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Choreography

77 public knowledge systems connected to this registry facet.

UNESCO representative list1 sources

‘Hatajo de Negritos’ and ‘Hatajo de Pallitas’ from the Peruvian south-central coastline

L’« hatajo de negritos » et l’« hatajo de pallitas » de la côte sud-centrale du Pérou

‘Hatajo de Negritos’ and the ‘Hatajo de Pallitas’ from the Peruvian south-central coastline are two complementary expressions featuring music and singing as part of Christmas celebrations, hailing from the central department of Ica in Peru. The expressions are biblical representations of the story of the visit of a group of shepherds to...

Latin America and CaribbeanPeruNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Akiu no Taue Odori

L’Akiu no Taue Odori

In the Akiu no Taue Odori, residents of the town of Akiu in northern Japan pray for a good harvest by simulating in dance the actions involved in transplanting rice. Performed since the end of the seventeenth century in communities throughout the region, the Akiu no Taue Odori today takes place during festivals in the spring or autumn....

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Al-Ayyala, a traditional performing art of the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates

Al-Ayyala, un art traditionnel du spectacle dans le Sultanat d’Oman et aux Émirats arabes unis

Al-Ayyala is a popular and expressive cultural performance practised in north-western Oman and throughout the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ayyala involves chanted poetry, drum music and dance, and simulates a battle scene. Two rows of about twenty men face each other, carrying thin bamboo sticks to signify spears or swords. Between the rows...

Middle EastOman / United Arab EmiratesNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Al-Bar’ah, music and dance of Oman Dhofari valleys

Al-Bar’ah, musique et danse des vallées du Dhofar d’Oman

Al-Bar’ah is a Bedouin musical tradition from the Dhofar mountains in southern Oman. It takes the form of a warlike dance performed to drums and the chanting of poetry in a local tribal dialect. Al-Bar’ah is performed in a half circle formed by ten to thirty men and women. As they chant and clap, two male dancers holding ''khanjars''...

Middle EastOmanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Al-Razfa, a traditional performing art

L’Al-Razfa, un art traditionnel du spectacle

Al-Razfa is a traditional performing art practised throughout the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman. It is performed by men of all ages and classes during social occasions, such as weddings and national festivals. Male performers form two facing lines with dancers filling the space between. Led by the main singer, the two...

Middle EastUnited Arab Emirates / OmanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Alardah Alnajdiyah, dance, drumming and poetry in Saudi Arabia

Alardah Alnajdiyah, danse, tambours et poésie d’Arabie saoudite

Alardah is a traditional performance combining dance, drumming and chanting poetry that signifies the start and end of notable occasions, such as religious holidays, weddings, births, graduation ceremonies, or events of national or local significance. It is considered a fundamental component of the cultural expressions of the practicing...

Middle EastSaudi ArabiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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As-Samer in Jordan

L’As-Samer en Jordanie

Practised across many areas of Jordan, As-Samer consists mainly of dancing and singing and is performed on various occasions, most commonly during marriage ceremonies. Practitioners range from young to older individuals, with children being encouraged to take part during performances. On the wedding day, the father of the groom...

Middle EastJordanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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August 15th (Dekapentavgoustos) festivities in two Highland Communities of Northern Greece: Tranos Choros (Grand Dance) in Vlasti and Syrrako Festival

Les fêtes du 15 août (Dekapentavgoustos) dans deux communautés montagnardes du nord de la Grèce : Tranos Choros (la grande danse) à Vlásti et le Festival de Syrráko

The Tranos Choros (Grand Dance) and Syrrako festival are celebrated nationwide in Greece to commemorate the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Historically, these Orthodox festivities originating in Vlasti and Syrrako marked the annual reunion of pastoral communities before the sheep or cattle farmers moved to their winter pastures. Although...

EuropeGreeceNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Bistritsa Babi, archaic polyphony, dances and rituals from the Shoplouk region

Les Babi de Bistritsa, polyphonie, danses et pratiques rituelles archaïques de la région de Shoplouk

The traditional dances and polyphonic singing found in the Shoplouk region of Bulgaria are still performed by a group of elderly women, the Bistritsa Babi. This tradition includes diaphony, or what is known as shoppe polyphony, ancient forms of the horo chain dance and the ritual practice of lazarouvane, an initiation ceremony for young...

EuropeBulgariaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Le chant bouddhique du Ladakh : récitation de textes sacrés bouddhiques dans la région transhimalayenne du Ladakh, Jammu-et-Cachemire, Inde

In the monasteries and villages of the Ladakh region, Buddhist lamas (priests) chant sacred texts representing the spirit, philosophy and teachings of the Buddha. Two forms of Buddhism are practised in Ladakh – Mahayana and Vajrayana – and there are four major sects, namely Nyngma, Kagyud, Shakya and Geluk. Each sect has several forms...

South AsiaIndiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Chhau dance

La danse Chhau

Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India that enacts episodes from epics including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore and abstract themes. Its three distinct styles hail from the regions of Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj, the first two using masks. Chhau dance is intimately connected to regional festivals, notably the...

South AsiaIndiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Cultural Complex of Bumba-meu-boi from Maranhão

Le complexe culturel du bumba-meu-boi du Maranhão

The Cultural Complex of Bumba-meu-boi from Maranhão is a ritualistic practice involving forms of musical, choreographic, performing and ludic expression, in which the practitioners’ relationship with the sacred is mediated by the figure of the ox. The practice features certain key distinguishing elements: the cycle of life; the...

Latin America and CaribbeanBrazilNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Dainichido Bugaku

Le Dainichido Bugaku

According to legend, travelling performers of ''bugaku,'' the ritual dance and music of the imperial palace, visited Hachimantai Town in northern Japan in the early eighth century, during the reconstruction of Dainichido, the shrine pavilion. The ritual performance of Dainichido Bugaku takes its name from this story, but the art evolved...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Dikopelo folk music of Bakgatla ba Kgafela in Kgatleng District

Le dikopelo, musique traditionnelle des Bakgatla ba Kgafela dans le district de Kgatleng

The Dikopelo music practice involves vocal singing and dancing in a patterned choreography without musical instruments in which people from a particular area join together to sing as a choir. The element is practised by men, women and children but is mostly dominated by Elders who, forming an informal Council of Advisors, transmit their...

AfricaBotswanaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Equitation in the French tradition

L’équitation de tradition française

Equitation in the French tradition is a school of horseback riding that emphasizes harmonious relations between humans and horses. The fundamental horse-training principles and processes are guided by non-violence and lack of constraint, blending human demands with respect for the horse’s body and mood. Knowledge of the animal itself...

EuropeFranceNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Farmers’ dance of China’s Korean ethnic group

La danse des fermiers du groupe ethnique coréen en Chine

Gathering in fields or villages during community festivals, members of the Korean ethnic group in Jilin and other provinces in north-eastern China offer a traditional sacrifice to the God of the Land to pay homage to nature and pray for good fortune and a plentiful harvest. This is the beginning of the farmers’ dance of China’s Korean...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Fest-Noz, festive gathering based on the collective practice of traditional dances of Brittany

Le fest-noz, rassemblement festif basé sur la pratique collective des danses traditionnelles de Bretagne

Fest-Noz is a festive gathering based on the collective practice of traditional Breton dances, accompanied by singing or instrumental music. The strong Breton cultural movement has preserved this expression of a living and constantly renewed practice of inherited dance repertoires with several hundred variations, and thousands of tunes....

EuropeFranceNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Fonelamvonglao (lamvonglao)

Fonelamvonglao (lamvonglao)

The fonelamvonglao is a celebratory dance practiced widely by Lao communities. It involves couples of men and women. To start the dance, the man typically invites the woman onto the dance floor. The men perform in an inner circle and the women perform in an outer circle, dancing in a counterclockwise direction. The dance consists of...

Southeast AsiaLao People's Democratic RepublicNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Frevo, performing arts of the Carnival of Recife

Le frevo, arts du spectacle du Carnaval de Recife

Frevo is a Brazilian artistic expression comprising music and dance, performed mainly during the Carnival of Recife. Its quick frenetic and vigorous rhythm draws upon the fusion of musical genres such as marching music, Brazilian tango, square dance, polka and pieces of classical repertoire, performed by martial bands and fanfares. The...

Latin America and CaribbeanBrazilNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Gagaku

Le Gagaku

Gagaku, characterized by long, slow songs and dance-like movements, is the oldest of the Japanese traditional performing arts. It is performed at banquets and ceremonies in the Imperial Palace and in theatres throughout the country, and encompasses three distinct arts. The first, Kuniburi no Utamai, features ancient Japanese songs,...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Ganggangsullae

Le Ganggangsullae

Ganggangsullae is a seasonal harvest and fertility ritual popular in the south-western part of the Republic of Korea, performed primarily on Korea’s Thanksgiving in the eighth lunar month. Under a bright full moon, dozens of young, unmarried village women gather in a circle, join hands and sing and dance all night under the direction of...

