Topeng Betawi is a masked folk dance performed by the indigenous Betawi tribe of Jakarta adapted into a stage performance. Topeng is a traditional mask worn by the Betawi, who believed that the masked dance could keep disaster at bay. This was why they hired topeng dancers to perform at joyful occasions such as weddings and circumcisions. Topeng Betawi combines music, song and dance in a single performance, just like an opera. Men wear black shorts and t-shirts with sarongs, and women were long clothing, kebayas (traditional Indonesian costume) and shawls. They wear colorful crowns on their heads and cover their faces with wooden masks as the final step. Each mask represents a different personality. The dancers voice social critique and hand out advice, using satire and humor to appease the audience. The dance moves vary depending on the theme, which ranges from ancient legends to social controversies, life in the community and other classical tales.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Masked dance\n\nPerformed by Dance Company of Jakarta State University\nDirected by Elindra Eti

Topeng Betawi is a masked folk dance performed by the indigenous Betawi tribe of Jakarta adapted into a stage performance. Topeng is a traditional mask worn by the Betawi, who believed that the masked dance could keep disaster at bay. This was why they hired topeng dancers to perform at joyful occasions such as weddings and circumcisions. Topeng Betawi combines music, song and dance in a single performance, just like an opera. Men wear black shorts and t-shirts with sarongs, and women were long clothing, kebayas (traditional Indonesian costume) and shawls. They wear colorful crowns on their heads and cover their faces with wooden masks as the final step. Each mask represents a different personality. The dancers voice social critique and hand out advice, using satire and humor to appease the audience. The dance moves vary depending on the theme, which ranges from ancient legends to social controversies, life in the community and other classical tales.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Masked dance\n\nPerformed by Dance Company of Jakarta State University\nDirected by Elindra Eti

Topeng Betawi is a masked folk dance performed by the indigenous Betawi tribe of Jakarta adapted into a stage performance. Topeng is a traditional mask worn by the Betawi, who believed that the masked dance could keep disaster at bay. This was why they hired topeng dancers to perform at joyful occasions such as weddings and circumcisions. Topeng Betawi combines music, song and dance in a single performance, just like an opera. Men wear black shorts and t-shirts with sarongs, and women were long clothing, kebayas (traditional Indonesian costume) and shawls. They wear colorful crowns on their heads and cover their faces with wooden masks as the final step. Each mask represents a different personality. The dancers voice social critique and hand out advice, using satire and humor to appease the audience. The dance moves vary depending on the theme, which ranges from ancient legends to social controversies, life in the community and other classical tales.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Masked dance\n\nPerformed by Dance Company of Jakarta State University\nDirected by Elindra Eti

Topeng Betawi is a masked folk dance performed by the indigenous Betawi tribe of Jakarta adapted into a stage performance. Topeng is a traditional mask worn by the Betawi, who believed that the masked dance could keep disaster at bay. This was why they hired topeng dancers to perform at joyful occasions such as weddings and circumcisions. Topeng Betawi combines music, song and dance in a single performance, just like an opera. Men wear black shorts and t-shirts with sarongs, and women were long clothing, kebayas (traditional Indonesian costume) and shawls. They wear colorful crowns on their heads and cover their faces with wooden masks as the final step. Each mask represents a different personality. The dancers voice social critique and hand out advice, using satire and humor to appease the audience. The dance moves vary depending on the theme, which ranges from ancient legends to social controversies, life in the community and other classical tales.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Masked dance\n\nPerformed by Dance Company of Jakarta State University\nDirected by Elindra Eti

"Katta ashula is a vocal direction, a song genre typical for the Ferghana Valley, in which peculiar style and manner of singing is observed. It is performed by two or more singers in turns and without accompaniment of musical instruments. Katta Ashula is characterized by laconism (in means of expression), expressiveness (in music language), dynamism (in melodic development) and bright emotionality. Its figurative structure (or style) is closely connected to the traditional (classical) poetry of lyrical and philosophical nature. And ghazals of Navoi, Lutfi, Mashrab, Khazini, Muqimi, Furqat, Zavqi, Miskin serve as main poetic texts in this genre. Though, since the XX century the poems of contemporary Uzbek poets (such as Sobir Abdulla, Charkhi, Chusti, Akmal Polat, Khabibi, and others) as well as examples of folk poetry have been widely used. In terms of subject matter katta ashula songs can be divided into love-lyrical, didactic, religious and contemporary ones. The origins of katta ashula genre should be looked for in ancient folk-ritual chants, songs of ""praise"" (such as marsiya, navkha, ayolgu), agriculture- and labor-related songs with their original combination of recitative-declamatory beginning and chanting; and in distiches of ghazals (ghazalkhonlik), written in aruz prosody. Performance with high-pitched voice, existence of culmination parts, clarity of words for and their impact to the listeners – all these are features of this type of song. Katta ashula has several genres, such as “Yovvoi maqom” (“Yovvoi Ushshoq”, “Yovvoi Chorgoh”),""Yovvoyi asula"" (""Yovvoyi Tanovar"", ""Yovvoyi Munojat""), ""Yakkahonlik"" (""Ohkim, gulzorim qani topmadim"").\nNotably, the emergence and development of Katta ashula genre is closely linked with existence of corresponding performance schools, which stand out with their style of interpretation, manner of singing and bearers. From among katta ashula performance schools it is possible to mention Qoqand, Margilan, Andijan, Namangan and Tashkent performance schools.\n"\n

