"They made a mockery of Svan dance"- Georgia outraged by Dutch interpretation of folk dance

Dutch performance of Svanuri sparks outrage

The Ministry of Culture of Georgia harshly criticized a video circulated on social media showing an unconventional interpretation of the traditional Svan dance (Svanuri) by a Dutch musical ensemble.

In the video, one of the male performers is wearing a ballerina outfit:

“This is absolutely unacceptable interference in the Svan dance tradition. Georgia must improve the legal mechanisms for the protection of Georgian dances and polyphony”, said the representative of the press service of the Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiani.

At the moment, four Georgian dances have been inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list:

1. “Perkhuli“, which received the status in 2013, after being presented by the Palace of Georgian Art / Museum of Cultural History.

2. “Khorumi“, which received the status in 2013, after being presented by the State Folklore Center named after Anzor Erkomaishvili.

3. “Gandagana”, part of the cultural heritage of the Achara region, received its status in 2019, after being presented by the Achara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency.

4. “Kartuli” received the status in 2020, after being presented by Shota Rustaveli State University of Theater and Cinema.

Before an object can be nominated for submission to UNESCO, it must first be granted intangible cultural heritage status at the national level.

The ministry said it had already taken appropriate steps. On February 16, a new composition of the Council for Intangible Cultural Heritage was formed, which will work with the State Folklore Center named after Anzor Erkomaishvili.

Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet performing Svanuri: