Tari Payung, The Traditional Umbrella Dance

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Umbrella Dance - Sumatra Province

Umbrella Dance

Tari Payung or Umbrella Dance is Minangkabau’s traditional dance. Minangkabau is one of regencies in Indonesia, which located in West Sumatra.

Since Tari Payung played by a pair of young man and woman, the meaning of Tari Payung is telling about the man approaching a girl and how he cares about his girl. The umbrella that being the main utility, is symbolize the main icon to be the shelter for the spouse in having good relationship.

The number of dancers in umbrella dance is always complete, and always in pairs, can be three or four pairs. The dance is always accompanied by traditional instrumen like Gendang or traditional drum and the song is about Sikambang traditional song. The song is such a poem in Malay style.

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Plate Dance

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Tari Piring - West Sumatera

Tari Piring

Tari Piring or Plate Dance is the art of dance held by the Minangkabau tribe in West Sumatra, originated in Solok Town. This dance reflects the life of traditional Minangkabau people at the time of working in the ricefield. The dance expresses happiness of the farmers as well as their gratitude to God for the very successful harvest.

Plate Dance is done in pairs or in groups with a variety of movements that are done quickly, dynamically and interspersed with plate knock sound carried by the dancers. The performer of Plate dance is always accompanied by the traditional instrument called Talempong and Saluang, while the movements are done quickly while holding the plate in the palm of their hand.

The dance has a motion that resembles the movement of farmers during cultivation, harvest and so create employment. The dance begins with the initial work in the field and proceeds to the final process until harvested rice. Sometimes these plates they throw into the air or they fling to the ground. At the final stage of the dance, the male and young lady dancers will trample the broken plates, without getting hurt. This fact should not interpreted as a magic work, as many people may think, but it religiously signals the acceptance of the dancer’s pray by God.

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The Elegant Tor Tor Dance

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Tor-Tor Dance

Tor Tor Dance

Tor-Tor dance is a traditional dance from Batak tribe in North Sumatra. At ancient times, the art of dancing in Batak land was a main media during the rite, and it still had mystical things. Moreover, the dance was also performed in happy times like harvesting and wedding ceremony.

according to history, tor tor dance is used in rituals associated with spirits. The spirit is invoked and “walked” into the stone statues, which was the symbol of the ancestors. Those statues were then moved like dancing, but with a rigid motion. The movement is identical with feet movement (tiptoe) and hand movements.

There are 3 types of Tor-tor dance. There is Tor tor Pangurason (cleanup dance). This dance is usually held at a big party.Before the party starts, the place and location of the party is first be cleaned by using lime to be far from danger.

Second, there is tor tor Sipitu Cawan (Dance of the seven bowls). This dance is usually held during the inauguration of a king. This dance is also derived from the seven daughters of heaven to bathe in a lake at the top of the Pusuk Buhit mountain along with the arrival of piso sipitu sasarung (the seven knife sheath).

Last, there is tor tor Tunggal Panaluan, which is a cultural ritual. This dance is usually held when there is disaster strikes the village. Tunggal Panaluan is danced by the shaman to be guided solutions to resolve the issue.

The moves of Tor tor dance is flows according to Margondang, which is the traditional instruments that accompanying the dance. These instruments are Gondang or percussion, Batakness trumpet and more.

Today, the ritual of Tor tor dance is no longer associate with the religious rite or any mystical ceremony but the occasional events like welcoming tourists and wedding feast.

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Serampang Dua Belas Dance

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Serampang 12 Dance

Serampang 12

Serampang 12 (Dua Belas) is one of traditional Malay dances from North sumatera. This dance is performed in pair, which symbolized the match maker founding mate. This dance was created by a person name Sauti in 1940s and it was rearrange during 1950-1960. Before it known as Serampang 12, this dance was popular as Pulau Sari Dance, which based on the theme song that accompany the dance.

There were controversy about the changing name from Pulau Sari to Serampang 12 dance. One said that a type of dancing that use the title of “Pulau” is must be in term of slow moving motion dance, while, this dance is having fast tempo in each moves. Hence, it appropriately use title of “Serampang”, for it identify the fast moving dance. While, 12 (dua belas, Bahasa) is indicating that this dance is the fastest dance among other “Serampang” dances.

