Saman Dance

The history of saman and development

Saman Dance.Photo-Groups.yahoo.com/ipgl_jakarta

Saman or a thousand hands Dance were the traditional dance withered Gayo people that came from Blangkejeren,Gayo lues Regency. “Saman” name was taken from the person who created and developed of this dance,Syeikh Saman, that is one of the Muslim scholars who spread the Islam religion in Nanggroe Aceh darussalam,Sumatra, Indonesia.The poem language or the song that was used Arabic and Gayo that contained the religious message,satire,idyl advice and the quatrain love. The dance was known with several name kinds That is:

1.Saman Gayo (Aceh tenggara,Gayo lues,Bener meriah And Aceh tengah Regency)
2.Saman Lokop (Aceh timur Regency)

That not yet in found the explanation that was more specific concerning the equality and the difference of the dance saman from respectively the area.But,I’m a Gayonese that was domiciled at the Bener Meriah Regency at least a little know about the equality and the difference of the Saman dance from the two areas. The equality of the Two saman this used the Gayo language,and the difference only in the Gayo variation diaelek,  Kerawang (traditional Gayonese clothes) and the colour of kerawang.The Saman dance only was not take pleasure in the Gayo community,but also by the wider public community,Moreover down to foreign.That caused saman often experienced Changed. Although also the saman change in the person’s circle gayo.But,The originality still continue to in maintained now.

If want to watch the performance of saman dance that still original,may visited blangkeren the Gayo lues regency,or watch the Video original Gayo saman dance on youtube .Usually the contest Saman agenda was carried out a year very much coincided in the agenda celebrated the Republic of Indonesia birthday in August.in days of yore,The dance showed in the special traditional agenda.Among them in the ceremony commemorated the birthday of prophet Muhammad’s saw, And what is more, contemporary This dance was shown also in the formal agendas,like as,guests’s visit the statesmanship,or in the opening of a festival and the other agenda.

The dance saman including one of the dances that was unique enough, cause only put forward the movement of other clap hand and the clap chest, like the movement Guncang,Kirep,Lingang,Surang-Saring (all these movements were gayo language).

The saman player wore the typical gayo clothes (kerawang).Photos-Winbathin.blogspot.com

The saman dance played not less than 13 Man,The important the amount must be odd.In the next development,Saman dance also was played by the woman group.The other opinion this Dance was danced approximately from 10 person,by details 8 dancers and 2 people as the command giver while song.for arranged various movements was pointed out by a leader who was mentioned syeikh.In addition to arranged the movement Dancers,Syeikh also was assigned to sing song saman poems.

The Saman dancers wore the typical uniform costume kerawang gayo,with Bulang teleng in the head,The cover of the neck as well as the bracelet in two the wrist. In The perform, the dancer sat lined up long nearby with genuflection.Syeikh sat in the middle of the others dancers.The movement and the song that were song had relations wiht dynamic,synchronism and showed the solidarity.This dance was preceeded with the movement slow voice,with the clap hand,dabn the clap chest and clap thigh,As well as lifted the hands above in the turn manner.long increasingly,The movement of this dance was increasingly fast until this dance ended. / Ariga (uranggayo.wordpress.com)

See also:

http://www.facebook.com/samandance

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tari_Saman

Update: Nov 11 2009