Russia: Subway Lezginka

Global Voices Online
Monday, February 12, 2007

A month ago, YouTube user KABARDINEC ('a Kabardian') posted three rather odd videos of two inspired young men dancing Lezginka at a subway station (here and here) and inside a train car (here), presumably in Moscow. Lezginka's origins are said to be in the ethnically diverse Republic of Dagestan, but variations of this beautiful folk dance are very popular throughout the Caucasus region.

LJ user ingushetiya_ru (Ingushetia) shared the subway train video with the blog's readers:



Below are some of the responses, translated from Russian:

andreykrot: Cool!

[...]

Anonymous: An idiocy.

barkoff_k: Which subway? In Moscow?..

ingushetiya_ru: Probably.

barkoff_k: Professional dancers they are. But could've been beaten up.

ingushetiya_ru: Or they could've beaten someone.

procol_harum: Why do it on the subway? It can only cause annoyance.

ingushetiya_ru: As you see, people were happy and supportive, they were applauding.

croomm: Cool ) Thanks )

[...]

Anonymous: The blackassed are getting really bold! Jerks, go back to your [villages]!

ingushetiya_ru: Go back to the dying out [Russian] villages, [anonymous].

maxim_dubrovin: [This is uncivilized.] Lezginka belongs in a concert hall, not on a subway train where there's a danger of thumping off pensioners' feet.

ingushetiya_ru: You don't seem to know how to dance Lezginka properly. No danger to thump off anyone's feet. These guys are professionals.

maxim_dubrovin: Of course, I don't mean the dancers' feet, but the feet of those who are seated. They don't sit there to see a concert, and they are free to place their legs as they see fit, instead of hiding them away.

janna: Great job, guys! Do you see how the elderly [passengers] are applauding, and the young ones don't understand what's going on. How can you not fall in love with guys like these?

dont_worry88: It's fun ))) Beautiful!!!!