Moreover, the 12 (dua belas) is indicated as there are 12 steps included in this dance. At every move, is characterize the process of a man found the girl that he crushed for. The steps are about: the first sight, crush on, falling love, crazy in love, the sign of love, love in return, looking for the truth, persisting the feeling, give the answer, proposing, the bride meeting and the marriage.

Although, this dance is telling about the process of finding love, at early begin it was perform by a pair of men. This is happened because of the gender issue that came up among the society that forbidding women to dance and showing the body moves. Today, this dance is already performing moderately and played by a pair of man and woman.

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Saman Dance and Ratéb Meuseukat

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Saman Meuseukat Dance

Saman Dance and Ratéb Meuseukat

Most people recognize Saman dance. Saman dance is one of traditional dances from Aceh province. Unfortunately, public are sometime get mistaken that Saman dance is actually Ratéb Meuseukat dance.

Those two dances are basically coming from the same province of Aceh, but they are belong to different tribe. Ratéb Meuseukat is belongs to Aceh tribe, while, Saman dance is belongs to Gayo tribe in Central Aceh. There are 3 different things that differentiate these dances:

  • Saman dance using Gayo language, and Ratéb Meuseukat using Aceh language.
  • Saman dance is brought by male dancer, and Ratéb Meuseukat is brought by female dancer.
  • Saman dance is un-instrumented, while Ratéb Meuseukat is accompanied by rapa’i and geundrang.

Ratéb Meuseukat dance is taken from Arab language; ratéb means praying, and meuseukat is silent. The content and the rhyme of this dance is about praise to the Lord and His Prophet which brought by group of female dancer with their traditional costume. This dance is growth in Meudang Ara Rumoh Abro in Soutwest Aceh propince.

At early begin, Ratéb Meuseukat was played after the class of reading Koran at night, and also become the media to preach, and it played in sitting and standing position. Nowadays, this dance is sometimes performed in great events, wedding ceremony and other occasion.

In Saman dance, this dance is usually performed during the birthday of prophet Muhammad and brought by using Arab and Gayo poetry. In some literature mentions that Saman dance was founded and developed by Sheikh Saman, a scholar who came from the Gayo in Soutwest Aceh.

Saman dance is also become one of the media to the achievement of the preaching message (da’wa). This dance reflects the educational, religious, polite, heroism, solidarity and togetherness.

Before to start the dance, there will be mukaddimah or opening show, appears a wise elder or traditional leaders to represent the local community (keketar) or useful advice to the players and spectators.

Saman dance is performed without instrument and played by group male dancer that wearing traditional costume. The instrument of this dance is using the sound of the dancers and their applause that usually combined with beating their chest and groin as synchronization, and threw the body to here and there.

This dance is guided by a leader who is typically called a Syech. Since this dance need formation uniformity and timeliness, the dancers are required to have high concentration and serious exercise in order to perform perfectly. This dance is danced by men in particular.

In general, saman dance played by dozens of men, but the amount should be in odd number.Others say that this dance is danced more or less in 10 people, with details of 8 dancers and 2 as cue givers. Nevertheless, at present time it requires the dance will be more lively when it danced by more dancers. To arrange a variety of movement, it instituted a leader who called sheikh. In addition to regulating the movement of the dancers, Sheikh is also tasked to sing poems, called ganit.

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Seudati Dance

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Seudati Dance - NAD, North Sumatra

Seudati Dance

Seudati dance is one of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam or NAD dances, that was become the tribal war dance in the era of Dutch Colonization, and it was forbidden to be performed because it contains particular rhyme to fire up the spirit of war against the colonizer.

The word Seudati comes from the Arabic syahadati or syahadatain, which means testimony or confessions. In addition, some are saying that the word comes from the word seurasi, which means harmony or compact. Seudati dance has been developed since the Islamic religion in Aceh. Islam advocates of utilizing this dance as a medium of propaganda to develop religious teachings of Islam.

Initially, Seudati dance were using Arabic and Aceh language, where it is used for media of propaganda. The next dance is known as a variant form of dance called ratoh or ratoih which means to preach or demonstrate. This dance is usually made ??before the opening game of cockfighting. Ratoh has the same functions as Randai in West Sumatra, which is to preach about the problems in a community and how to solve them.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the typical dances of Aceh is always done in solid and varied groups. Moreover, most of Aceh dancing is always in group.

