Damat Halayı translates as Groom Dance, and indeed it is a popular dance at Turkish weddings. It is also popular in general – as a party dance, and a children’s dance taught in schools. Most Turks think of it as a dance from Trakya (European Turkey); some Trakyans say it comes from Bulgaria, though there is no similar dance in Bulgaria. How it became so popular is a bit of a mystery, for it doesn’t seem to contain the kind of music or moves one associates with Turkey, especially the clapping. (folkdancefootnotes.org)
