“Dance, when you're broken open.
Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance when you're perfectly free.”
(Rumi)
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| “Thousand Hands Guanyin Dance from China”. ROME – 6 March 2015 |
Dance derives from the Sanskrit tan which means tension, or the spiritual tension between man and nature, between man and God.
In the East it's said that the God Shiva-Nataraja
created the cosmos by dancing. In Buddhism he is the Lord of Dance, Shiva dance
and the matter around him is created and destroyed in a vortex like flame.
Get carried around the world by their movement, from West to East, and finally with the portraits of the dancers.
And let the music be in your eyes and in your hearts.
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| Traditional dance from China. ROME – 10 February 2018 |
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| Acrobatic and traditional dance from China. ROME – 12 February 2015 |
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| ROME – 12 February 2015 |
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| ROME – 6 March 2015 |
"Chinese Ribbon Dance"
The arts flowered in the Tang dynasty, 618 - 906 CE,
interweaving poetry, painting, sculpture, music and dance into sophisticated
amusements and cultural expressions for the upper classes. Dancers learned
martial arts, gymnastics and expressive sculptural forms that were codes for
classic stories and emotions. Court dances were reserved for the palace of the
emperor and for ceremonies in Confucian temples and eventually migrated to the
highly stylized Peking Opera.
The Ribbon Dance is emotive and expressive, with frequent leaps and twirls aiding in the constant shapes and spirals formed by the long silk ribbons. This dance emerged from ancient Han dynasty heroic legends, but the “dancing” ribbons were so mesmerizing that the choreography evolved to feature just the breathtaking formations traced in the air.
READ ALSO:
• The Mystical Dances of The Bolivians in Rome (Part One)
• The Mystical Dances of The Bolivians In Rome (Part Two)
• Khon – Classical Siamese Dance
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| Traditional dance from China. ROME – 6 March 2015 |
“Thousand Hands Guanyin Dance from China”
The history of dance is rooted in Chinese, Korean and
Japanese culture. Guanyin is the deity of mythology. It appears as a woman and
saves people from misfortunes, saving people from all sorts of disasters. In
addition, she advocates women and children.
In Buddhism, Kuan Yin people are honored as the
Goddess of Mercy. Her full name is Kuan Shi Yin. In translation, it means “to
watch the world and sounds”. That is why this divine being is a symbol of
compassion and help for those who need it.
The goddess monitors the world and responds to
people’s requests. It exists in the spiritual world, while Kuan Yin seeks into
the material world to make the lives of ordinary people easier.
First of all, the thousand hand Guanyin dance is a
symbol of enlightenment and compassion. Thousands of hands have a huge number
of eyes. Through them, Kuan Yin sees everything that happens in the world and
this is her great strength. By the way, the goddess can be not only in the
image of a woman. It has many faces and can appear before a person in the
appearance in which a person wants.
That is why the thousand-hand dance is not just a dance, but the embodiment of good and selflessness. In general, dances teach everyone to be sensitive and not to be indifferent to other people. Music and movement allow people to come closer and receive warmth.
ROME – 6 March 2015
Pinoy Teens Salinlahi Dance Group
The Igorot is a Spanish colloquial designation of the
peoples of the Cordilleras of Luzon in the north of the Philippines. The
indigenous folk who comprise the Igorot include the Kaliga, Iboloy, Apayao,
Kankanna, Bantoc, and the Ifuguao.
Pinoy Teens Salinlahi Dance Group
Singkil originated from the Maranao people who inhabit
the shores of Lake Lanao. It is a re-telling of an episode from the Maranao
epic legend Darangen involving the rescue of Princess Gandingan (abducted by
the diwatas) by the legendary Prince Bantugan. It is a popular dance performed
during celebrations and other festive entertainment. Originally only women,
particularly royalty, danced the Singkil, which serves as either a conscious or
unconscious advertisement to potential suitors. The dance takes its name from
the heavy rings worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. A kulintang and agung
ensemble always accompanies the dance.
The female lead dancer plays the role of Princess Gandingan of the Darangen epic, wearing the heavy rings around her ankles to keep time while she dances. In an episode of the Maranao epic, the princess is caught in the middle of the forest during an earthquake caused by the diwatas (or the guardian spirits) of the Kingdom of Bumbaran. The diwatas abducted the princess and entrapped her into a forest to teach the philandering Prince Bantugan a lesson. The falling trees during the earthquake (which the princess gracefully avoids) are represented by the bamboo poles arranged in a crisscrossed fashion and clacked together in a unique, syncopated rhythm.
During the performance, the female lead dancer graciously steps in and out of the bamboo poles as she manipulates two elaborately designed fans called apir. Another female dancer represents the loyal slave of the princess who accompanies her throughout the ordeal. After a while, a male dancer, representing the legendary Prince Bantugan of the Darangen epic, performs his dance round and through the bamboo poles clacked together bearing a shield and a sword.
The entrance of the
male dancer symbolizes the arrival of Prince Bantugan who is determined to
rescue the princess from the diwatas. Other dancers skillfully manipulate the
apir fans, which represent the winds which prove to be auspicious. The dance
steps require agile movement so that the dancer's feet won't be crushed by the
moving bamboos. Meanwhile, the clacking bamboo poles represent the forces which
the two characters had to overcome. The dance ends with the princess going home
with the prince.
