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

Mongol Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine benedictions, eulogies, spells, idiomatic phrases, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. They are regarded as a living encyclopedia of Mongolian oral traditions and immortalize the heroic history of the Mongols. Epic performers are distinguished by their prodigious memory and skills, combining singing, vocal improvisation and musical composition coupled with theatrical elements. Epic lyrics are performed to musical accompaniment on instruments such as morin khuur and tovshuur. Epics are performed during social and public events, including state affairs, weddings, a child’s first haircut, naadam and worship of sacred sites. Epics evolved over many centuries, and reflect nomadic lifestyles, social behaviors, religion, mentalities and imagination. Epic performers cultivate epic traditions from generation to generation, learning, performing and transmitting techniques within kinship circles, from fathers to sons.

Mongol Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine benedictions, eulogies, spells, idiomatic phrases, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. They are regarded as a living encyclopedia of Mongolian oral traditions and immortalize the heroic history of the Mongols. Epic performers are distinguished by their prodigious memory and skills, combining singing, vocal improvisation and musical composition coupled with theatrical elements. Epic lyrics are performed to musical accompaniment on instruments such as morin khuur and tovshuur. Epics are performed during social and public events, including state affairs, weddings, a child’s first haircut, naadam and worship of sacred sites. Epics evolved over many centuries, and reflect nomadic lifestyles, social behaviors, religion, mentalities and imagination. Epic performers cultivate epic traditions from generation to generation, learning, performing and transmitting techniques within kinship circles, from fathers to sons.

Mongol Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine benedictions, eulogies, spells, idiomatic phrases, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. They are regarded as a living encyclopedia of Mongolian oral traditions and immortalize the heroic history of the Mongols. Epic performers are distinguished by their prodigious memory and skills, combining singing, vocal improvisation and musical composition coupled with theatrical elements. Epic lyrics are performed to musical accompaniment on instruments such as morin khuur and tovshuur. Epics are performed during social and public events, including state affairs, weddings, a child’s first haircut, naadam and worship of sacred sites. Epics evolved over many centuries, and reflect nomadic lifestyles, social behaviors, religion, mentalities and imagination. Epic performers cultivate epic traditions from generation to generation, learning, performing and transmitting techniques within kinship circles, from fathers to sons.

Mongol Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine benedictions, eulogies, spells, idiomatic phrases, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. They are regarded as a living encyclopedia of Mongolian oral traditions and immortalize the heroic history of the Mongols. Epic performers are distinguished by their prodigious memory and skills, combining singing, vocal improvisation and musical composition coupled with theatrical elements. Epic lyrics are performed to musical accompaniment on instruments such as morin khuur and tovshuur. Epics are performed during social and public events, including state affairs, weddings, a child’s first haircut, naadam and worship of sacred sites. Epics evolved over many centuries, and reflect nomadic lifestyles, social behaviors, religion, mentalities and imagination. Epic performers cultivate epic traditions from generation to generation, learning, performing and transmitting techniques within kinship circles, from fathers to sons.

Mongols have traditionally shown a great respect for the horse, honoring it in their national standards and symbols (flags and emblems) and in their folk songs. Morin khuur clearly belongs to this symbolic tradition. Morin khuur, so named for the ornamental horse-head carving at the top of its neck, is a unique two-stringed musical instrument developed by the nomadic Mongols. The strings of both the bow and fiddle are made from the hair of a horse’s tail. Most significantly, there is a tradition of playing the morin khuur at all ritual and ceremonial events. No discussion of the morin khuur would be complete without having considered the folk ‘long song’, for which it provides the principal accompaniment. Besides Bii Biylgee and folk long song, many other folk artistic forms such as Ülger (tales), Tuuli (epic), Yörööl (benediction), Magtaal (ode) and others can always be performed with morin khuur..

Mongols have traditionally shown a great respect for the horse, honoring it in their national standards and symbols (flags and emblems) and in their folk songs. Morin khuur clearly belongs to this symbolic tradition. Morin khuur, so named for the ornamental horse-head carving at the top of its neck, is a unique two-stringed musical instrument developed by the nomadic Mongols. The strings of both the bow and fiddle are made from the hair of a horse’s tail. Most significantly, there is a tradition of playing the morin khuur at all ritual and ceremonial events. No discussion of the morin khuur would be complete without having considered the folk ‘long song’, for which it provides the principal accompaniment. Besides Bii Biylgee and folk long song, many other folk artistic forms such as Ülger (tales), Tuuli (epic), Yörööl (benediction), Magtaal (ode) and others can always be performed with morin khuur..

Mongols have traditionally shown a great respect for the horse, honoring it in their national standards and symbols (flags and emblems) and in their folk songs. Morin khuur clearly belongs to this symbolic tradition. Morin khuur, so named for the ornamental horse-head carving at the top of its neck, is a unique two-stringed musical instrument developed by the nomadic Mongols. The strings of both the bow and fiddle are made from the hair of a horse’s tail. Most significantly, there is a tradition of playing the morin khuur at all ritual and ceremonial events. No discussion of the morin khuur would be complete without having considered the folk ‘long song’, for which it provides the principal accompaniment. Besides Bii Biylgee and folk long song, many other folk artistic forms such as Ülger (tales), Tuuli (epic), Yörööl (benediction), Magtaal (ode) and others can always be performed with morin khuur..

Mongols have traditionally shown a great respect for the horse, honoring it in their national standards and symbols (flags and emblems) and in their folk songs. Morin khuur clearly belongs to this symbolic tradition. Morin khuur, so named for the ornamental horse-head carving at the top of its neck, is a unique two-stringed musical instrument developed by the nomadic Mongols. The strings of both the bow and fiddle are made from the hair of a horse’s tail. Most significantly, there is a tradition of playing the morin khuur at all ritual and ceremonial events. No discussion of the morin khuur would be complete without having considered the folk ‘long song’, for which it provides the principal accompaniment. Besides Bii Biylgee and folk long song, many other folk artistic forms such as Ülger (tales), Tuuli (epic), Yörööl (benediction), Magtaal (ode) and others can always be performed with morin khuur.