Saman Dance : The Incredible Dance of Intangible Cultural Heritage

mac-gallery (45)in #photography • 7 years ago (edited)

An amazing dance with very fast movement that makes the audience definitely dumbfounded called Saman, a very famous dance in Indonesia and also in the world. The dance is part of the cultural heritage of Acehnese, specially Gayonese one of tribe in Aceh. Saman dance joins to Indonesian’s contribution to UNESCO’s list of intangible world heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding that announced in Bali in November 2011.

The boys and perform Saman dance sitting on their heels or kneeling in tight rows. Each wears a black costume embroidered with Gayo motifs symbolizing nature and noble values. The leader sits in the middle of the row and leads the singing of verses, mostly in the Gayo language. These offer guidance and can be religious, romantic or humorous in tone. Dancers clap their hands, slap their chests, thighs and the ground, click their fingers, and sway and twist their bodies and heads in time with the shifting rhythm – in unison or alternating with the moves of opposing dancers in fast movement..soo fast…!! These movements symbolize the daily lives of Gayonese and their natural environment.