Kathak is a beautiful and elegant dance which expresses stories through elaborate hand movements and steps. It can be performed by both male and female dancers, and it is called the ‘dance of love’ as it is often performed together by men and women. Dancers wear ghungroo (bell instrument worn on the ankles) on both ankles and dance to the tabla (small drums played in pairs) and sitar (traditional stringed instrument with 18-21 strings). The relentless rhythm of the ghungroo heightens the excitement in the atmosphere, while the quick steps called ‘tatkar’ and spins executed to the fast paced rhythms are elaborate, sophisticated and full of energy.\n\nIn ancient Hindu temples, storytellers used to tell legends through song, music and dance. The name 'Kathak' is derived from the sanskrit word ‘katha’ which refers to the professional art of storytelling, and ‘karhakas’, which means ‘storyteller’. Kathak originated in Northern India in the 3rd to 4th century BC, and was transmitted as a form of puja (prayer ritual) until the 15th century, when it developed into a dance for court banquets under the influence of Persia and the Mughal empire.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙One of the 8 major traditional dances recognized by the Indian government\n∙Uses the ghungroo (a bell instrument worn around the ankle)\n\nPerformed by Amit Khinchi\nChoreographed by Amit Khinchi

Tari Mansorandak is a dance created by reconstructing the Mansorandak ritual, a tradition passed down in the Tari region in Papua, the easternmost part of Indonesia. The dancers wear traditional costumes, paint red and white patterns on their bodies and dance an exuberant and dynamic dance. The dance is accompanied by a traditional Wor song, containing the wisdom of the Biak.\n\nMansorandak is a traditional welcoming ritual, performed when a respected individual visits the village, or tribesmen who had left the village a long time ago return home, to express joy and gratitude at their safe return, and ward off any bad energy that may have followed them in. The Mansorandak tradition, which welcomes guests with a heartfelt ritual, is a form of cultural heritage all the more worthy of safeguarding in modern society where the value of family is being eroded and exclusivism towards outsiders is intensifying.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Originates from a welcome ritual\n\nPerformed by Marwar Budaya Dance Atelier\nDirected by Maria Sofia Trimawarsanti\nChoreographed by Maria Sofia Trimawarsanti

Long bamboo joint of Leka bamboo is chopped and dried. A nail has to be heated and it is perforated 6 holes. It has to be blown the air from the air-hole and the finger holes are made opening and closing tune to play traditional melody. It can be played western melody. When someone is at the hill side cultivation lonely, it can be played a song of yearning. And it can be played form hut by hut at hill- side cultivation. It has to be blown at wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 3 inches in Length\n-2.5 inches in Girth\n-3 inches in Length of tip bamboo joint to air hole\n-4.5 inches in Length of air hole to first fret

Joroon Joroo depicts couples dancing while riding on horses strolling at a leisurely pace. This dance originates from the Mongolian folk dance Bii Biyelgee. Bii Biyelgee is a dance arising from the nomadic lifestyle, and was traditionally performed in a small confined space within the ger, next to the stove. The choregraphy is primarily performed using the chest, shoulders, head and wrists, to avoid raising dust indoors. The legs are in a half-sitting position or crossed, only acting to support the torso. It is characterized by the raising of the arms and shaking of the shoulders. It is primarily accompanied by the ekil (violin-like traditional instrument) and the choreography is relatively short in length.\n\nThe various ethnic groups of Mongolia each perform their own unique and creative form of Biyelgee, which all go by different names. As Biyelgee is not just a dance but a form of pantomime which involves wit, emotions and expressions, it requires a high level of technical expertise and patience to master. Biyelgee plays an important role in the Mongolian society composed of a wide range of communities, as a cultural asset reflecting the customs and lifestyles of Mongolian nomads, and a common ground connecting the various ethnic communities. The viability of Biyelgee had been under threat in the recent past, due to a continued decline in the number of transmitters and performing communities, the numbers of trainees and transmitters have been showing stable growth with safeguarding efforts by the UNESCO and the Mongolian government.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙A branch of Biyelgee dance which uses horses as a motif\n∙Biyelgee was inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009\n\nperformed by Mongolian National Song and Dance Academic Ensemble\ndirected by Tseden-Ish Altangerel\nchoreographed by Davaakhuu Altangerel

Dong Ho folk painting village is located on the southern bank of the Duong river in Song Ho commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province, about 25km northeast of Ha Noi. Dong Ho paintings are a traditional art form with their own characteristics. The characteristics of Dong Ho paintings are featured in their materials, colors and products that are printed with a woodblock. Dong Ho paintings are printed on Do paper, which is handcrafted paper produced manually from the bark of the Do tree that grows in the forests of Viet Nam. The film demonstrates the cultural aspects of the paintings in theme expressions and skills of making the woodblocks and printings.

