saman dance in the eyes of the world
Saman (or the dance of a thousand hands) is one of the most popular dances in Indonesia. Its origin is from the Gayo ethnic group from Gayo Lues, Aceh province, Sumatra, and is normally performed to celebrate important occasions.[1] 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 officially recognized Aceh's traditional Saman dance as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, which needs UNESCO's urgent protection.[2][3] The ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) named the Saman dance as the best ASEAN cultural preservation effort at the 25th ASEANTA Awards for Excellence 2012.[4]
Form
Saman dance in Lokop, East Aceh Regency during Dutch colonial period The dance is done by a group of people without musical instruments. Originally, the group was exclusively male. 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 followings elements: The dancers enter the stage and immediately form a single line while sitting in a form equivalent to the Japanese seiza. 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.
"This event is a collaboration between the Government of Aceh together with Gayo Lues District Government, which has been declared a UNESCO world heritage, Saman dance is not only owned by Gayo Lues, but also for the world, so let's keep and preserve it together," said Reza in Gayo District Lues, Aceh, Sunday (13/08/2017).
He explains, Saman dance is one of traditional dances typical Tanoh Rencong. This dance became one of the dance art learned in school. In addition, Saman dance has also been known in the international arena. Evident with the dance has been proven to go abroad.
Reza said some guests from the center were also invited, one of them was the Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Chairman of Commission X of the House of Representatives, Teuku Riefky Harsya. They are present as a form of cultural and tourism conservation support.
"Implementation" of Saman Dance 10,001 dancers ", as one of the efforts and commitment of Gayo Lues Regency and the Government of Aceh in order to preserve, preserve and promote Saman dance as regional identity, and to increase people's love of Saman dancing around the world, Reza said.
Meanwhile, the Regent of Gayo Lues, Ibnu Hasyim, hopes that the implementation of "Saman Dance of 10,001 Dancers" could be part of the Aceh Government's efforts and commitment to remember Syech Saman and to motivate young people in Aceh.
"The Saman 10.001 show at Gayo Lues will inspire the community, especially the Acehnese teenagers to always remember Syech Saman who has managed to scent the country through his best work, as well as his desire to build the region towards the ideals of the children of the country in accordance with the dynamic movement of Saman and energetic "Ibnu said.
As is known, Saman dance is a dance that requires high concentration of dancers. Saman dance is synonymous with slow-motion movements at the beginning - it gradually accelerates and reaches its climax, the fastest movement.
"Saman Dance has a high level of difficulty: To master the Saman dance movement perfectly, the participants must have high physical endurance, the speed of hand movement, body, and head synchronized among fellow dance members, as well as a correct understanding of the meaning of the song," Ibnu said.
"Saman dance is not only seen from how fast the dancers can perform dance moves, but how the dancers can dance at high speed while still maintaining tidiness of the movement.Therefore, it takes practice and discipline of the participants to produce a stunning dance.Saman, he said.
Furthermore, Ibnu explained that it is not easy to unify the emotional levels of different dancers, bringing together thousands of people into a unity to create a Saman dance that can amaze the audience.
"Discipline in training is necessary because cohesiveness can not wake up in an instant, long training time is also needed for perfection of hand motion, shoulders, head and harmony of various alterations (formations) that can be changed," he said.
"It is good to see Saman's upcoming time to be 30 minutes, as well as the creations that are displayed (also) of interest so that the art can evoke the hearts of the audience," Ibnu said.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya appreciated the title of "Dance Saman 10,001 Dancers" held by Disbudpar Aceh. This man from Banyuwangi often said that his culture is increasingly maintained more prosperous.
"It's time for Aceh (riveting) tours through its attractions Saman Dance can be an attraction for tourists to visit Aceh Success of Aceh, Pesona Indonesia, Wonderful Indonesia,