Societies express cultural heritage through architecture/buildings, music, dances, artifacts, tools and many others. Whatever the case is, cultural heritage is fundamental in helping individuals to understand how different beliefs, customs, and values serve, as a link between the past, the present and the future. For example, the Al-Ardah dance, which combines dance, drumming and chanting poetry is a common expression of heritage in most Arab states, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Focus of this paper will be on the Al-Ardah dance of Kuwait. Having passed across generations, the Al-Ardah dance of Kuwait still remains relevant in the present times, as in the past, it was a symbol of national and communal unity.
Section One: The Al-Ardah Dance as an Expression of Kuwait Heritage
The Al-Ardah dance is a significant expression of Kuwait heritage. The Al-Ardah dance is a traditional male folk song and the Kuwaitis hold it in high regard due to its social and political significance. My choice for this particular heritage arose from my interest towards the Al-Ardah dance, which began some years ago when my family first introduced me to it. Later, after coming to the United States, I became familiar with the dance; I would observe people from diverse regions of the Gulf perform the dance during Arabic festivities. The fact that I have some background knowledge of the dance made it the ideal choice, since I felt that engaging in this research would broaden my understanding and appreciation of Al-Ardah dance. I got some helpful information from my family, which I backed up with information from the internet. Overall, the Al-Ardah dance elicits depths of feeling, history and beauty, which give me a special way of connecting with my culture.
Section Two: Understanding Kuwait Culture
Understanding the Al-Ardah dance requires an in-depth understanding of the Kuwait culture. Kuwait, which lies between Iraq and Saudi Arabia and northwest to the Persian Gulf, came into existence in the 18th century, when clans of the Annizah who were the descendants of several nomadic tribes in the Arab peninsula, migrated to the Gulf Coast. The settlement grew significantly and became an independent sheikdom under the leadership of ‘Abd Rahim of the al-Sabah family. The sheikdom fell under the Ottoman rule during the late 18th and early 19th centuries; in 1899, Kuwait became a British protectorate until it got its independence in 1961. In 1937, there was discovery of oil in Kuwait, which resulted in a rapid development of infrastructure. Kuwait is a rich country, owing to its oils reserves that account for almost 10% of the world’s oil supply. It is also notable that Kuwait has been politically stable, compared to its neighbors.
A well-organized political system accounts for Kuwait’s political stability. Kuwait is semi-democratic, constituting a monarchy headed by the hereditary leader, as well as the parliamentary system. The emir comes from the Al Sabah family, which has been ruling the country since 1938. The emir is in charge of appointing prime minister and deputy prime minister. The National Assembly constitutes of 66 seats, whereby 50 earn their positions through the popular vote and 16 are cabinet ministers that are appointed by the prime minister after which the emir approves them. Kuwait embraces a participatory model of governance that is characterized by active engagement of citizens in public affairs.
Furthermore, Kuwait has roughly five levels of social-economic stratification. At the peak of the social hierarchy is the royal family, followed by the merchant families. Furthermore, former Bedouins (Desert Nomads settlers that came after the discovery of oil) are third on the hierarchy. The bottom two in the hierarchy include Arabs from neighboring nations and foreigners. Strong kinship ties and marriage patterns account for maintenance of the social structure. There are significant gaps between the wealthy, the middle class and extremely poor migrants within the hierarchy.
Men and women in Kuwait have different roles and statuses. The Kuwaiti culture is still male-dominated. For example, the society continues to embrace the traditional role of women as homemakers, as evident from the low number of women involved in labor outside the home, compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, women are still struggling for participation in power structures and political decision-making (Crystal, 2016). Overall, the male-domination is attributable to a strong patriarchal culture, based on a conservative interpretation of Islam.
Kuwaitis embrace strong religious beliefs, founded on Islamic faith. Most Kuwaitis are Muslim, with Islam governing the law, as well as the social norms. There are many mosques, where Kuwaitis hold prayers five times a day (salat) at sunrise, at noon, in the afternoon, at sunset and at night due to their belief that prayers offer purification of the soul and strengthen the commitment to God. Kuwaitis religious teachings emphasize on strict conservative values, including outlawing sale and consumption of alcohol in public, dressing conservatively, and forbidding physical contact between members of the same sex, respecting elders, being hospitable and kind to others. Kuwaitis hold the religious values in high esteem.
