Nino Sukhishvili: What We Believe About Georgian National Dance

NINO SUKHISHVILI is Director and Producer of Georgian National Ballet “Sukhishvili”

Our program appears to foreign viewers like a short novel about georgia, through it, they learn about the culture, history and traditions of our country

The popularity of folk dance in Georgia is well known to all of us, but this phenomenon is even more interesting when compared with other countries; Statistically speaking, no other country in the world has every third child learning their national dance; And, this popularity has steadily increased over the past 25 years in Georgia.

In the second half of the 20th century, my grandfather and grandmother, Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili, founded the dance ensemble “Sukhishvili”, with it, modern Georgian choreography was born. The troupe created a show program using Georgian national techniques, which has survived and thrived for 80 years. So, it is no accident that our surname has become synonymous with Georgian national dance.

Iliko (junior) Sukhishvili and I are continuing the works of my ancestors, which is both a source of pride and great responsibility because, along with art, it is a national undertaking which is essential to preserve our culture. Many people have told me that watching our dances brings them a special sense of pride and patriotism; I believe our society is looking for the positive aspects of its country in the national dance; it deepens the sense of dignity and rejuvenates the spirit; it also gives them hope for the future.

Our program appears to foreign viewers like a short novel about Georgia, through it, they learn about the culture, history and traditions of our country; Through this program, we became ambassadors of Georgia and have been fulfilling this mission since 1945; it was during this period that we began traveling worldwide. Because of this national importance, our dances are still very popular today; If you work in this field, dedicating your whole life as much as you can to it is a great commitment; Art is said to be jealous, and you are required to never leave him; It has already become our lifestyle and meaning for us.

We keep up with the times by talking in a language that’s understandable to all generations; Everything we do in our dance program is adapted from national folklore, using which we are able to create new and different choreographic programs; It’s like working as a jeweler, a very narrow bridge to cross. The New York Times called the Sukhishvili ensemble A Folk Gem With Classical Facets years ago, which I think is the most accurate assessment, since the author perfectly captured the essence and synthesis of our dances, which determine their relevance.

Iliko Sukhishvili, my grandfather, was determined to make Georgia dance, and he succeeded. Today, the whole of Georgia dances. Without Georgian dances, there are no cultural events or family gatherings. And we continue this important endeavor.