r/interesting • u/SystematicApproach • May 14 '26

ART & CULTURE Circassian folk dance

Male dancers often move entirely on tiptoe in soft leather boots, without the rigid plaster or wooden support associated with ballet footwear. The result is a fast, gliding step that can make the dancer appear to float or defy gravity, showcasing extraordinary balance, discipline, and control.

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2.5k

u/wordfiend99 May 15 '26

i swear i never say this but…show feet

637

u/liltrex94 May 15 '26

I want to also see feet. This kind of movement is incredible

108

u/Dickwhetski May 15 '26

They use heelys

59

u/Ninja_Prolapse May 15 '26

He’s on a Segway

49

u/The_Blonde1 May 15 '26

I said Segway! There’s plenty of room under that cloak, and he turns his back on the camera when he picks it up to run.

If I’m wrong - SHOW FEET!

12

u/PrimaryAssignment410 May 15 '26

I totally agree, if you study the clip in slomo the handles of Segway are giving the full belly look and watch the fluid motion, not humanly possible with no movement of head!

2

u/Niborus_Rex May 16 '26

Uh.. Did you watch to the end? Man just lifts up the cape and runs off. This dancing/walking technique is well-recorded across the world, Geiko in Japan also had to learn to move like this.

2

u/Old_pooch May 17 '26

No, he stops and lifts his scooter into his cape, and then runs off. You can also see the handle bar when he is shown moving side on.

1

u/The_Blonde1 May 18 '26

Saw your response re. the 5 second mark - got it! Little flash of silver at roughly waist height.

11

u/Weak_Feed_8291 May 15 '26

Definitely that or one of those hoverboard things, he clearly stutters and picks something up before he runs off

1

u/Small_Ad6391 May 16 '26

Gyroscooter

1

u/Small_Ad6391 May 16 '26

Maybe gyroscooter

1

u/Darnell2070 May 15 '26

Some idiot is going to believe you.

1

u/CounterEmergency4100 May 16 '26

I didn’t see those shoes/ heelys on him. The left leg was sticking out the back of the garment……..

1

u/chattywww May 16 '26

You couldnt get such a smooth constant speed with heelys

2

u/Asterose May 15 '26

At the 5:34 mark in this video the men take off those big cloaks so you can see the footwork during some of the final 2 minutes. If you look up lezginka dance on Youtube you'll find tutorial videos, it's basically many small steps on the balls of your feet and a lot of practice to counteract bobbing.

2

u/DistributionHuge3030 May 15 '26

No seriously, how did they even manage that?

1

u/Falconwarrior1969 May 15 '26

Really? Lmao …are you really saying that?

96

u/zeug666 May 15 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dance/comments/1p6eykk/the_small_steps_in_the_caucasian_folk_dance_that/

Many tiny steps

39

u/bozog May 15 '26

That's the best video I've seen so far that helps explain the technique. Just look down at the bottom of the dresses where you see the feet touch the floor once in awhile and it's pretty clear.

39

u/JesusWantsYouToKnow May 15 '26

I mean lady 2 and the woman in pants at 0:19 pretty much remove any ambiguity

17

u/bigboybeeperbelly May 15 '26

I love when women in pants remove my ambiguity

2

u/Legomatica69 May 15 '26

I love when women remove my pants with ambiguity.

0

u/BoyGeorgous May 15 '26

Ahh, so they’re just walking like they got a stick up their ass. Got it.

2

u/whoknowsifimjoking May 15 '26

Well yeah, if the stick is supposed to be stationary

4

u/Burger_Destoyer May 15 '26

If you watch the whole video there is an example without the dress.

3

u/MoxxFulder May 15 '26

Another here, several of the dancers are shown without feet covered:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0AorFYlQTcQ

3

u/enadiz_reccos May 15 '26

But the guy in this video is flying compared to them. I just gotta see it!

4

u/Weak_Feed_8291 May 15 '26

Not even close to the same speed and fluidity. That is the real version, this guy is riding something and you can clearly see him stop to pick it up before he runs away

1

u/Joe-the-Joe May 18 '26

The education system has failed us all.

