Saman dance on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Saman (or the dance of a thousand hands) is one of the most popular dances in
The dance is done by a group of people without musical instruments. Originally, the group was exclusively men. In performing this dance, the player sings some songs while doing some attractive movements. A short song (which leads to a short dance) can last for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Saman Dance
Shaman Dance by Indonesia Students' Group in University of Malaya
Berjuang.my.id
{{Islam in Indonesia Acehnese dance Indonesian culture Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Indonesian words and phrases Dances of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. Its origin is from the Gayo ethnic group from Gayo Lues
Gayo Lues Regency ( id, Kabupaten Gayo Lues) is a regency in the Aceh Special Region of Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra. The regency was created in 2002 under Statute UU 4/2002 from the northern part of Aceh Tenggara (Southeast A ...
, Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
province, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, and is normally performed to celebrate important occasions. The dance is characterized by its fast-paced rhythm and common harmony between dancers. These two elements are key figures of Saman, and are among the reasons Saman are widely known and practiced in Indonesia, besides being relatively easy to learn.
On November 24, 2011, UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
officially recognized Aceh's traditional Saman dance as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
The ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a Political union, political and economic union of 10 member Sovereign state, states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental coo ...
Tourism Association (ASEANTA) named the Saman dance as the best ASEAN cultural preservation effort at the 25th ASEANTA Awards for Excellence 2012.
Etymology
The word "''saman''" comes from Sheikh Saman, a cleric from Gayo inAceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
. Syekh Saman developed a dance which is now called the Saman dance to spread Islam in the land of Gayo, Province of Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
Form
The dance is done by a group of people without musical instruments. Originally, the group was exclusively men. In performing this dance, the player sings some songs while doing some attractive movements. A short song (which leads to a short dance) can last for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Performance
A typical Saman performance is usually constituted of the following elements: The dancers enter the stage and immediately form a single line while sitting in a form equivalent to the Japaneseseiza
): "proper/correct sitting", seiza ( ja, , link=no): "quiet sitting" , Jing zuo
'' Seiza '' ( or , literally "proper sitting") is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan.
Form
To sit ''seiza''-style, one must first be kneeling on ...
. The singer then begins to sing, with the lyrics at the beginning commonly telling the general attributes of Gayo culture at medium pace. The dancers then begin to move their hands in a rhythmic manner, following the movements. As the dance progresses, the movements are also performed with arms, head, and the upper body. The pace becomes faster, and the seat positions may change. The key element is that every dancer must move at the same time, creating a homogeneous, continuous, line of movement that is often described as the defining feature of Saman dance. One thing that makes this dance quite unique is that the original Saman dance which comes from Gayo Lues is not accompanied by any musical instruments.
See also
* Ratoh duek * Likok Pulo * Dance of Indonesia * Islam in IndonesiaReferences
External links
Saman Dance
Shaman Dance by Indonesia Students' Group in University of Malaya
Berjuang.my.id
{{Islam in Indonesia Acehnese dance Indonesian culture Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Indonesian words and phrases Dances of Indonesia