List the key activities that were carried out during this reporting period in order to achieve these expected results. Please describe the activities in detail and note their effectiveness or any problems encountered in implementing them.
The Government of Mongolia has implemented the National Project “Mongolian traditional folk dance Bii Biyelgee” in between 2009 and 2014 for expanding the formal and informal training, identifying and familiarizing practitioners of this element. Although the National Project implementation has finished, those works related to the safeguarding of this element is now being continued. Aiming to safeguard, develop and transmit the Mongolian folk dance Bii Biyelgee to the young generations, following systematic activities have done as including research studies – training - artistic work- promotion.
Within the frame of the objectives for studying, safeguarding, and developing the Mongolian traditional folk dance Bii Biyelgee:
Between 2014 and 2017, the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC has done research studies inside and outside of Mongolia for studying the dances belong to Mongol nation. Indeed, this research studies brought a chance to make comparative studies on the Bii Biyelgee of different ethnic groups with same origin as Mongol, and collected a huge data and materials on Bii Biyelgee studies. For instance:
- In 2014, research studies on Bii Biyelgee of Zahchin ethnic in Jargalant, Mankhan soum (county), Dorvod ethnic in Dorgon, Torguud ethnic in Bulgan soum, Uriankhai ethnic in Duut soum in Khovd province, Dorvod in Olgii, Omnogovi soums, Bayad in Malchin soum, Khoton in Tarialan soum of Uvs province,
- In 2014, research studies on Dichkemdeg, Tavshluur and Chicherdee Bii in Republic of Khalimag in Russian Federation, and in 2015, research studies on Bii Biyelgee of Mongol ethnics in place Bayangol, Bor tal, Khovogsair and Urumqi in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of PRC,
- In 2016, research studies on Andai dance in Khuree Khoshuu in collaboration with National University of Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, and research studies on Bii Biyelgee and related culture of Upper Mongols or Khoshuud Mongols in Ju Khokh Nuur Tibet Autonomous Region in PRC,
- In 2017, research studies on Bii dance of Barga, Buriad, Ewenki, Orchoon ethnics in Khulunbuir in PRC. As a result of these studies total 71 hours audio and video documentation have done. The “Center for Studies of Mongol dance and Innovation” with international membership has established under the Institute for the Culture and Arts in MSUAC for expanding this research studies.
- Documentation have done for basic melody of Bii Biyelgee, 4 picking of Ikhel, 12 strokes of Tovshuur.
Within the frame of objective to expand the traditional apprenticeship training, and academic training for transmitting the Bii Biyelgee to the young generations:
- Between 2014 and 2017, several NGOs have established, and are carrying out the activities in national and international level, as a result of the policy taken by the Government of Mongolia for supporting the joint voluntary between artists and practitioners to let them bring an effective cultural activities. The national level Associations and NGOs are organizing the informal training of Bii Biyelgee based on the facility of cultural organizations, high schools, and kindergartens in soums and provinces. Talented youths who have aspiration to learn Bii Biyelgee are voluntarily being taught by highly skilled senior practitioners of Bii Biyelgee in this training.
- Basic academic training of Bii Biyelgee is successfully developing in the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC in accordance with practice and experience of Bii Biyelgee scholar, professor and State Honored Artist D.Nanjid. Additionally, those people graduated from this university are successfully transmitting their knowledge and skills relate to Bii Biyelgee to the other people.
- Since 2014, the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC has been organizing the summer course as “Mongol dance”, in domestic and international level. Bii Biyelgee practitioners and instructors of other Mongol dances are teaching dance classes in this course. In particular, teaching the dance Bii Biyelgee in its original space of the Mongolian traditional Ger was efficient.
In the frame of the formal training:
- Since 2016, the formal training for Mongol dance based on the Bii Biyelgee movements, is being organized at the School of Dance Arts in MSUCA, and the Dance and Music College in Zavkhan province. For instance: total 180 students graduated from the School of Dance Arts since its establishment in 2014. Aiming to improve and develop the curriculum, the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC is pursuing the policy to include the Mongol nation’s dances as Savardan Bii, Khalimag Bii and Andai into the academic training on the basis of the research study, and to transmit these dances to the younger generation in its original way of performing.
