UAE has had a very rich past and the people have always expressed the emotions through the various practices of dance and music
Al Ayala, Iyala or the stick dance. The dance form is one of the most famous traditional dances of Dubai and UAE. Al Ayala is a dance form that simulates war, with a deep beat of the Al Ras (large drum), which sets up a tempo for the Takhamir drums, which are smaller in size. The dance form is organised with two rows of men, who stand in front of one another.

The men in one row stand close to each other, so as to signify their unity and cooperation. These men then hold their spears or sticks, which represent the swords of war, and sway them along with their heads on the beats of the drums. There are additional dancers as well, who run up around or between the two rows and carry sticks, spear or guns.

This dance form is performed only by men and are needed minimum 25 of them, which can go up to 200 at one time. The dance is open to all, which means that people of all classes, castes and races can come and join the event. But, the role of the dance leader is inherited and it is their responsibility to train the other dancers. The more the number of dancers in the group, the more spectacular is the Ayyalah considered. Researches have revealed that this dramatic dance form migrated to the Emirates from Najd, Saudi Arabia during the 19th century.

Women also have a version of this dance for themselves, where they wear vibrant dresses, sway their hair to the beats of the drum and recite their poetry or lyrics to commemorate the victory.

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