"Katta ashula is a vocal direction, a song genre typical for the Ferghana Valley, in which peculiar style and manner of singing is observed. It is performed by two or more singers in turns and without accompaniment of musical instruments. Katta Ashula is characterized by laconism (in means of expression), expressiveness (in music language), dynamism (in melodic development) and bright emotionality. Its figurative structure (or style) is closely connected to the traditional (classical) poetry of lyrical and philosophical nature. And ghazals of Navoi, Lutfi, Mashrab, Khazini, Muqimi, Furqat, Zavqi, Miskin serve as main poetic texts in this genre. Though, since the XX century the poems of contemporary Uzbek poets (such as Sobir Abdulla, Charkhi, Chusti, Akmal Polat, Khabibi, and others) as well as examples of folk poetry have been widely used. In terms of subject matter katta ashula songs can be divided into love-lyrical, didactic, religious and contemporary ones. The origins of katta ashula genre should be looked for in ancient folk-ritual chants, songs of ""praise"" (such as marsiya, navkha, ayolgu), agriculture- and labor-related songs with their original combination of recitative-declamatory beginning and chanting; and in distiches of ghazals (ghazalkhonlik), written in aruz prosody. Performance with high-pitched voice, existence of culmination parts, clarity of words for and their impact to the listeners – all these are features of this type of song. Katta ashula has several genres, such as “Yovvoi maqom” (“Yovvoi Ushshoq”, “Yovvoi Chorgoh”),""Yovvoyi asula"" (""Yovvoyi Tanovar"", ""Yovvoyi Munojat""), ""Yakkahonlik"" (""Ohkim, gulzorim qani topmadim"").\nNotably, the emergence and development of Katta ashula genre is closely linked with existence of corresponding performance schools, which stand out with their style of interpretation, manner of singing and bearers. From among katta ashula performance schools it is possible to mention Qoqand, Margilan, Andijan, Namangan and Tashkent performance schools.\n"\n

"Katta ashula is a vocal direction, a song genre typical for the Ferghana Valley, in which peculiar style and manner of singing is observed. It is performed by two or more singers in turns and without accompaniment of musical instruments. Katta Ashula is characterized by laconism (in means of expression), expressiveness (in music language), dynamism (in melodic development) and bright emotionality. Its figurative structure (or style) is closely connected to the traditional (classical) poetry of lyrical and philosophical nature. And ghazals of Navoi, Lutfi, Mashrab, Khazini, Muqimi, Furqat, Zavqi, Miskin serve as main poetic texts in this genre. Though, since the XX century the poems of contemporary Uzbek poets (such as Sobir Abdulla, Charkhi, Chusti, Akmal Polat, Khabibi, and others) as well as examples of folk poetry have been widely used. In terms of subject matter katta ashula songs can be divided into love-lyrical, didactic, religious and contemporary ones. The origins of katta ashula genre should be looked for in ancient folk-ritual chants, songs of ""praise"" (such as marsiya, navkha, ayolgu), agriculture- and labor-related songs with their original combination of recitative-declamatory beginning and chanting; and in distiches of ghazals (ghazalkhonlik), written in aruz prosody. Performance with high-pitched voice, existence of culmination parts, clarity of words for and their impact to the listeners – all these are features of this type of song. Katta ashula has several genres, such as “Yovvoi maqom” (“Yovvoi Ushshoq”, “Yovvoi Chorgoh”),""Yovvoyi asula"" (""Yovvoyi Tanovar"", ""Yovvoyi Munojat""), ""Yakkahonlik"" (""Ohkim, gulzorim qani topmadim"").\nNotably, the emergence and development of Katta ashula genre is closely linked with existence of corresponding performance schools, which stand out with their style of interpretation, manner of singing and bearers. From among katta ashula performance schools it is possible to mention Qoqand, Margilan, Andijan, Namangan and Tashkent performance schools.\n"\n