to share and celebrate life.
My name is Daria Bugakova. I am a postdoc researcher at the University of Twente. I live in Enschede with my Colombian partner.