Urushi Lacquer in Japan: Restoration of Cultural Properties and the Current State of Urushi Production by Yuji Yonehara (Director, Center for Innovation in Traditional Industries Kyoto Seika University)

Shared Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region: Focusing on UNESCO Multinational Inscription by Thi Hien Nguyen (Vice Director, Viet Nam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies)

The Universality and Distinctiveness of East Asian Printing Technology by Kim Bang Ul (Researcher at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage)

The Eagle Dance is a Mongolian folk dance expressing the movements of a white eagle flying across the sky. Dancers raise one leg and flap their arms, imitating eagles flapping their wings. They also perform powerful movements to dynamic music. The basic move of raising both arms while moving the shoulders up and down originates from the Mongolian Biyelgee dance.\n\nThe white eagle is known to be the totem bird of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire. The Eagle Dance represents the bravery of 13th century Mongolian warriors, and is a permanent fixture in the repertoire performed at major national events.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Dance mimicking the movements of animals\n\nPerformed by Mongolian National Song and Dance Academic Ensemble\nDirected by Tseden-Ish Altangerel\nChoreopraphed by Davaakhuu Altangerel

This is an original dance reconstructed based on traditional dances of Bali. To the Balinese, dance is a form of religious ritual performed according to the Balinese calendar. The traditional dances of Bali are inspired by nature and represent traditions, customs and religious value. The Balinese believe that the movements of traditional dances express the views of nature, while the mudra (hand movements) are related to their daily lives, laws, faith and customs. Traditional Balinese dances can be performed by both male and female dancers, who wear elaborate traditional costumes of bright colors, imprinted with flora and fauna patterns in gold foil, and decorated with accessories adorned by golden leaves and jewelry. The dance moves are very complex and precisely detailed. Dancers are required to possess not just skill, but also inner beauty (taksu), charisma, modesty and restraint, along with special spiritual power to bring the dances to life.\n\nDances performed in the many communities of Bali are typically transmitted through unofficial channels from elders to children in the traditional sekaa groups. The traditional dances of Bali are cultural heritage containing the customs and culture of the Balinese, and an important part of the identity of a community. The three genres of traditional Balinese dances were inscribed to the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙An original dance reconstructed from the three genres of traditional dance in Bali inscribed to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.\n\nPerformed by Dance Company of Jakarta State University\nDirected by Ida Bagus Ketut Sudiasa

Padam is the second sequence in the Bharatanatyam, a dance comprising 7 sequences. It is an expression of worship, humility, and a solemn spiritual message or religious prayer.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙4th sequence in the Bharatanatyam, one of the 8 major traditional dances recognized by the Indian government\n∙Only performed by female dancers\n\nPerformed by Parul Shah\nDirected by Parul Shah

Traditionally, Kuchipudi was performed at night in Hindu temples or by the light of a fire, for people returning home after a long time. It is characterized by fast paced steps in time to the rhythm and sculptural poses. While it was traditionally performed only by Brahmin (priests), with men performing female roles as well, it is now performed mainly by female dancers.\n\nTarangam is the most popular repertoire in the Kuchipudi dance-drama tradition, which demonstrates an extremely high level of skill. The almost acrobatic movements of the dance contain philosophical metaphors for the heavy responsibilities of life. The Kuchipudi dance is rooted in the Natya Shastra, an ancient Sanskrit Hindu text, while the name Kuchipudi originates from the Kuchelapuram village in the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Although Kuchipudi was frequently performed up to the middle ages (15th-16th century), it suffered a decline following the muslim invasion. Later in the early 17th century, it spread across the entire region of India. During the European colonial era, traditional Indian religion and culture was suppressed by Christian missionaries, and the dance suffered the indignity of being treated as a vulgar dance performed by prostitutes. It was revived in the 1920s through the effort of experts who worked to restore the traditional dances of India.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙One of the 8 major traditional dances recognized by the Indian government\n\nPerformed by Ananda Shankar Jayant\nDirected by Sanjukta Sinha