Seudati dance is so simple yet beautiful. The dance is performed without music or gamelan. There is only poetry and rhyme. The music is rooted in gestures and words of the dancers themselves. This dance is shows about the flexibility and courage that radiating from the singing dancers, the moves of the fluctuate dancers that moves slow then faster and stop in silence. To be sure, this dance will mix the audience’s emotion.

The performance of the Seudati dance is sometimes very long; there is even one which begins at 8 p.m. and ends at 6 a.m. The stage is an open field. The dance can be very exciting when there is a competition between two neighbouring villages, each with its own Seudati team.

Each Seudati Dance is danced by ten men or ten women. When it is danced by men (Seudati Agam) the ten dancers are divided according to their function in the dance; one Aneuk Seudati, or the child of Seudati, one Adoee or younger brother, and eight Dalam or Aduen or elder brothers. One of the eight Dalam is called Sheik or leader, and there is an Apet Sheik or deputy leader. The six others are called Rakan or Kawan, meaning friends.

The patriotic nature of the Seudati Dance is seen chiefly from, the costume of the Seudati Agam, consisting of a long white right shirt, long white or black trousers, a sarong (a cloth wrapped round the under part of the body worn above the knees), selendang (scarf) fastened round the waist, rencong (short sword) and a head cloth. The dance is very gay and vigorous, varied by frequent rhythmical clapping on the breast. As they dance the dancers sing in turn stories showing the greatness of Aceh in the past.


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Kecak Dance

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Balinese Kecak Dance

Balinese Kecak Dance

Kecak or Ketjak is one of Balinese Dances and music drama. This dance was first performed in 1930s and primarily performed by men. Kecak dance is mostly related about the drama musical of Ramayana Monkey Chant which performed by a circle of 150 or more performers.

Kecak dance is such an old traditional dance, but now it has been modified into some roles or models in the same concept and culture based on the Bali’s tourism demand. Since 1970s, the Kecak Dance continued to experience some changes, especially in terms of story and staging techniques.

The name “Kecak” is comes from the words “cak cak cak” that shouted by the dancers during the show. Moreover, the sound “cak cak cak” is also become the background music of this dance. This Kecak dance become a unique presentation for it plays by a group of men, when all of them are sitting in line or circle sounding a special rhythm while shouting a capella “cak cak cak” and raising their hands up high.

Kecak dance is described about rows of monkeys helping the Prince Rama against Ravana in the Ramayana epic. Kecak originates from Sanghyang ritual, which is a tradition where the dancers are in trance as communicating to God or ancestral souls, conveying their expectations to the public. Kecak Dance does not use any musical instruments, but only uses a set of chimes on feet of the dancers playing the characters of Ramayana. Meanwhile, the dancers sit in the circle wearing a checkered cloth wrapped around their waists, which typical Balinese theme.

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Balinese Legong Dance

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Legong Dancer

Balinese Legong Dance

Legong is one of Balinese dances that characterized by the intricate finger movements, complicated steps, expressive gestures and facial expressions and always did by females dancers. Its delicacy is heightened by the fact that is performed by richly costumed young dancers.

Legong is always danced at public festivals. Excerpts from Legong dance dramas which are put on for tourists. Looking at the early begin, Legong dance was created because of the dream of Prince Sukweti during his illness. He dream about two maids were dancing in gamelan music. After he recovered, he arranged for such dance to be performed in reality. In other believe, Legong was originally dedicated to the Sanghyang Dedari, which the ceremony involving the two little girls by beneficent spirits.

The Legong dancers have to learn the basic move and from early begin, start from the training of the posture (tangkep), movements and mimicry. Three dancers in glittering costumes – one tjondong lady-in-waiting and two princesses whose roles change according to the narrative – usually perform it. The ancient legong used to have a storyteller’s accompaniment, but these days they are only dance performances.

Legong dancers are always girls who have not yet reached puberty. They begin rigorous training at about the age of five. These dancers are regarded highly in the society and usually become wives of royal personages or wealthy merchants.

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Leuser Mountain National Park

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Leuser Mountain National Park

Leuser Mountain National Park

Taman National Gunung Leuser or TNGL or Leuser Mountain National Park is a natural preservation in Indonesia, which administratively located in Aceh Province and North Sumatra.

The area in Aceh Province which includes TNGL is southwest Aceh, South Aceh, Aceh Singkil, Southeast Aceh, Gayo Lues and Aceh Tamiang, while the province of North Sumatra which includes TNGL is Dairi regency, Karo and Langkat.

