Saman dance

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Saman dance
A group of dancers in Indonesia performing Saman.
CountryIndonesia
CriteriaPerforming Arts, Oral Tradition, Traditions and Customs, Knowledge of Nature, and Traditional Craftsmanship
Reference00509
RegionAsia and the Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription2011 (6th session)
ListNeed of Urgent Safeguarding

The Saman dance or Dance of a thousand hands, is an old dance. The Gayo people from Aceh province in Indonesia dance this dance.[1] People dance it during special festivals or holidays like Mawlid, the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.[2] The dance is a way to share Islamic teachings and do Dawah (telling other people about Islam).[3][4]

Saman is the most popular type of dance in Indonesia. The dance has a fast rhythm. The dancers move at the same time. In Saman, dancers clap their hands and chests. This is important in Saman and it makes the dance easier to learn.[5][6]

In 2011, UNESCO said Saman is an important part of Aceh's culture. UNESCO added Saman to its list of intangible cultural heritage, or things that are important to a group of people even though they cannot be touched. The ASEAN Tourism association also gave the dance an award for keeping cultural heritage alive.[7][8][9]

Name[change | change source]

The word Saman comes from Sheikh Saman, a famous Islamic teacher from Gayo in Aceh.[10] He learned about old Malay things like Ratib; which is Sufi song-speaking. Then he made the dance to show Islam to new people in Gayo. The Saman dance uses Islamic poems in the Gayo language.[11][12]

Dance[change | change source]

The Saman dance has no musical instruments. It used to be only men who did this dance, but now women dance it too. They sing and move in interesting ways while they dance. A short song, then a short dance, can last for about 15 to 20 minutes.[3][6]

Women in Aceh, wearing traditional Gayonese dress are performing Saman dance.

In Saman dance, the dancers stand in a line on a stage and sit in a special way. Then, a singer starts singing. The song can be about Gayo and Islamic things. The dancers move their hands in time with the song. A dancer called "Sheikh" leads the other dancers. As the dance goes on, the dancers start moving their arms, heads, and bodies too.[13] The dance becomes faster, and sometimes the dancers change how they are sitting. Every dancer moves at the exact same time so their movements look smooth. The first Saman dance from Gayo Lues does not use any musical instruments.[14][15]

While they dance, everyone says Islamic poetry together. The dancers are usually young men wearing traditional Gayonese clothes. Sometimes, the dance is like a contest between two groups, with each group trying to do the same moves, dances, and songs as the other group.[16]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ Graf, Arndt; Schroter, Susanne; Wieringa, Edwin (2010). Aceh: History, Politics and Culture. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4279-12-3.
  2. ↑ "The Saman Aceh Dance". Ecency. 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Exploring Dance From Aceh, Indonesia | Asia Society". asiasociety.org. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  4. ↑ Mancacaritadipura, Gaura (2011-11-17), Saman Dance, retrieved 2024-02-10
  5. ↑ Heniwaty, Yusnizar (2018-07-31). "SAMAN DANCE OF THE ACEH PEOPLE: IDENTITY AND ACTUALIZATION". Journal of Community Research and Service. 2 (1): 184. doi:10.24114/jcrs.v2i1.10374. ISSN 2549-3434.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Harnish, David D.; Rasmussen, Anne K. (2011). Divine Inspirations: Music and Islam in Indonesia. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-538542-7.
  7. ↑ "UNESCO - Saman dance". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  8. ↑ "UNESCO officially recognizes Saman Dance as part of world heritage | The Jakarta Post". web.archive.org. 2011-11-27. Archived from the original on 2011-11-27. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  9. ↑ "Saman dance named best ASEAN cultural preservation effort | The Jakarta Post". web.archive.org. 2012-01-15. Archived from the original on 2012-01-15. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  10. ↑ King, Roberta R.; Tan, Sooi Ling (2014-11-18). (un)Common Sounds: Songs of Peace and Reconciliation among Muslims and Christians. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-7252-4915-8.
  11. ↑ Sari, Mulya; Yetti, Elindra; Supena, Asep (2019-08-30). "Peningkatan Keterampilan Sosial melalui Kegiatan Tari Saman". Jurnal Obsesi : Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini. 4 (1): 1. doi:10.31004/obsesi.v4i1.240. ISSN 2549-8959.
  12. ↑ Graf, Arndt; Schroter, Susanne; Wieringa, Edwin (2010). Aceh: History, Politics and Culture. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4279-12-3.
  13. ↑ Aminah, Siti; Woflihani, Woflihani (2023-12-21). "Analysis of Basic Social Skills of Elementary School in Saman Dance Learning". ARTiES: International Journal of Arts and Technology in Elementary School. 1 (2): 13–19. doi:10.24176/arties.v1i2.11712. ISSN 3031-5190.
  14. ↑ Fadillah, Dani; Nuryana, Zalik; Sahuddin, Muhammad; Hao, Dong (2019-12-19). "International-Cultural Communication of the Saman Dance Performance by Indonesian Students in Nanjing". International Journal of Visual and Performing Arts. 1 (2): 98–105. doi:10.31763/viperarts.v1i2.70. ISSN 2684-9259.
  15. ↑ Indonesia Today. Department of Information, R.I. 1979.
  16. ↑ "Mass Saman dance in Aceh breaks Indonesian record". Retrieved 2024-02-10.
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