The Kurdish people live in eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northern Syria, and northwestern Iran (where there is a region called Kurdistan). Their highly rhythmic dances are traditionally done at all festivals including birthdays, circumcisions, weddings, and religious ceremonies. Unlike other neighboring Muslim populations, the dances are generally mixed-gender. They are done in lines, in pinky hold or shoulder hold, with the dancers very close together; the knees are easy, with a regular bouncing that carries through the shoulders. Two of the dances I learned in Turkey that I have been teaching this month - Keje and Gudi - are Kurdish dances. You can click on the Kurdish Dancing/Keje link to the right (under Dance Videos) to view an absolutely wonderful video of a group of teenage girls doing a medley of Kurdish dances.