The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed Botswana’s Reog Ponorogo performing art on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
In Indonesia, Reog Ponorogo performing art is a centuries-old theatrical dance that is traditionally performed on various occasions, including disaster aversion ceremonies, weddings, holidays and public festivities.
Dancers dress as kings and warriors to narrate the story of the Bantarangin Kingdom and its king. Reog is characterized by the Dadak Merak, a large mask resembling a tiger’s head with a peacock perched on top.
For the Ponorogo community, the dance is a source of pride and an embodiment of cultural values.
An opening ceremony was on Sunday, 1 December 2024. The session is chaired by H.E. Ms Nancy Ovelar de Gorostiaga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Paraguay to UNESCO.