In the frame of the informal training:
- Total 1916 people from high schools and kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar city and provinces including teachers, pupils and kindergarten children have involved in the non-formal training, and started performing in front of the colleagues in the school for reporting what they have learnt. In the performance, they do use the traditional clothes and accessories that expresses the specific of each ethnic group.
- Practitioners of ICH are carrying out the apprenticeship trainings as charged service. For instance: Between 2014-2017, Ms. Bayartai daughter of the Mr. Genden who was a well-known practitioner of Bayad Bii has organized the optional training in accordance with contract. She has taught the Bii Biyelgee for 1544 people including teachers and pupils. For instance: 80 teachers and 500 pupils from 28th High School in Bayangol district, 100 teachers and 500 pupils from 61st High School in Chingeltei district, 14 teachers and 104 children from 89th kindergarten in Bayangol district, 8 teachers from private kindergarten
“Dalai Bagachuud” in Chingeltei district, 14 teachers from 62nd kindergarten in Bayanzurkh district, and 224 dance specialized people involved in the summer course “Mongol dance” organized from the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC. In addition, Ms. Sh.Otgonbayar a practitioner of the Zahchin Bii Biyelgee has taught to 224 people including 60 pupils from 35th High School, and 224 dance specialized people involved in the summer course “Mongol dance” organized from the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC. Additionally, Mr. B.Zolbayar a son of Banzai who was well-known practitioner of Zahchin Bii Biyelgee has taught Zahchin Bii Biyelgee to 88 pupils from 33rd High school.
- Within the framework of the national project implemented on the Bii Biyelgee, total 12200 people have involved in the formal and informal, apprenticeship training organized at the cultural centers, cultural palaces, and high schools in soums (county) and districts.
In the frame of objective to identify, familiarize, promote, support the ICH practitioners:
There was 436 Bii Biyelgee practitioners registered on the Registration and Information State Database of intangible cultural heritage in 2014, and as of 2017, this number decreased to 338. Indeed, this decrease shows that most of the practitioners involved in the “National Project for Mongol Bii Biyelgee” were elders. Therefore, it is now demanding to familiarize, promote these few number of Bii Biyelgee practitioners, and to give support on transmission of their knowledge and skills associated with Bii Biyelgee to the young generations.
For promoting the Bii Biyelgee to the public, following activities have done:
- Results of activities done by the School of Dance Art in MSUAC between 2014 and 2017.
- “Motherland of the Epic” 53 minutes documentary film was made, as a result of research studies done on Savardan Bii of Xinjian Mongols, and dance related story and rituals.
- “A sun rises everyday" documentary shows the culture related with wedding ritual of Bayad ethnic group starts with “Elhendeg” Bii and finishes with “Joroo mori”.
- “A land close to sun” 30 minutes documentary; The theme of the documentary is showing the variation of Khoshuud Mongolian’s Bii Biyelgee dance with game.
- “From the Cultural Heritage of Oirad” 35 minutes documentary film has done for promoting the tradition and culture associated with Bii Biyelgee of Bayad, Dorvod, Khoton ethnic groups in Uvs province.
- “ A Mongol dance” documentary film from summer course; main theme of this documentary was to show how Bii Biyelgee is performed inside the ger (the dance space), and relationship between nature and human, relationship between human.
- “A Mongol dance”12 series of TV program have done and disseminated to the public
- The biennial contest for State Honored Artist D.Nanjid has organized by the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC in two categories as staged Mongol dance and traditional way of performing Bii Biyelgee. Total 150 students have performed in the contest as category of solo, duet, triple, and group.
- The dancers from the National Ensemble of Music and Dance of Mongolia have successfully attended in the dance festival organized in Italy in 2015, and the international folk-dance festival “One Asia in dance” organized in Korea in 2016.
- In 2017, the School of Dance Arts in MSUAC have successfully attended in the international festival ATEC organized by Asia Theatre Education Centre in PRC, with its 40 minutes performance that based on the Bii Biyelgee, and promoted the Bii Biyelgee.
- Total 320 Bii Biyelgee practitioners and apprentices from Mongolia, the Buryat Republic and Tuva Republic of Russian Federation, and Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of PRC have attended in the “International dance festival for Mongol nation” organized in 2014.
