Khigga

Khigga is a style of Assyrian folk dance in which multiple dancers hold each other's hands and form a semi-circle or a curved line.

It is one of the most common and simplest Assyrian folk dances, generally performed at weddings, baptisms, confirmations and other joyous occasions.

Set in common time, khigga is accompanied by a moderate dance beat and is usually performed to Assyrian folk and pop music.

[1] Khigga is traditionally danced with music played on the zurna, supported by a davul, but in recent years, both acoustic and electronic instruments have started to replace them.

In a restricted floor space (e.g. a lot of tables), the dance would tend to vine around the room and assume spiral, circular and curvy shapes.

The head of the khigga line, referred to as "Resha d'khigga" (ܪܝܫܐ ܕܚܓܐ), usually dances with a Yalekhta (ܝܠܚܬܐ), or a handkerchief with beads and bells added to the sides so it jingles when shaken.