The Sounds and Moves of ibtiza¯l in 20th-Century Iran

The scene opens with the camera zooming in on a small raised stage where a group of mutribs (minstrel performers) are enacting a ru¯hawzi¯ piece. At stage left, a young man is singing a love song that describes the physical features of his beloved, Chihilgis. He is accompanied by an ensemble that plays rhythmic music (in 6/8 meter) on traditional Iranian instruments - the tunbak, the ta¯r, and the kama¯nchih. Standing next to the singer is Chihilgis, performed by a crossed-dressed performer (zanpu¯sh) who sports a long wig and moves flirtatiously to the song, making coquettish gestures with the eyes, lips, and shoulders. Chihilgis then joins the dance center stage with the two other main characters: the protagonist, enacted by the black-faced performer Mubarak, who has a tambourine (da¯yirih) in hand; and Haji, Chihilgis' old father, who sports a white cotton beard. With variations based on the characters, the dance consists of typical mutribi¯ moves, including exaggerated wrist and hip rotations, facial gestures such as blinking, and sliding head movements. This musical segment is followed by a witty, humorous dialogue between Mubarak and Haji with sexual undertones.