- The folk performing group “Altai” has attended to the national spring dance festival “Ysyha” organized at the Sakha Republic of Russian Federation in 2014, and promoted the Bii Biyelgee
- The Music and Dance Theatre of Khovsgol province has attended to the international dance festival organized at France in 2014.
- Bii Biyelgee practitioners are teaching in the summer school “Mongol dance” by MSUAC, is being one way to promote them to the international level.
The skill and repertoire of Bii Biyelgee practitioners have increased as a result of local, regional and national level festivals and competitions organized within the involvement and initiatives of local community, local people, and governmental organizations for safeguarding and transmission of Bii Biyelgee to the next generations. As for including:
- Between 2009 and 2013, the Bii Biyelgee and folk-dance contests and festivals have organized in Ulaanbaatar city, Dornogovi, Uvs, Omnogobi, Darkhan-Uul provinces by the initiatives of local government, and total 2500 young people have attended.
- In 2013, the dance contest “We love dance -1000” has organized by Khogsuu ensemble in Ovorkhangai province, and 1000 people have involved.
- In 2013, first time 5000 people have performed and promoted the traditional folk dance Bii Biyelgee in the opening and closing ceremony of the Naadam, Mongolian Traditional Festival /92nd Anniversary of the People’s Revolution.
- In 2013, the folk ensemble “Khogsuu” has organized apprenticeship training and concert for showing the demonstration of Bii Biyelgee performance, and total 15195 people in 21 provinces of Mongolia and 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar city have involved including new apprentices, Bii Biyelgee practitioners and ordinary people in age between 3 and 85.
- In 2014, first time the “Dance festival of Western Region” has organized in Uliastai city of Zavkhan province for celebrating the World Day of Dance, and 540 people who practicing the Bii Biyelgee have attended from Bayan-Olgii, Khovd, Govi-Altai, Uvs provinces. Within the framework of this festival, the scientific conference and dance concert organized.
- Total 500 practitioners and apprentices in age between 3 and 85 have involved in the “First state contest of Bii Biyelgee”, organized in Khovd province in 2017.
- The festival “Oirad tumen” is organized at Uvs province in every July, and it is being an important platform where practitioners, apprentices can meet and share their experiences.
- Total 800 pupils from 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar city and Tov province have involved in the “Bii Biyelgee” annual contest organized by the Cultural Center of Nalaikh district in Ulaanbaatar city between 2014 and 2017, and promoted the Bii Biyelgee of Bayad, Dorvod, Khoton, Uriankhai, Zakhchin and Torguud to the public.
For promoting the Bii Biyelgee practitioners and bearers:
- Between 2014 and 2017, total 16 series of TV program have done on the story, history and symbolic narratives of traditional folk dance Bii Biiyelgee, and disseminated to the public. As a result of this work, the social value and status of practitioners have increased.
- Between 2010 and 2014, the repertoire of 36 elder Bii Biyelgee practitioners from Uriankhai, Zahchin, Torguud, Myangad, Oold ethnic groups in Khovd province, Tuva have documented by audio and video.
- In 2013 and 2014, the DVD “Traditional folk dance Bii Biyelgee” has published for promoting the practitioners of Torguud, Bayad, Zahchin, Khoton, Dorvod, Uriankhai Bii Biyelgee who are practicing the element as its traditional way; and for transmitting this
- “Traditional Bii Biyelgee” DVD has published and distributed in 2013 and 2014, for promoting practitioners bearing the traditional way of performing Bii Biyelgee of Torguud, Bayad, Zakhchin, Khoton, Dorvod and Uriankhai, and to transmit the traditional way of performing Bii Biyelgee to young generations
For raising awareness and involvement of public on dance Bii Biyelgee:
Based on the research and studies of Bii Biyelgee, a new contemporary performances have choreographed and it is showing that the fundament to develop the research-training-artistic performance in triple connections is being built, such as to apply the characteristics of Bii Biyelgee into the stage performance, and to include the Savardan, Khalimag Bii, and Andai dances into the training curriculum, and to choreograph the perfect contemporary performances and so on.