READ ALSO:
• Three Days with Ileana and Saswat: Odissi in Rome (Part One)
• Three Days with Ileana and Saswat: Odissi in Rome (Part Two)
CariΓ±osa dance from Philippines
Pinoy Teens Salinlahi Dance Group
CariΓ±osa (meaning the loving or affectionate) is a Philippine
dance of colonial era origin from the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk
dances, where the fan or handkerchief plays an instrumental role as it places
the couple in romance scenario.
The dance originated in Panay Island in the Visayan
Islands and was introduced by the Spaniards during their colonization of the
Philippines. It is related to some of the Spanish dances like the bolero and
the Mexican dance Jarabe Tapatio or the Mexican Hat Dance.
Originally, the CariΓ±osa was danced with MarΓa Clara dress and Barong Tagalog for it is a MarΓa Clara Spanish Dance when it was introduced. In addition, Filipino wore the patadyong kimona and camisa de chino to reveal nationalism (a native dress of the Tagalog regions), camisa (a white sleeve) or patadyong kimona (a dress of the Visayan people) and for boys, a barong Tagalog and colored pants. Because it is the national dance, the dancers may wear any Filipino costume.
ROME – 26 February 2017
Natty is a traditional dancer of Menora, a dance
dating back to 1800. She wears the traditional dress, made entirely by hand (it
takes about three months to made) and the weight of thirteen kilos.
It's a dance and a traditional dress of the region of
Phattalung, on the border with Malaysia. Before wearing the heavy headdress and
dance the dancer must recite the prayers.
Menora (Jawi: Ω ΩΩΨ±Ψ§) is a type of dance drama of south Thailand origin and practised mainly in the northern states of Malaysia and southern provinces of Thailand. Menora also known as Manora (ΰΈ‘ΰΉΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ²ΰΈ«์) Nora (ΰΉΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ²) in Thai language.
ROME – 5 September 2015
Kanokphon Khonok from Buriram
ROME – 29 April 2017
Cici is a young dancer from the Bidayuh ethnic group, born in Bau, Sarawak.
PENANG – 28 May 2019
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Dances from Sarawak
“Malam Bumi Kenyalang 2019”
USM Sarwak Cultural Night
Every year Perkumpulan Anak-Anak Sarawak (PERKASA) - USM will perform their culture to everyone in the University USM, especially for those who doesn't know much about Sarawak
PENANG – 15 March 2019
Universitas Negeri Medan
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number
of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North
Sumatra, Indonesia who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the
Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing which are related
groups with distinct languages and traditional customs (adat).
The Batak lands consist of North Sumatra province,
excluding Nias island, the historically Malay kingdoms of the east coast and
the western coast of Minangkabau people. In addition, part of the Karo lands
extend into modern-day East Aceh Regency in Aceh province, while parts of the
Mandailing lands lie in Rokan Hulu Regency in Riau. Significant numbers of
Batak have migrated in recent years to prosperous neighbouring Riau province.
To the south of North Sumatra are the Muslim Minangkabau of West Sumatra, while to the north there are various Muslim Acehnese peoples.
PENANG – 2 April 2019
Opera from Japan
Kaoru Kobayashi
ROME – 22 April 2017
“Korean Music Management” Dance Group
Buchaechum (fan dance) is a type of neoclassical
Korean dance that is based on various historical and religious dances. It is
usually performed by groups of female dancers.
Buchaechum was created in 1954 by dancer Kim
Baek-bong, who drew influences from both Korean shamanic ritual dances and
traditional Joseon court and folk dances.
This dance is performed at many celebrations and
events in Korea, and has become popular worldwide. Dancers use large fans
painted with pink peony blossoms to create various formations that represent
images such as birds, flowers, butterflies, dragons and waves. The dancers wear
brightly coloured hanbok, the Korean traditional dress.
Buchaechum is usually performed with minyo (folk song) or sanjo (instrumental solo) accompaniment, though court and ritual music is often used as well. The dance is known for showcasing the elegant and graceful aspects of classical technique in a format suitable for modern audiences.
ROME – 24 April 2017
A lot of information has been taken from Wikipedia.
You have a lot collection of dance photos from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! πππ
I'm reading and dancing. π
Ok. Still waiting the Bollywood dance ( your version) ! πͺππ
Thanks, more than 10 years of photos π
DeleteThe part 2 photos are more amazing for me.
ReplyDeleteCantik. Sungguh!
Is this article will continue to part 3?
I am thinking about other traditional dance in Malaysia.
Sure it's impossible complete with some photos, every country need one post, mine is just a journey but I really like Sarawak dances. Tomorrow part 3 π
DeleteDancers don't need wings to fly...the movements are their hearts speak.
ReplyDeleteBut why I can't see MY genre of dance here...huhuhu
Can't post every dances by country, I already show some photos of MY style but this time I like show Sarawak because it's not easy to see π²πΎπͺ
DeleteBeautiful, really!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot...
Delete