Circassian Dancers at HHS

The+Narts+Dance+Ensemble+

Courtesy of NDE

The Narts Dance Ensemble

Medina Kaghado, Contributor

Have you heard about the NDE? A group of Hawthorne High School students belong to this group called Narts Dance Ensemble, based out of Wayne, New Jersey, that performs traditional Circassian dance. Often, students who hear about the group ask, “Who are these Circassians  and what is Circassian dancing?”  Here are the answers to those questions.

To start, Circassians are a group of people from Southeastern Russia near the Caucasus region who have a rich sense of culture, which they show through their elegant dancing. Each kind of dance represents many aspects of Circassian culture. Some of the most important things it represents are: nobility in character and mind, respect, and a deep sense of culture.

The Narts Dance Ensemble seems to leave a big effect on dancers’ lives. According to Nadia Barouk, a senior at Hawthorne High School, “I feel [like] it’s a second family.” Many in the ensemble feel this way and it shows how much they love what they do, the culture, and the people. When thinking about the next generation of Circassionans,  Nadia believes their involvement in NDE will continue to grow. This will help to continue the positive effect NDE has on the Circassian community.

According to NDE member and HHS sophomore Sonia Hadjmustafa,  “We are a very passionate group; everyone enjoys what they do here.” In a dance group it is very important to have passion, without passion it is easy for dancers to start to stray away from the group.”

As Circassians, it is important to never forget the rich and noble culture. The Narts Dance Ensemble is a great place for the Circassian youth to come together and express their love for their culture.