Kushtdepdi singing and dancing is a performing art involving creative improvisation focused on good feelings and wishes. It involves singing with vocal improvisation and dancing with hand gestures, steps, and gestures in time with the song.
The dance spread in Turkmenistan as both a communal celebration dance and a staged dance over the following years. Turkmen scholars advanced the most prominent narrative regarding the origins of the dance. It is an integral part of ceremonies and national celebrations, serving as a tool for conveying good wishes.
The performance of kushtdepdi rite begins with a seated group of women dressed in traditional attire singing the poetry of best wishes for well-being, happiness, and a sermon urging the youth to keep close ties with elders.
Following the invitation of performers, the performance is then led by the singing of two poets (traditionally a man and a woman) with dancing to the accompaniment of songs in a semi-closed or closed circle. During dance movements, the right foot takes three steps, followed by trampling and clapping, which are meant to scare away misfortune and maleficence.
It is embodied by the master singers and dancers who have experience in and can impart the vocal techniques and the skills of the dance. The element serves as a bridge between generations grounded in similar spiritual and cultural values. To promote fertility, procreation, harmony, and peace, it is performed at the end of events ending on a positive note.
A vivid example of the harmonious blend of traditions of the past and creative energy from our times, Kustdepdi is a colorful example of folk art that reflects the connection between historical and cultural traditions and the spiritual experience of the nation.
However, community members play a key role in maintaining the element's viability by performing at ceremonies and social gatherings that foster social cohesion. In addition to collaborating on introductory teaching resources, community members organize regular field expeditions to gather information on the practice.
One community effort is to preserve this tradition is through informal oral learning and practical training, master singers traditionally pass on their knowledge and skills to amateurs, but music schools and cultural centers also encourage the formal training of amateurs.
In addition to formal training, the State Institute of Culture, the National Conservatory, specialized music schools, and Turkmenistan's Cultural Centres also facilitate amateur singers and dancers in each province of Turkmenistan through their initiation into the elements.