The Royal Dance

Lezghinka to be taught in Georgian schools
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has announced that a new subject is going to be taught in the schools of Georgia. He was speaking about dance. Folk dances including the famous lezghinka are now going to become a compulsory subject at schools.

"Georgian citizens are to be taught how to dance our folk dances so that they will be able at least to dance at their own wedding", the president told school teachers. This is a rare example of a presidential decision having all-Georgia popularity. No wedding in Georgia can be held without the dance, an essential part of the ceremony.

Certainly no one is going to require school children to become brilliant dancers all at once. They will be taught only the main principals of the folk dances. The main idea is to support the
cultural identity of the Georgians.

Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for VK.