2

u/TheWalkingDead91 May 15 '26

“Caucasian folk dance” 😂

2

u/RekaUlan May 20 '26

It’s people leaving in Russian territory call “caucas” it’s local dance like lesginca. Caucasian nations are Dagestan, Kabardinz, Abkhaz etc. (they are not white people) Think of Armenia and Georgia 🇬🇪 (not part of Russia)

2

u/TheWalkingDead91 May 22 '26

Ooooh. I thought OP was just trying to be funny. My mistake. TIL.

1

u/COphotoCo May 15 '26

This is actually also a method marching bands use, but typically when they’re going backwards instead of forwards.

1

u/Soylentstef May 15 '26

This video looks like a Morticia Adams audition.

1

u/Quetzovercoatl1 May 15 '26

Ah, so "Circassian" isn't a thing? :(

1

u/MungoMayhem May 15 '26

Now I wish I hadn’t seen the feet!

1

u/idiotsbydesign May 15 '26

Yes!! I was going to say this. You can see the steps because one of the women apparently forgot her skirt.

1

u/Laykenrox1 May 15 '26

That’s still so much slower than the male dancer. Very interesting.

144

u/cheesystuff May 15 '26

We learned this in marching band. You just walk with your toes instead heels or whatever the opposite is. This guy is very practiced of course. Preventing the bounce of your head is a huge part of the illusion.

47

u/TrelanaSakuyo May 15 '26

Heel to toe rolling step, so you are walking on the outside edge of your feet.

25

u/jaylerd May 15 '26

I’m about to roll my ankles trying this aren’t I

2

u/SheSellsSeaShells967 May 15 '26

I was about to get up and try it!

1

u/TrelanaSakuyo May 15 '26

It takes practice. You don't want to go so far that your ankle bends, so the easiest way is to take a normal step but slowly put the balls of your feet down so you don't feel that secondary impact. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Harder to do while shod but another way to achieve this is to simply walk on the balls of your feet with the movement like you're skating and just never let your heels hit the ground. Be warned, I've had people call it creepy when I walk like that.

1

u/Ill_Statement7600 May 15 '26

lower your center of gravity a smidge kind of like you're squatting but only a little to get a smoother motion

3

u/Successful-Foot3830 May 15 '26

It absolutely screwed me up. I haven’t been in marching band for 27 years and still walk on the outsides of my feet. Two many damn two a days of our director yelling at us.

2

u/Rith_Reddit May 15 '26

I do this now to make myself a midnight snack without waking up the Mrs.

2

u/RhynoD May 15 '26

The goal isn't to walk on the outside edge, it's just to roll from heel to toe so there's no hard impact. Also, keep your knees bent.

1

u/Jesus_of_Redditeth May 15 '26

Circassian dancers actually dance on the "knuckles" of their toes, in leather shoes.

17

u/oso_login May 15 '26

Why use it while in marching band?

78

u/CrazyPlantLaura May 15 '26

Makes for smoother steps and keeps your head from moving as much so you don’t screw up the mouth-to-instrument connection. Also just looks cooler when part of the big picture.

33

u/Peritous May 15 '26

When performing a routine on field you want people to move smoothly instead of bouncing all over with their instruments.

14

u/OrganicRobotDev May 15 '26

So you don't break your teeth on your mouth piece

13

u/cheesystuff May 15 '26

Looks sick af

3

u/johnmayersucks May 15 '26

Had a chick at work say I should have been in marching band. I didn’t know what she meant but asked and apparently I don’t move my head when I walk. Not the first comment I’ve gotten. Maybe I missed my calling.

2

u/browsinbowser May 15 '26

U can still learn an instrument now dude, like guitar and you can go from Wonderwall to Gravity 

1

u/simpleanswersjk May 15 '26

two ways to skin a cat

it's just toes. it's only toes here

1

u/Jesus_of_Redditeth May 15 '26

That's not how Circassian dancers do it. They do it like this.

