How would you react if you saw several people, holding two large, pointy swords (one in each hand) dancing energetically to some music? You would most probably: a) assume that several eccentrics who collect antique swords and like dancing have met up together; b) assume that your eyes are getting rather weak and proceed to the nearest optician or c)assume that you are looking at a traditional Pakhtun folk dance and start watching it eagerly.
If you chose option c, you are correct! The Khattak dance is a traditional Pakhtun folk dance performed mainly by the … you guessed it, the Khattak tribe! In this dance, the dancers dance at a fast tempo holding one to three swords in their hands. It originated as a pre-war exercise, but then slowly became part of this tribe’s culture.
As you can see in the video below, instruments like the dhol are used to create energetic and animated music which creates the atmosphere which the dancers need to dance, Even though they are not as noticeable as the dancers, these instruments are equally important in this dance.
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