MUZI MUZIChinese Matrix

Dances of Xinjiang's Peoples

A tilt of the head, a glance, a spin like an eagle

Introduction

Improvised song-dance of the Uyghur, Tajik and Kazakh to the frame drum

This record covers the folk dances of the Uyghur, Tajik, Kazakh and other peoples north and south of the Tianshan, mostly improvised as solos, duets or group dances to the frame drum and plucked lutes. The main forms are the Uyghur sanam (III-96), naziqom (III-131) and the Kashgar sama (III-110), the Tajik eagle dance (III-41) and the Kazakh kara jorga (III-111). The Twelve Muqam suites compiled from the 16th century already took in the sanam, and the head-shaking and eye play of the Kucha sanam match the Western Regions dance described in the Tang Tongdian. The same dances are performed at meshrep gatherings.

Timeline

16th century to present
1550 · OriginFrom the 16th century, musicians such as Qidirkhan and Amannisa Khan arranged the Twelve Muqam and took the sanam, already widespread among the people, into the chong naghma of each muqam, while the sanam lived on as an independent dance; this is the earliest firm date for the family.1943 · EvolutionIn 1943 Dai Ailian staged the Uyghur folk-dance suite Dances of Youth in Chongqing and in 1944 a Uyghur pas de deux, bringing Xinjiang dance into the modern theatre.2006 · ImpactThe Tajik eagle dance entered the first national ICH list in 2006, the sanam in 2008, the sama, the kara jorga and five more sanam traditions in 2011, and the naziqom and the Hotan sanam in 2014.2010 · EvolutionMeshrep (national folk-custom item X-49, 2006), the gathering at which sanam and other dances are performed, was inscribed on UNESCO's Urgent Safeguarding List in 2010.
  1. 1550OriginFrom the 16th century, musicians such as Qidirkhan and Amannisa Khan arranged the Twelve Muqam and took the sanam, already widespread among the people, into the chong naghma of each muqam, while the sanam lived on as an independent dance; this is the earliest firm date for the family.
  2. 1943EvolutionIn 1943 Dai Ailian staged the Uyghur folk-dance suite Dances of Youth in Chongqing and in 1944 a Uyghur pas de deux, bringing Xinjiang dance into the modern theatre.
  3. 2006ImpactThe Tajik eagle dance entered the first national ICH list in 2006, the sanam in 2008, the sama, the kara jorga and five more sanam traditions in 2011, and the naziqom and the Hotan sanam in 2014.
  4. 2010EvolutionMeshrep (national folk-custom item X-49, 2006), the gathering at which sanam and other dances are performed, was inscribed on UNESCO's Urgent Safeguarding List in 2010.

Heritage Listings

  1. 2006National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage1st batch · Ⅲ-41 Tajik eagle dance · no. 144 · nominated by Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County · Xinjiang
  2. 2008National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage2nd batch · Ⅲ-96 Sanam (Uyghur) · no. 693 · nominated by Hami Prefecture and Yarkant County · Xinjiang
  3. 2011National list extension3rd batch · Ⅲ-96 Sanam (Charkhlik · Cherchen · Korla · Ili · Kucha) · Charkhlik · Cherchen · Korla · Yining County and Kucha · Xinjiang
  4. 2011National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage3rd batch · Ⅲ-110 Sama dance · no. 1099 · nominated by Kashgar · Xinjiang
  5. 2011National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage3rd batch · Ⅲ-111 Kazakh kara jorga · no. 1100 · nominated by Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture · Xinjiang
  6. 2014National list extension4th batch · Ⅲ-96 Sanam (Hotan) · Keriya County · Xinjiang
  7. 2014National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage4th batch · Ⅲ-131 Naziqom · no. 1284 · nominated by Turpan · Xinjiang