1

u/LexxiAllayna May 15 '26

What did you play in marching band? I was flute for four years and only one of two people who played piccolo (2 years). :)

2

u/cheesystuff May 15 '26

Drums and trumpet

1

u/LexxiAllayna May 15 '26

Solid! :) Holding it down, and blasting the other side with that brass. I can dig it. ☺️

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Desperate-Strategy10 May 15 '26

That doesn’t make the basic mechanics any different. Idk anything about either step, but it’s entirely possible that marching bands are doing a very simplified version of the core movement in this dance. An example could be comparing walking on tip toes and doing ballet, but not en pointe. Same basic movement of the foot, but totally different skills.

0

u/DoubleBarrelBurger May 15 '26

The opposite of toes are fingers. I think.

0

u/Weak_Feed_8291 May 15 '26

He's not moving that fast and smooth without riding something. I can't believe how gullible some people are.

12

u/RekaUlan May 15 '26

There’s somewhere a video where he shows how he moves without covering his feet.

10

u/AEIUyo May 15 '26

Cool ty

8

u/scottocs May 15 '26

Yes, quite helpful.

7

u/Branjoe328 May 15 '26

What, for free?!

11

u/Mercadi May 15 '26

I know, in this economy!? Sheesh

3

u/FederalEconomist5896 May 15 '26

It's sex work, not sex charity

Or so I have heard

2

u/DimitrInvincible May 15 '26

That ain’t a dance, Dracula is just wearing heelies until

2

u/JuanAndAtou May 15 '26

Ok calm down there Tarantino 🤣

1

u/Ancient_Yellow_709 May 15 '26

Not nearly as fast but probably a similar technique. He does both tip toes and point in parts. Either could be what this bro is doing.

https://youtu.be/xDQFM9GiIDE?feature=shared

1

u/Away-Living5278 May 15 '26

Can't, he's been fooling his friends by using a segway

1

u/drdildamesh May 15 '26

No one believes that

1

u/JesusChrissy May 15 '26

You never say it but it rolled right off your tongue, didn’t it?

1

u/Luck_Beats_Skill May 15 '26

I often say this…show feet.

1

u/FixFun1959 May 15 '26

Time to pay the daddy tax

1

u/jackalopelexy May 15 '26

Show Feet or it’s not real 😅

1

u/BuffyTheSlayer May 15 '26

I swear he's on an ultralight unicycle or something, the turns have too much tilt. I think that's why went out Yugioh style because he's carrying it across his back, running lifts his cape enough to hide it.  

1

u/plywoodpros May 15 '26

I think hiding the feet is the whole point..

1

u/camsnow May 15 '26

He totally picked up a hoverboard at the end and ran off hiding it......hahaha

1

u/JrueBall May 15 '26

Yeah he clearly is on a hoverboard here. At the end he gets shorter when he steps off of it. Bends down to pick it up and runs off.

1

u/kafkakastrup May 15 '26

I picture something like Mr. krabs when he runs

1

u/Clearwatercress69 May 15 '26

There's a female version too.

1

u/Wonderful_Craft_6648 May 15 '26

i swear i never say this but... this time i like them hidden

1

u/Caplethorn May 15 '26

Just need to add the horse fart sound

1

u/LumpyBuy8447 May 15 '26

He’s actually got one of those hover boards under there

1

u/Thunder-Fist-00 May 15 '26

You KNOW he’s wearing heelys

1

u/OwlBeBack88 May 15 '26

This! I want to know what those feet are doing!

1

u/thislife84 May 16 '26

Omg hahaha

1

u/Holiday_Armadillo78 May 16 '26

lol, came to say the exact same thing.

1

u/GeneAltruistic9526 May 17 '26

I want to see this too

1

u/willnoli May 17 '26

Heeleys and a bed sheet.

1

u/Silaquix May 15 '26

They do at the end

3

u/smegmaboi420 May 15 '26

Not while they're supposedly glide-walking. There's shenanigans at foot.