The word ‘dikir’ is a product of the combination of two arts that are ‘dikir’ (loosely translated as ‘song’) and ‘pantun’ (‘quatrain’), or ‘dikir’ and ‘karut’ (loosely translated as ‘story’). The word ‘karut’ is from the terminology ‘to tell stories in the form of quatrain or poem’. Thus, the names Dikir Barat, Dikir Karut, Dikir Pantun and Dikir Syair have the same meaning. Dikir Barat is a unique musical art form which involves the combination of singing, poetry reciting, synchronised dancing, and of course, music. This arts form has been listed as a National Heritage in the year 2009

Urtiin Duu is a traditional form of musical expression of the nomadic Mongols. As the slow pace, wide-ranging melody and poetic, philosophical text of the songs express values instilled by the vast, peaceful natural landscape where the nomads live, the Urtiin Duu can be considered as a manifestation of the nomadic spirit, while its composition and performance are directly associated with cycles of the nomadic lifestyles. It serves as a variety of cultural functions, in occasions for social gathering, entertainment and artistic production, community rituals such as weddings, new ger warming feasts, birth of a child, the completion of felt-making, the production of the first airag (fermented mare’s milk). Mongolian long songs are classified in three major styles: Aizam urtiin duu (rhythmic long song), Jiriin urtiin duu (typical long song) and Besreg urtiin duu (short long song). Urtiin Duu-Traditional Folk Long Song was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.

Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements of Ferghana Valley_Collection on Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements of Ferghana Valley\n\n1. Yalla\nYalla, a widespread folklore song genre, is made up of words that come from poems by classic and modern poets. The songs are accompanied by dancing. Yalla is sung by one, two, or more people with the accompaniment of doira music or a musical ensemble. Most yalla songs are about love and affection, and they possess an attractive, charming, and jolly character.\n\n2. Alla\nAlla (lullaby) is an oral form of ICH sung by one person, usually a mother who is putting her baby to sleep. Alla, popular among Uzbek, Uyghur, and Tajik people, is important in raising a child. Alla is highly emotive in that it allows a child to perceive not only motherly affection but also her spiritual sufferings.\n\n3. O‘lan\nO‘lan is a genre of people’s oral creation. Mainly, it is performed by women with or without doira accompaniment. At Uzbek parties and celebrations, the o‘lan is sung by a girls’ team on one side and a boys’ team on the other side, or it is sung by two people who take sides opposing each so they may perform as though they are having a dialogue. Through the o‘lan genre, people express their hopes, dreams, sorrows, and joy, and the theme of love is at the core of its content.\n\n4. Yor-Yor\nYor-yor is a folk song performed at wedding celebrations. In ancient times, it was widely spread among Uzbek, Tajik, Uyghur, and Turkmen people. Yor-yor consists of two or four lines, at the end or in the middle of each line are the words yor-yor, aylanaman (my beloved one, I am enchanted). Usually, yor-yor is accompanied by doira music performed by women. The high effect of yor-yor is that it simultaneously harmonises sadness with a merry melody and tone and the mood of holiday joys. In yor-yor songs, the bride is congratulated and is praised for her features, wishes, and cherished dreams.

It includes folklore music, dancing, and art performance shows. The folklore music sphere includes various forms of maquoms, feruzs, and tanovars, and different genres, including alla, o‘lan, yalla lapar, madhiya, terma, and khalfachi. The dancing sphere includes geographically diverse national styles as solo performances, duets, group dancing, men’s dancing, women’s dancing in addition to the forms of Khorazm, Bukhara, Ferghana, and Surkhon oasis dances.\n\n1. Katta Ashula\nKatta ashula (a song performed with a plate) is specific to the Uzbek traditional song trend of Ferghana Valley. Usually, it is performed a cappella by two to five singers of the same vocal range who use a plate or tray to project their voices in different ways. In most cases, katta ashula is performed by singers with a high-pitched, wide-ranging voice, and these are some of the distinguishing features of the complex performance style.\n\n2. Lapar\nLapar, a folklore song genre performed without musical instruments, is characterised by the narrow diapason and rhyme reiteration, which are not complicated by the melodic composition. The lapar is performed by girls and boys who compete with each other in the form of dialogue. In this competition, any girl in the circle can address any boy with lapar question, and the boy has to respond with lapar song. If the answer is appropriate, the boy is presented with gift of a handkerchief or a belt-kerchief.\n\n3. Askiya\nAskiya (witty joking) is a national art peculiar to Uzbek people. Askiya cannot be found in the cultural traditions of other people, in terms of humorous wit with the participation of many people in the form of live contest. Askiya is made up of plays on words and puns, both of which require life knowledge, skill, creativity, wisdom, and a high level of intelligence. Askiya masters who compete before big audiences openly and good-heartedly make sharp and witty jokes about the events and shortcomings of daily lives of their contemporaries.\n\n4. Show Arts\nIn Ferghana, the unique national customs, habits, and traditions are preserved. One of them is dorbozlik (ropewalking), which has been passed down for centuries from one generation to the next. These show programmes demonstrate colourful performances of diverse groups such as puppeteers, askiya jokers, lapar and o‘lan singers weightlifters, ropewalkers, snake charmers, all of whom are held with high regard and interest.