Nazikumu
01 · Historical Records
The term “Nazikum” derives from the Persian “Nazuke” or “Nazukum”; in modern Uyghur it carries meanings such as “delicate”, “kind” and “beautiful”.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Nazikum is a Uyghur men’s dance, most often performed at weddings, on festive holidays and at entertainments such as the meshrep. There is no limit on the number of Nazikum dancers: one person, two people or many people are all possible. The musicians and the audience sit in a circle. The accompaniment consists of four pieces. Usually the first two are danced as the sainaim, and Nazikum begins with the third piece, “Ashun Bagda”. In this section the dancers move freely, often making movements that amuse the audience, such as walking with a limp or a duck walk, or movements depicting labour, such as stitching shoes, pulling noodles, twisting thread, rolling up sleeves and holding up a hat. When the band plays the fourth piece, “Alitai Kanfudai”, the dance reaches its climax and the competitive atmosphere intensifies; movements such as “pausing the step and shrugging the shoulders”, “supporting the knee and jumping in a squat”, “pausing the step and shifting position” and “moving the shoulders while leaning together” are performed. In their excitement the dancers improvise, each showing off a special skill, such as “jumping down onto the knees and striking the ground with the elbow”, “half-squat spin to the side” and “inserting the arm and stamping the foot in a turn”. At this point the onlookers throw flowers, coins, handkerchiefs and the like into the middle of the circle, shouting loudly to cheer the dancers on. This raises their spirits still further, and they perform difficult technical movements such as “bending forward to snatch a flower in the mouth” and “arching the waist and taking up a flower”, pushing the festive atmosphere to its climax. The performance formats and expressive content of Nazikum are extremely rich, with marked local colour and high recognisability. Performance by two people is in particular competitive in nature: when A produces a new movement, B answers with an even newer one; when A then produces a new movement that outdoes B, B answers in turn with something newer and harder. This kind of intense give-and-take competitive dance has produced generation after generation of “Nazikumchi” in the Turpan region — that is, experts and virtuosos at performing Nazikum.
From sanam to Ashubagdah
Four pieces make the suite: the first two accompany sanam dancing, and only with the third does the nazirkom itself begin.
Limping, waddling, stitching and noodle-pulling
The comic vocabulary of the third piece, mocking limps and duck walks or portraying shoemaking, noodle-pulling and thread-twisting.
Jumping shoulder shrugs and crouching hops
With the fourth piece the contest peaks, with jumping shoulder shrugs, crouching hops and shifting jumps.
Taking the flower
When the crowd throws flowers, coins and kerchiefs into the ring, the dancers bend low or arch back to seize them.
Nazirkom after the Turpan muqam
Every Turpan muqam is followed by a nazirkom, a word of Persian origin meaning delicate or comely in modern Uyghur.
Nazirkomchi, masters bred by contest
The two-man contest of ever newer and harder movements has produced generation after generation of nazirkomchi virtuosi.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
It is transmitted mainly in Turpan City, Shanshan County and Toksun County around the Turpan Basin in Xinjiang, as well as in Hami City, Kuqa City and Hotan City, and is also found in other Uyghur settlements north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. Nazikum music also holds a fairly important position in the local folk music: after every “Turpan Muqam” a piece of Nazikum follows.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Nazikum has distinct artistic characteristics and a long history, and is closely bound up with Uyghur traditional culture, customs and social life. Its movements are lively and buoyant, with one climax following another; it plays a positive role in invigorating the cultural life of the people, in guiding the formation of a correct outlook on life and positive values, and in building a harmonious society.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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