Taskiwin: performance from Morocco

Taskiwin is a martial folk dance of the western High Atlas in central Morocco. Amazigh men traditionally perform it with a decorated horn, the tiskt, shaking their shoulders to tambourines and flutes and stamping their feet; UNESCO listed it for urgent safeguarding in 2017.

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Taskiwin is a martial dance from the western High Atlas mountains of central Morocco, kept by Amazigh communities. Dancers shake their shoulders to tambourines and flutes, stamp their feet, and carry a decorated horn called the tiskt. UNESCO added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding in 2017. Practitioners say it builds social harmony and a shared sense of identity.

What it is

Taskiwin belongs to a wider family of group dances in Morocco, and it is treated as a branch of Ahwash. What sets it apart is its home: the western side of the High Atlas, in central Morocco. The dancing mixes a shaking of the shoulders with the beat of tambourines and flutes, and a firm stamping of the feet. Every dancer carries the horn called the tiskt. The name of the dance comes from that object: tiskt means horn in the Berber language, and taskiwin is its plural form.

Origins and history

The dance is believed to have started in the High Atlas mountains, where Amazigh people, also known as Berbers, performed it. In its earlier form it was a martial art. Men used it to prepare for battle, and they danced it to mark a victory afterwards. Only men took part, each carrying the decorated horn as he danced. The horn set a beat for their steps. The warlike purpose has gone, but the shape of the dance, and the objects used in it, stayed with the villages that carried the practice on.

Instruments and objects

Four things make the sound of Taskiwin. The agwal is a small clay drum, shaped like a barrel or a goblet. The tal'wwatt is a flute. The tallunt is a frame drum. The tiskt, after which the dance is named, is a powderhorn with a small bell fixed to it. In Berber, tiskt means horn, and its plural, taskiwin, gave the dance its name. Each dancer holds his own decorated horn. Drums, flute and horn together carry the rhythm that the shoulder movements and the stamped feet follow.

How it is kept

A performance gathers men of the community, each with a tiskt in his hand. Drummers and a flute player start the rhythm, and the dancers answer it, first in the shoulders, then in the feet. The horn is struck as part of the beat. Around them, other people of the village watch, sing and clap. The dance is given at community gatherings and celebrations. Knowledge passes from older dancers to younger ones, and that handing on is what keeps the practice alive from one generation to the next.

Today and change

Taskiwin is at risk. Few villages still perform it, and dancers often cannot find anyone younger to take their place, because interest in the tradition has fallen. Since 1993 local associations have been formed to protect it. In 2017 UNESCO inscribed it on the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, under the title Taskiwin, martial dance of the western High Atlas. The listing is meant to support the communities and the associations working to keep the dance going.

How Taskiwin is kept

Men of the community form the group, each holding a decorated tiskt horn. Drummers play the agwal and the tallunt while a flute, the tal'wwatt, carries the melody. The dancers respond by shaking their shoulders to that rhythm and then stamping their feet. The horn is part of the beat rather than an ornament. Onlookers gather around, and the dance is performed at community gatherings and celebrations. Older dancers teach the movements to newer ones, which is how the practice is handed on.

When and where

Taskiwin belongs to the western part of the High Atlas mountain range, in central Morocco. It is a local tradition rather than a national one, kept in the Amazigh villages of that area. The sources note that only a few villages still practise it. Dancers from Irohalen village are shown performing it.

What Taskiwin means

For the communities that perform it, Taskiwin does more than entertain. People say it binds the community together and gives them a shared identity that carries on between generations. The dance was once tied to warfare, training men for battle and marking victory. Today it holds the memory of that past and the common life of the villages. Keeping it going is their way of saying that Amazigh culture in the High Atlas is a living thing.

Questions people ask about Taskiwin

What is Taskiwin?

Taskiwin is a traditional martial dance from the western High Atlas mountains in central Morocco. It is performed by Amazigh, or Berber, communities. Dancers shake their shoulders to tambourines and flutes, stamp their feet, and carry a decorated horn called the tiskt, which gives the dance its name.

Where is it kept?

It is kept in the western High Atlas range in central Morocco, among Amazigh villages. The sources say only a few villages still practise it. Local associations have worked to preserve the dance since 1993, and the UNESCO listing of 2017 recognises the communities that keep it.

Why did UNESCO recognise it?

In 2017, at its twelfth session, UNESCO added Taskiwin to the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding. The listing covers the martial dance of the western High Atlas. It reflects concern that only a few villages still perform the dance and that practitioners struggle to find successors.

What instruments are used?

The agwal is a small clay drum shaped like a barrel or a goblet, the tal'wwatt is a flute, and the tallunt is a frame drum. The tiskt, a powderhorn with a small bell attached, gives the dance its name. Together they set the rhythm for the shoulder movements and the stamped feet.

Who performs it?

Traditionally it was performed by men, each carrying the decorated horn while dancing. It began as a martial art used to train for battle and to celebrate victories. Today the dance belongs to the Amazigh communities of the western High Atlas, and older dancers pass the movements on.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Taskiwin", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-11.

Taskiwin