Dawaz of the Uygur Ethnic Minority
By admin on 2015-01-12

The word "dawaz" means "aerial tightrope walking" in the Uygur language. It is an acrobatic performing art with a long history of over 1,000 years among the Uygur people. The Turkic Dictionary composed between 1072 and 1074 had the documentation of "walking tightropes and performing dawaz". For more than 1,000 years, dawaz has been performed pretty much in the same way, retaining the tradition.   

A dawaz show is usually done in the open air. The most striking feature of dawaz is showcasing various acrobatic skills on the rope or steel wire dozens of meters above the ground. Holding a 6-meter pole for balance, the performer make thrilling movements with no safety device, such as walking to and fro on the rope, sitting upright with their legs crossed, walking blindfold or with plates underfoot and swift jumping etc.               

With the accompaniment of Uygur folk music, the aerial tightrope walker sings and dances to the beat, quickly alternating challenging movements. The humorous and unique show attracts throngs and throngs of people.