This national park takes its name from Mount Leuser with a height of 3404 meters above sea level in Aceh. This national park includes the original ecosystem of the coast to high mountains covered by dense forests typical of tropical rain, and managed by the zoning system which is utilized for the purpose of research, science, education, culture, tourism, and recreation.

Mount Leuser National Park has 3 functions : a. protection of life support systems; b. preserving species diversity of plants and animals and their ecosystems; c. sustainable use of biological resources and ecosystems.

Around the national park, there are numbers of destinations that worth to be explored like:

Gurah. See and enjoy the natural scenery, canyons, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls, observing animals and plants such as flowers Raflesia, orangutans, birds, snakes and butterflies.

Bohorok. The place of orangutan rehabilitation, activities and natural attractions in the form of panoramic river, camping and bird watching.

Kluet. Boating on rivers and lakes, trekking in the jungle beach and cave tours. This area is the habitat of Sumatran tigers.

Sekundur. Camping, cave tours and wildlife observation.

Ketambe and Suak Carambola. Research primates and other wildlife researcher, completed by residence and library.

Mount Leuser (3404 m asl) and Mt. Pecan (3314 m asl). Mountain climbing
Rafting on the Alas River. Rafting of Gurah-Muara Situlen-wave for three days.

Flora

The area consists of coastal forest or swamps, lowland forests, upland forests and mountains that most of the area dominated by Dipterocarpaceae forest ecosystems with rare flora and typical Raflesia atjehensis Johanesteinimania altifrons (giant umbrella tree) and Rizanthes zippelnii which is the largest flower, the rare and protected with a diameter of 1.5 meters. In addition, there is a unique plant or plant that is drought fig.

Gunung Leuser National Park, has a spread of a complete forest vegetation of coastal forest vegetation / wetlands, lowland forests, upland forests and mountains. It is estimated that there are about 3,500 species of flora.

Fauna

Mount Leuser National Park is also rich in fauna species ranging from mammals and / Primates, Carnivora, Herbivores, Aves, Reptiles, Amphibious, Pisces and Invertebrates. It is estimated there are about 89 types of animals that are rare and protected here in addition to other wildlife species.

For these types of mammals and / Primate Gunung Leuser National Park has 130 species of mammal or a third-two types of mammals that exist in the world or a quarter of the total species of mammals that exist in Indonesia. Among the most prominent is Mawasa (Pongo pygmaeus abelii), Sarudung (Hylobates lar), Siamang (Hylobates syndactilus), monkey (Macaca fascicularis), Beruk (Macaca nemestriana) and Kedih (Presbytis thomasi). For carnivorous species such as the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Bear (Helarctos malayanus), Sumatran tiger (tigris Phantera Sumatraensis). This type of herbivorous animals such as elephants (Elephas maximus), Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatraensisi), deer (Cervus unicolor).

How to Achieve National Park Location:

Medan – Kutacane (+ 240 km), 8 hours by car.
Kutacane – Gurah / Ketambe (+ 35 km), 30 minutes by car.
Medan – Bohorok / Bukit Lawang (+ 60 km), 1 hour by car.
Medan – Sei Betung Sekundur (+ 150 km), 2 hours by car.
Medan – Tapak Tuan (+ 260 km), 10 hours by car.

Get your bag and pack now…

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Wondama Bay

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Indonesia-Tourism.com

Wondama Bay - West Papua

Teluk Wondama

Teluk Wondama or Wondama Bay Regency is one of regencies in West Papua provinse. The capital city is located in Rasiei and it was formed since 12 April 2003 as an expansion of Manokwari regency.

This regency is bounded with Tahota distric, Manokwari regency and Cendrawasih bay in north; Yaur distric, Nabire regency and some parts in Kaimana regency in south; Kuri district, Idoor district and Bintuni Bay regency in west; and Umar bay district, Nabire regency and Cendrawasih bay in East.

This regency is having very rich potential sources, in case of marine and biota diversity. The most interesting destination in Wondama bay is located in Cendrawasih Bay National Ocean Park. In that national park, there is Rumberpon island, Nusrowi island, Nukusa island, Mioswaar island, Roon island, Yoop island and Winderi water and Aitumeri hill. All those tourism objects are about natural sightseeing that ready to be explore more.

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