Yalli – a masterpiece of Azerbaijani folk dance, safeguarded by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage

Experts estimated that more than thousand varieties of yalli in Azerbaijan, including "Kochari", "Uchayag," "Tello," "Tenzere" and "Galadangalaya". Remarkably, a hundred of these dances are cherished in Nakhchivan, an ancient land of Azerbaijan.

Common feature for all types is that it is performed as a cheerful circular dance often accompanied with a choral singing. Dancers hold hands or shoulders of each other, and make rhythmic synchronous movements, raising and lowering their arm, while the rhythm and pace of the steps are determined by the lead dancer.

Typically, yalli dances involve elements of games, pantomime (bird or other animal imitations), physical exercises and movements.

The joyful sounds of yalli can also be heard in Azerbaijani villages during holidays, in particular, Novruz, which is one of the most important ad favorite holidays of the solemnly celebrated by the Azerbaijanis both in the country and abroad.