"Khorumi" is a combat dance native to the regions of Adjara and Guria. We discover the roots of this dance in ancient times. Once upon a time, the Kingdom of Colchis was located in the western part of Georgia. It is known that as early as the 4th century BC, the Kolkh tribes began fighting with warlike songs and dances. We find references to this in Strabo. It is highly likely that this ancient martial dance tradition, which has been transformed over many centuries, has been realized in the Khorumi dance.
Horumi is filled with intense rhythms and sharp movements that correspond to the semantic content of the dance. The form of the dance is based on the principle of two- and three-story perhuli (round dance).
According to experts, the term “Khorumi” itself probably comes from the Greek “Choir”/“Horos” is a group, team or group of singers.
Horumi tells us about the adventures of a military squad and consists of four main parts:
The last part, that is, the scene of victory over the enemy, “Khorumi” in the popular version ends with the performers intertwining the hands of the performers, which is why it is also called “intertwined” (rewound) Horumi. In the villages of Adjara and Lazeti, as well as in Kobuleti, “intertwined with horums” can be found on its own.
In addition to Adjarian Khorumi, there is also Gurian Khorumi. One of the obvious differences is that it is shorter and runs at a faster pace.
The “Khorumi” dance has a leading dancer (leader) or “tavmosame” (“dance in Adjara”), as well as a “closing” one.
The leader of “Khorumi” or “Tawmosam” holds Baghdadi (a piece of colored cloth, a handkerchief) in his hand. Performers move from movement to movement, from one direction of drawing to another by decree of the presenter/leader. His role is often played by Mecibone (playing the Chiboni instrument). The Khorumi dance is performed to the accompaniment of a chiboni or drum (dola), although, as older musicians and dancers recall, there was a time when “Khorumi” was accompanied by a song.
In some productions, you can see a scene where a dancer depicts being wounded. An interesting detail: the wounded in these productions do not leave the epicenter of the war, they are supported by healthy friends and they continue to fight.
During the first part of Horumi, each performer's right hand is placed on the previous dancer's shoulder, and the left hand is placed on the waist. In another version, the arms are joined in the hands and slightly stretched forward. It has already been mentioned above that the crowning part of “Khorumi” is a victory celebration or “intertwined Khorumi”. This option is most common in Kobuleti. It is performed by circle dancers performing chakvra movements. Such movements in Adjara are called “basma”.
Another version of Khorumi is Delhi Khorumi, which is characterized by a rapid pace and the presence of such an element as “bookni” (squats). Niko Mari, a well-known Georgian historian, claimed that Delhi Khorumi is a perhuli of the Imerhevels (i.e. Georgians living in Turkey). Delhi Khorumi participants dance in a circle, but their circle is open in one place - i.e. not fully closed.
It is interesting that Guria has preserved the tradition of putting “Khorumi” and competing in writing poems to the rhythm of the dance!
The character and manner of “Khorumi” dance are very unique: an alternation of careful movements with daring attacking movements, a sharp way of fighting and understandable content. From simple elements in a half-squat, the dance begins by jumping to a sharp musical rhythm and ending with complex compositions. The peculiar musical accompaniment distinguishes this dance from other dances of the “military” group. The musical size is 5/4 or 5/8.