A short film shot in Tbilisi is putting one of Georgia's most storied folk ensembles in front of a new audience. "Apkhazeti: Traditional Dance Meets Modern Music" was created for the Born from Culture series, a global project by filmmaker James Fenwick that documents cultural traditions through movement. This instalment stars the State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble Apkhazeti, one of the best-known folk groups tied to the Abkhazian region.
The ensemble has a long and, at times, complicated history. It was founded back in 1931 in Sukhumi, on the Black Sea coast, with a mission to keep Abkhazian songs, dances and folklore alive on stage. That mission was tested when conflict broke out in Abkhazia in the early 1990s, forcing the ensemble to relocate to Tbilisi, where it continues to perform today. Abkhazia's political status remains disputed - whether it is part of Georgia or not depends heavily on who you ask - which gives the ensemble's story an extra layer of resonance.
What makes the film worth watching is the pairing of old and new. Traditional Georgian dance is instantly recognisable: dancers launch into athletic leaps, land with razor-sharp footwork, and spin through routines in vivid traditional dress. The men's dances in particular are famous for knee-sliding, sword work and gravity-defying jumps, while group numbers often build into the acrobatic human pyramids that Georgian folk companies are known for. Here, all of that technique is set against modern music rather than the expected folk orchestration, and the result feels less like a museum piece and more like a living art form finding its footing in the present.
Tbilisi itself makes a fitting backdrop. The capital has become one of the Caucasus's most appealing city breaks - a place where sulphur bathhouses, Soviet-era brutalism and a buzzing wine-bar scene sit within a few metro stops of each other. Catching a performance by a folk ensemble is one of the best ways into the country's culture, since dance and polyphonic singing are woven deep into Georgian identity. For travellers, this film is a taster: if the choreography grabs you, seeing it live in Georgia is a different experience entirely.
It also matters because ensembles like Apkhazeti are carriers of displaced heritage. A company founded in Sukhumi nearly a century ago now performs from Tbilisi, keeping regional traditions alive far from their point of origin. Culture on film like this helps those traditions travel, and helps visitors understand that Georgia's appeal goes well beyond food and mountains - though the food and mountains are excellent too.
Anyone planning a trip to Georgia should add a folk performance to the itinerary, ideally alongside time in Tbilisi's old town and a detour into wine country in Kakheti. And if you can't wait until the flight, the Born from Culture film is a good place to start.
Film via Kuriositas.