East AsiaKorea, Republic ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Gwoka: music, song, dance and cultural practice representative of Guadeloupean identity

Le gwoka : musique, chants, danses et pratique culturelle représentatifs de l’identité guadeloupéenne

Gwoka is found among all ethnic and religious groups of Guadeloupean society. It combines responsorial singing in Guadeloupean Creole, rhythms played on the Ka drums and dancing. In its traditional form, Gwoka unites these three areas of expression and emphasizes individual qualities of improvisation. The participants and public form a...

EuropeFranceNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Hayachine Kagura

Le Kagura d’Hayachine

In the fourteenth or fifteenth century, when the people of Iwate Prefecture in the northern part of mainland Japan worshipped Mt. Hayachine as a deity, they began a tradition of folk performance that continues to enliven the Great Festival of the Hayachine Shrine held in Hanamaki City on the first day of August. The Hayachine Kagura is...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Hopping procession of Echternach

La procession dansante d’Echternach

Each year, on the Tuesday of Pentecost (a Christian religious festival), the hopping procession of Echternach ''(Iechternacher Sprangprëssioun)'' takes place in the medieval town centre of Echternach, the oldest city in Luxembourg. Documented since the year 1100, the procession is founded on the cult of Saint Willibrord, a monk and...

EuropeLuxembourgNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Huaconada, ritual dance of Mito

La Huaconada, danse rituelle de Mito

Huaconada is a ritual dance performed in the village of Mito in the province of Concepción in the central Peruvian Andes. Every year, on the first three days of January, masked men known as ''huacones'' perform a choreographed series of dances in the centre of the town. The ''huacones'' represent the former council of elders, and for...

Latin America and CaribbeanPeruNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kalela dance

La danse kalela

The Kalela dance originated during colonial times in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It was adopted by mine workers and used for entertainment at the Chief's Palace during traditional ceremonies, funerals, harvest celebrations and other important occasions. Kalela is a kind of dance drill formation in which the dancers form two or three...

AfricaZambiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Khon, masked dance drama in Thailand

Le khon, théâtre masqué et dansé en Thaïlande

Khon, the Khon Masked Dance Drama in Thailand, is a performing art that combines musical, vocal, literary, dance, ritual and handicraft elements. Khon performances – which involve graceful dance movements, instrumental and vocal renditions and glittering costumes – depict the glory of Rama, the hero and incarnation of the god Vishnu,...

Southeast AsiaThailandNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kochari, traditional group dance

Le kochari, danse collective traditionnelle

Kochari is a traditional dance that is widely performed throughout Armenia during holidays, festive celebrations, family ceremonies and other social events. It is open to all participants, irrespective of age, gender or social status. Kochari provides a sense of shared identity and solidarity, contributes to the continuity of...

Middle EastArmeniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kolo, traditional folk dance

Le kolo, danse traditionnelle

Kolo is a traditional, collective folk dance performed by dancers who are interlinked to form a chain, usually moving in a circular line holding hands with their arms down. It is performed to the accompaniment of music at private and public gatherings and involves all members of the local community. Cultural-artistic societies and folk...

EuropeSerbiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kopachkata, a social dance from the village of Dramche, Pijanec

La kopatchkata, danse communautaire du village de Dramtche, Pianets

Kopachkata is a dynamic and energetic social dance performed by local residents of the village of Dramche in the region of Pijanec. It is danced at weddings, public gatherings and religious holidays by the village’s best male dancers. The dance is performed in a semicircle accompanied by drummers, a fiddle, and sometimes a tamboura lute...

EuropeNorth MacedoniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kumiodori, traditional Okinawan musical theatre

Le Kumiodori, théâtre traditionnel musical d’Okinawa

Kumiodori is a Japanese performing art found on the Okinawa islands. It is based upon traditional Okinawan music and dance, but also incorporates elements from mainland Japan, such as Nogaku or Kabuki, as well as from China. Kumiodori dramas recount local historical events or legends, accompanied by a traditional three-stringed...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kun Qu opera

L’opéra Kun Qu

Kun Qu Opera developed under the Ming dynasty (fourteenth to seventeenth centuries) in the city of Kunshan, situated in the region of Suzhou in southeast China. With its roots in popular theatre, the repertory of songs evolved into a major theatrical form. Kun Qu is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera still performed today. It is...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Lad’s dances in Romania

Les danses des garçons en Roumanie

Lad’s dances are a genre of men’s folk dance in Romania practised in community life on festive occasions, such as weddings and holidays, as well as during stage performances. Each community has its own variants, all of which display virtuosity and harmonious combinations of movement and rhythm. A special role is assigned to the dance...

EuropeRomaniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Lakalaka, dances and sung speeches of Tonga

Lakalaka, danses et discours chantés du Tonga

The Tonga archipelago lies in the South Pacific approximately 2,000 kilometres north-east of New Zealand. It is the only constitutional monarchy in the Pacific region. Often considered Tonga’s national dance, Lakalaka is a blend of choreography, oratory, and vocal and instrumental polyphony. This cultural expression is practised by...

PacificTongaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Lkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet

Le lkhon khol de Wat Svay Andet

Lkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet is practised in one community surrounding a Buddhist monastery, Wat Svay Andet – located about 10km east of Phnom Penh on the Mekong River – and is performed by men wearing masks to the accompaniment of a traditional orchestra and melodious recitation. The specific aim is to propitiate the Neak Ta (guardian...

Southeast AsiaCambodiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mangwengwe dance

La danse mangwengwe

The Mangwengwe is a traditional dance that is performed by the Mambwe and Namwanga people of Zambia. Dating to pre-colonial times, it is characterized by circular movements of the shoulders and sometimes waist. The performance involves a lead singer or dancer, supporting singers and dancers, hand-clappers and musicians. The rhythm is...

AfricaZambiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mask dance of the drums from Drametse

La danse des masques des tambours de Drametse

The mask dance of the Drametse community is a sacred dance performed during the Drametse festival in honour of Padmasambhava, a Buddhist guru. The festival, which takes place in this eastern Bhutanese village twice a year, is organized by the Ogyen Tegchok Namdroel Choeling Monastery. The dance features sixteen masked male dancers...

South AsiaBhutanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mbende Jerusarema dance

La danse Mbende Jerusarema

The Mbende Jerusarema Dance is a popular dance style practiced by the Zezuru Shona people living in eastern Zimbabwe, especially in the Murewa and Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe districts. The dance is characterized by acrobatic and sensual movements by women and men, driven by a polyrhythmic drummer accompanied by men playing woodblock...

AfricaZimbabweNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Men’s group Colindat, Christmas-time ritual

Le colindat de groupe d’hommes, rituel de Noël

Each year before Christmas, groups of young men gather in villages throughout Romania and the Republic of Moldova to prepare for the ritual of Colindat. On Christmas Eve, they go from house to house performing festive songs. Afterwards, the hosts offer the singers ritual gifts and money. The songs have an epic content, which is adapted...

EuropeMoldova, Republic of / RomaniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mibu no Hana Taue, ritual of transplanting rice in Mibu, Hiroshima

Le Mibu no Hana Taue, rituel du repiquage du riz à Mibu, Hiroshima

Mibu no Hana Taue is a Japanese agricultural ritual carried out by the Mibu and Kawahigashi communities in Kitahiroshima Town, Hiroshima Prefecture to assure an abundant rice harvest by celebrating the rice deity. On the first Sunday of June, after the actual rice transplanting has ended, the ritual enacts the stages of planting and...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Momoeria, New Year's celebration in eight villages of Kozani area, West Macedonia, Greece

La Momoeria, fêtes du Nouvel An dans huit villages de la région de Kozani, en Macédoine occidentale (Grèce)

From December 25 to January 5 in Kozani (north-western Greece), dancers, actors and musicians can be seen performing in village streets and visiting people’s homes to celebrate the coming of the new year. The Momoeria dancers, a group made up of 30 male performers, are a special focus. They represent the priests of Momos (god of...

EuropeGreeceNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mongol Biyelgee, Mongolian traditional folk dance

Le Biyelgee mongol, danse populaire traditionnelle mongole

The Mongol Biyelgee – Mongolian Traditional Folk Dance is performed by dancers from different ethnic groups in the Khovd and Uvs provinces of Mongolia. Regarded as the original forebear of Mongolian national dances, Biyelgee dances embody and originate from the nomadic way of life. Biyelgee dances are typically confined to the small...

East AsiaMongoliaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Music and dance of Dominican Bachata

La musique et la danse de la bachata dominicaine

The music and dance of Dominican Bachata is a danceable musical expression, deriving from a fusion of rhythmic bolero with other Afro-Antillean genres such as Son, the Cha-cha-cha, Merengue, etc. The Dominican people consider the music and dance of Bachata as a vernacular cultural manifestation, omnipresent in community celebrations and...

Latin America and CaribbeanDominican RepublicNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mwinoghe, joyous dance

Le mwinoghe, danse joyeuse

Mwinoghe is an instrumental dance performed among three ethnic communities – Sukwa, Ndali and Bandya – in the northern region of Malawi. In the Chisukwa dialect, the word ‘Mwinoghe’ literally means ‘Let us enjoy ourselves’: the dance is therefore performed to express joy and happiness. Derived from a ceremonial dance of the neighbouring...

AfricaMalawiNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Nha Nhac, Vietnamese court music

Le Nha Nhac, musique de cour vietnamienne

Nha Nhac, meaning “elegant music”, refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Nha Nhac was generally featured at the opening and closing of ceremonies associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and official...

Southeast AsiaViet NamNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Nijemo Kolo, silent circle dance of the Dalmatian hinterland

Le Nijemo Kolo, ronde dansée silencieuse de l’arrière-pays dalmate

The Nijemo Kolo is practised by communities in the Dalmatian hinterland, in southern Croatia. Nijemo Kolo is performed in a closed circle with male dancers leading female partners in energetic, spontaneous steps – the male dancer publicly testing the skills of his female partner, seemingly without defined rules. The steps and figures,...

EuropeCroatiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Nora, dance drama in southern Thailand

Le nora, drame dansé dans le sud de la Thaïlande

Nora is a lively and acrobatic form of dance theatre and improvisational singing from southern Thailand. Performances normally include a long oral invocation, followed by a presentation by a lead character who dances with vigorous and elaborate movements of the legs, arms and fingers. The performances are usually based on stories about...

Southeast AsiaThailandNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Pansori epic chant

Les chants épiques Pansori

Pansori is a genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist and a drummer.This popular tradition, characterized by expressive singing, stylized speech, a repertory of narratives and gesture, embraces both elite and folk culture. During performances lasting up to eight hours, a male or female singer, accompanied by a single barrel...

East AsiaKorea, Republic ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Peking opera

L’opéra de Pékin

Peking opera is a performance art incorporating singing, reciting, acting, martial arts. Although widely practised throughout China, its performance centres on Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. Peking opera is sung and recited using primarily Beijing dialect, and its librettos are composed according to a strict set of rules that prize form...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Polonaise, traditional Polish dance

La polonaise, danse polonaise traditionnelle

The polonaise is a joyful Polish group dance, which can be enacted by a few to even several hundreds of pairs marching in procession, following a trajectory proposed by the first pair. The basic step involves bending one leg while taking a step forward with the other. During the dance, the pairs perform various figures, such as raising...

EuropePolandNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Polyphonic singing of the Aka Pygmies of Central Africa

Les chants polyphoniques des pygmées Aka de Centrafrique

The Aka Pygmies living in the south-west region of the Central African Republic have developed a distinctive vocal musical tradition, which involves a complex type of contrapuntal polyphony based on four voices, mastered by all members of the Aka community. Music and dance form an integral part of Aka rituals including ceremonies...

AfricaCentral African RepublicNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Pujllay and Ayarichi, music and dances of the Yampara culture

Pujllay et Ayarichi : musiques et danses de la culture yampara

Pujllay and Ayarichi are the main musical and choreographic forms of the Yampara culture. They complement each other and form a whole: Pujllay linked to the rainy season and Ayarichi to the dry. Pujllay is performed primarily by males, during the ritual of the same name celebrating the renewal of life and abundance brought on by rains....

Latin America and CaribbeanBolivia, Plurinational State ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music

Le rituel royal ancestral du sanctuaire de Jongmyo et sa musique

The Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul is the setting for a Confucian ritual dedicated to the ancestors of the Joseon dynasty (14th to the 19th century) that encompasses song, dance and music. The ritual is practised once a year on the first Sunday in May and is organized by the descendants of the royal family. It offers a unique example of a...

East AsiaKorea, Republic ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Royal ballet of Cambodia

Le Ballet royal du Cambodge

Renowned for its graceful hand gestures and stunning costumes, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also known as Khmer Classical Dance, has been closely associated with the Khmer court for over one thousand years. Performances would traditionally accompany royal ceremonies and observances such as coronations, marriages, funerals or Khmer...

