Region
Kurmanji areas
Çepike — sometimes Çobî — is a seasonal Kurdish dance performed above all in spring, famous in the Kurmanji areas: Afrîn, Kobanê, Cizîrê, and parts of northwestern Kurdistan in Turkey. The dancers stand in a tight shoulder-to-shoulder line, feet striking the ground in a strong collective rhythm — two short beats, then a leap. The tempo is moderate but charged with bodily power, and the dance is often accompanied by folk songs about field labour and harvest. Çepike is one of the signatures of Newroz celebrations in Kurmanji villages.