This is an original dance based on the ‘Shoulder Bell Dance’, a representative folk dance of the Qiang people. While the Shoulder Bell Dance originated from the shamanic rituals of the Qiang, it has since evolved into a popular dance performed by women during traditional holidays and ethnic festivals.\n\nThe Qiang is a minority ethnic group that lives in Sichuan Province, China. The history of the Qiang people dates back 4,000 years, being almost as long as the history of the Chinese civilization. Due to geographical conditions limiting their interactions with other ethnic groups, the Qiangs have managed to preserve a their culture in its original form relatively well. Music and dance have been a part of daily life and a respite from its hardships for the Qiang since ancient times. The Qiangs are particularly talented in dance, and continue to uphold a remarkable culture of dance.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Originates from shamanic rituals in primitive religion\n\nPerformed by College of Art, Chengdu Sport University\nDirected by 로봉

Xuanzi Dance is performed at gatherings such as holiday celebrations and weddings in regions populated by the Zang people such as the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Everyone participates in this communal dance, coming into a large circle. Xuanzi dance is an expression of the unique sentiments and emotions of the Zang, passed down over generations and recognized as the pinnacle of traditional Zang dances.\n\nXuanzi dance is characterized by the four qualities of lightness, softness, bouncing and spontaneity. The dancers keep bouncing up and down on their knees throughout the dance. The movements of the upper body include flailing the arms while wearing the traditional long-sleeved costume of the Zangs, waving the sleeves, covering the arms with the sleeves and throwing the sleeves. These movements create the elegant and beautiful lines of Xuanzi. The line is a crucial element in Chinese aesthetics and the aesthetics of Chinese dance. This aesthetic of lines is clearly visible in Xuanzi dance.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Waving or shaking arms while wearing traditional costumes with long sleeves\n∙Light, soft and relaxed movements\n\nPerformed by Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Region Ethnic Dance Company\nDirected by Liu lifu

Dancers wearing elaborate costumes with golden embroidery hold mirrors in their hands while dancing. ‘Sokiv jamor’ means ‘beautiful women’ in Tajik, and the dance could only be performed by royal court dancers for the Shah (King in Persian). Each team typically consists of 10, 16 or 24 women, who dance to Shashmaqom, a traditional musical genre invented by court musicians in the 17th century. The traditional dances of Tajikistan are more complicated and technical than those of other Central Asian nations. Dance is one of the oldest genres of art in Tajikistan and receives a wide range of government support in the present day.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Court dance performed by female dancers holding mirrors\n\nPerformed by Bazmoro Tajikistan National Dance Ensemble\nDirected by Qurbonali Kholov

The Keun Taepyeongmu is a version of the Taepyeongmu, rearranged as a mass dance. Taepyeongmu is a court dance depicting the King and Queen dancing to pray for peace and prosperity in the nation. It is thought to have been created in the early 20th century by Han Seong-jun, the father of modern Korean dance, based on the shamanic music and dance of the danggut rituals from Gyeonggi Province.\n\nTaepyeongmu is visually impressive, with elaborate and grand costumes influenced by court dances. The movements are full of energy, and set to complex and precise rhythms. The steps feature techniques such as gyeob georeum, jan georeum, raising the knee, and heel stomping and raising, timed to the changing rhythms, which are mesmerizing yet restrained. The highly technical steps are unique to this dance and give it its unmistakable style.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙ 20th century adaptation of a shamanic dance performed at danggut rituals\n\nPerformed by Mongolian National Song and Dance Academic Ensemble\nDirected by Kim, Mi-Sook

Vietnam Lacquer Painting – A Link Between Oriental Lacquer Crafts Tradition And Western Plastic Art Value by Trieu Khanh Tien (Deputy Dean of Painting Faculty, Vietnam University of Fine Arts)