Moreover, Kuwait society puts a great value on marriage, family, kinship and communal ties. Arranged marriages are the norm for Kuwait people. Family is very significant to Kuwaitis, and extended families live together to ensure the involvement of all family members in nurturing younger generations to ensure maintenance of familial and cultural traditions. Besides, Kuwaitis value communal ties through the practice of diwāniyyah, whereby males who are family, neighbors, friends and business associates often gather in a separate room to discuss social, business and political matters, play games, and enjoy refreshments until late night. Even special celebrations, including Ramadan, Eid el-Fitr, and the Islamic New Year, are family and community-centered meant to bring people together. Overall, Kuwaitis uphold unity through interactions with others.
Section Three: Description of the Al-Ardah Dance
Kuwaitis interact through Al-Ardah dance, which reinforces a strong sense of community and national solidarity. Dancers wear special pure white robes (kandoura), embroidered coats (daghla), white headscarves, as well as strap leather cross-belts over their chests and waists to hold swords. Performers hold their decorated swords, as they stand shoulder to shoulder in two rows, facing each other. Between the two rows there is a smaller group of performers who are holding double headed drums decorated with several colorful wool tussels, which they play with sticks. Patriotic songs characterized by vernacular poetry (nabati) accompany the dance. The lead performer calls out a single line of poetry to establish the melody and the dancers repeat, while wielding their swords as drums beat in the background. The dancers rock rhythmically side-to-side, front-to-back, while moving the swords up and down. One dancer drapes the Kuwait state flag over their shoulder, as a symbol of unity. Al-Ardah unites all people, since there is no set limit to the number, age, background or social status of participants.
The Al-Ardah promotes patriotism and national unity. Traditionally, Kuwaitis performed Al-Ardah before battles or long sea and desert journeys, as a way to boost the morale of the people, display weaponry, physical prowess and solidarity. The term ‘Ardah’ is a derivation of the Arabic verb “Ard” (“show” or “parade”), arising from the traditional purpose of the dance to display the physical strength before armed engagements. Nowadays, Kuwaitis perform Al-Ardah, as a cultural marker to illustrate national solidarity during special occasions, including national or local festivities, weddings, religious holidays, birthdays, and graduation ceremonies. The nature of the Al-Ardah, as a national symbol of unity, is notable during national events, as the royal family and the citizens engage in the dance. The king and other members of royal family often play a central role in the dance (such as carrying the flag) and they view it as a chance to mingle with the citizens at a personal level, thereby heightening the country’s unity.
From a face value, performing the Al-Ardah seems like a very simple task. The fact that the performance can last for several hours made me think that it would be easier for me, since I would only try for a few minutes. However, when I started practicing, I realized it was more difficult than I imagined, since it requires a great deal of strength, stamina and agility. During my initial trial, my body felt so heavy. For example, I lost my balance multiple times, as I tried to skillfully lift and lower my ‘sword.’ I have realized that the research I have done so far about the Al-Ardah makes sense in that it is the strength of the performance that traditionally gave it the meaning due to the militaristic context in which it thrived. Knowing the history in which the Al-Ardah thrives gave me an inspiration to practice and become better as a sign of my culture’s appreciation. I hope that when I visit Kuwait soon, I will be able to participate in the dance to perfect my skills.
In conclusion, the Al-Ardah dance remains a significant expression of the Kuwait heritage that symbolizes national and communal unity. Distinct features of Al-Ardah dance include unique rhythms, body movements, drums and poetry recitals all of which are sending the theme of unity. Thus, just like their forefathers engaged in the dance to illustrate solidarity during war engagements, the modern society continues to participate to illustrate the communal and national unity during special events, such as national and local festivities and weddings.

Martin Wilson is a cultural activist of the Institute and a scientist http://elitewritings.com/ is the author of the article