Southeast AsiaCambodiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Saman dance

La danse Saman

The Saman dance is part of the cultural heritage of the Gayo people of Aceh province in Sumatra. Boys and young men perform the Saman sitting on their heels or kneeling in tight rows. Each wears a black costume embroidered with colourful Gayo motifs symbolizing nature and noble values. The leader sits in the middle of the row and leads...

Southeast AsiaIndonesiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Samba de Roda of the Recôncavo of Bahia

La Samba de Roda de Recôncavo de Bahia

The Samba de Roda, which involves music, dance and poetry, is a popular festive event that developed in the State of Bahia, in the region of Recôncavo during the seventeenth century. It drew heavily on the dances and cultural traditions of the region’s African slaves. The performance also included elements of Portuguese culture, such as...

Latin America and CaribbeanBrazilNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Sanké mon, collective fishing rite of the Sanké

Le Sanké mon, rite de pêche collective dans le Sanké

The Sanké mon collective fishing rite takes place in San in the Ségou region of Mali every second Thursday of the seventh lunar month to commemorate the founding of the town. The rite begins with the sacrifice of roosters, goats and offerings made by village residents to the water spirits of the Sanké pond. The collective fishing then...

AfricaMaliNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Sarawja, Aimara music and dance of Moquegua

Sarawja, musique et danse aymara de Moquegua

Sarawja, also known as Sarawjatana, is practiced in the valleys of Ticsani and San Felipe, in the Andean region of Moquegua. This annual celebration is held after the Catholic Holy Week, marking the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest. It features a ritual dance performance by dance groups known as ‘ruedas’, or...

Latin America and CaribbeanPeruNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatre

Le Sbek Thom, théâtre d’ombres khmer

The Sbek Thom is a Khmer shadow theatre featuring twometre high, non-articulated puppets made of leather openwork. Dating from before the Angkorian period, the Sbek Thom, along with the Royal Ballet and mask theatre, is considered sacred. Dedicated to the divinities, performances could only take place on specific occasions three or four...

Southeast AsiaCambodiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Scissors dance

La danse des ciseaux

The scissors dance is performed by inhabitants of Quechua villages and communities in the south-central Andes of Peru, and now in urban settings. This competitive ritual dance is performed during dry months coinciding with the main phases of the agricultural calendar. The scissors dance takes its name from the pair of polished iron...

Latin America and CaribbeanPeruNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Semah, Alevi-Bektaşi ritual

Le Semah, rituel Alevi-Bektaşi

Semahs can be described as a set of mystical and aesthetic body movements in rhythmic harmony. They constitute one of the twelve main services found in ''Cem'' rituals, religious practices performed by adherents of Alevi-Bektaşi, a belief system based on admiration for Ali, the fourth caliph after the prophet Muhammed. Semahs are...

Middle EastTürkiyeNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Silat

Le silat

Silat is a combative art of self-defence and survival rooted in the Malay Archipelago. Traced back to the early days of the Langkasuka Kingdom, Silat has evolved into a fine practice of physical and spiritual training also encompassing traditional Malay attire, Silat musical instruments and customs. There are many styles of Silat,...

Southeast AsiaMalaysiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Sutartinės, Lithuanian multipart songs

Les Sutartinės, chants lituaniens à plusieurs voix

Sutartinės (from the word ''sutarti ''– to be in concordance) is a form of polyphonic music performed by female singers in north-east Lithuania. The songs have simple melodies, with two to five pitches, and comprise two distinct parts: a meaningful main text and a refrain that may include nonce words. There are almost forty different...

EuropeLithuaniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Taekkyeon, a traditional Korean martial art

Le Taekkyeon, un art martial traditionnel coréen

Taekkyeon is a traditional Korean martial art that makes use of fluid, rhythmic dance-like movements to strike or trip up an opponent. The graceful movements of a well-trained Taekkyeon performer are gentle and circular rather than straight and rigid, but can explode with enormous flexibility and strength. The feet play as important a...

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Tahteeb, stick game

Le tahteeb, jeu du bâton

In ancient Egypt, tahteeb was used as a form of martial arts. Its role has since changed to that of a festive game but some of the symbolism and values associated with the practice remain. Performed in front of an audience, it involves a brief, non-violent interchange between two adversaries, each wielding a long stick while folk music...

AfricaEgyptNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Tango

Le Tango

The Argentinian and Uruguayan tradition of the Tango, now familiar around the world, was developed by the urban lower classes in Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the Rio de la Plata basin. Among this mix of European immigrants to the region, descendents of African slaves and the natives of the region known as ''criollos,'' a wide range of...

Latin America and CaribbeanArgentina / UruguayNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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The practice of Cuban Son

La pratique du son cubain

Son is a traditional music and dance practice that blends singing, instruments, rhythm and movement. It is performed in pairs or groups and combines improvisation with structured patterns. Son includes lyrics drawn from daily life, which are passed down orally, and brings together African and European musical influences. The dance is...

Latin America and CaribbeanCubaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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The practice of Modern Dance in Germany

La pratique de la danse moderne en Allemagne

Modern Dance is a form of physical expression distinct from classical ballet. Rather than reproducing predetermined dance positions, the dancers seek a true-to-life expression that reflects emotions and life experiences. The focus lies on solo pieces as well as on co-creation in small groups, and age, social status, origin, physical...

EuropeGermanyNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Three genres of traditional dance in Bali

Trois genres de danse traditionnelle à Bali

There are three genres of traditional Balinese dance – sacred, semi-sacred and that meant for enjoyment by communities at large. Traditional Balinese dances are performed by male and female dancers dressed in traditional costumes consisting of brightly coloured cloth painted with gold floral and faunal motifs, with gold-leafed and...

Southeast AsiaIndonesiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Tibetan opera

L’opéra tibétain

Tibetan opera, the most popular traditional opera of minority ethnic groups in China, is a comprehensive art combining folk song, dance, storytelling, chant, acrobatics and religious performance. Most popular in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in western China, the performance begins with a prayer ceremony, including the cleansing of the...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional Ainu dance

La danse traditionnelle Ainu

The Ainu are an indigenous people who today live mostly in Hokkaidō in northern Japan. Traditional Ainu dance is performed at ceremonies and banquets, as part of newly organized cultural festivals and privately in daily life; in its various forms, it is closely connected to the lifestyle and religion of the Ainu. The traditional style...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditions of Pencak Silat

Les traditions du pencak silat

In addition to their sporting element, Traditions of Pencak Silat also encompass mental-spiritual, self-defence and artistic aspects. The moves and styles of Pencak Silat are strongly influenced by various elements of art, involving a unity of body and movement fitting the accompanying music. The term ‘pencak’ is better known in Java,...

Southeast AsiaIndonesiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang

Le muqam ouïgour du Xinjiang

The Xinjiang Uyghur Muqam is the general term for a variety of Muqam practices widespread among the Uyghur communities, which form one of the largest ethnic minorities of the People’s Republic of China. Throughout its history, the Xinjiang region has been marked by a high degree of cultural exchange between East and West, due in...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Vanuatu sand drawings

Les dessins sur le sable de Vanuatu

Situated in the South Pacific, the Vanuatu archipelago has preserved a unique and complex tradition of sand drawing. This multifunctional “writing” is more than an indigenous artistic expression and it occurs in a wide range of ritual, contemplative and communicative contexts. The drawings are produced directly on the ground, in sand,...

PacificVanuatuNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Wititi dance of the Colca Valley

La danse Wititi de la vallée du Colca

The Wititi dance of the Colca Valley is a traditional folk dance associated with the beginning of adult life. It takes the form of a courtship ritual and is typically performed by young people during religious festivities celebrated throughout the rainy season. It is danced in troupes with rows of male and female couples performing a...

Latin America and CaribbeanPeruNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Yalli (Kochari, Tenzere), traditional group dances of Nakhchivan

Le yalli (kochari, tenzere), danses collectives traditionnelles du Nakhtchivan

Yalli, traditional group dances, are dance expressions based exclusively on collective performances. Typically, yalli are performed in a circle, chain or line, and involve elements of games, pantomime (bird or other animal imitations), physical exercises and movements. The community of the yalli dances consists of practising dancers,...

Middle EastAzerbaijanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Yueju opera

L’opéra Yueju

The Chinese tradition of Yueju opera combines Mandarin operatic traditions and Cantonese dialect. Rooted in the Cantonese-speaking provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi in south-eastern China, Yueju opera is characterized by a combination of string and percussion instruments, with elaborate costumes and face painting. It also incorporates...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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