Attan is a traditional Pashtun-Afghan dance and the national dance of Afghanistan . It arose in ancient times in the Pashtun tribes of Bactria and was usually performed by men as a ritual dance. Later, attan was also used as a martial dance of Afghan Muslims. There are different types of attan: fighting, festive, performed at weddings, family gatherings, and also dedicated to the onset of spring.
Attan is usually performed with a dhol (double-sided drum with a low and quiet resonating sound). Among the instruments can also be: tabla , 18-string robab , surnari (or shanai in India , zurna in Central Asia and Turkey , zurla in Macedonia ), a wooden flute known as tula. The performance technique of attan has changed a lot over the centuries, but the foundation remains unchanged. This is a circular dance in which from two to over a hundred people participate. Dance performers rhythmically move in a circle one after another, circling, and accelerating the rhythm. In more complex attans, there is a leader who slowly dances using different styles and techniques, and the last circle ends after he gives a signal (puts his hand on the floor or waves it). Musicians during the attan are completely subordinate to him and play as he says.
The dance lasts an average of 5 to 30 minutes, but can last 5 hours. Attan will end when the last dancer leaves. Dancers get very tired during attan, as they experience great physical stress. The dance is very popular throughout Afghanistan and is performed all year round at all holidays.
In Afghanistan, each village has its own unique style, so there are many varieties of attan: Kabuli, Wardaki, Logari, Khosti / Paktia, Herati, Kochano, Khattak, Pashaya (performed with surnari), and Nuristani.
All these styles can be used and mixed by Afghans from different villages, and often the inhabitants of one province dance better in the style that arose in another province.