Tari Saman: The dance that leaves Miss Mary Mack in the dust

Remember those hand-clapping games we played as kids? Well leave it to the Indonesians to take it to a whole new level. 

Check out this video of “Tari Saman,” a traditional dance from the Aceh region (Samatra) of Indonesia. If you don’t have time to watch the whole 10 minutes, skip ahead to minute 8 and watch to the end.

And we thought the Rockettes were cool!

I have been taking Indonesian lessons from a young teacher at my school. Mostly we chat about our lives and our countries, but recently she started giving me short readings on different aspects of Indonesian culture. Each region has a distinct cultural vibe – including unique dances. I discovered Tari Saman in this week’s reading, and thought it was pretty darn cool.

Aceh is on the northern end of Sumatra. See Jakarta? Just to the right of the middle of that island (Java) is where I live! *picture borrowed from the BBC World News website*

Tari Saman was created back in the 4^th century by Sheik Saman – hence the name. Based on a hand-game played in Aceh, it evolved into a dance-medium through which to preach Islam. The songs and poetry that accompany the dance proclaim Islamic doctrine and values, but the clothing and movements convey a more universal message of solidarity and community. Working together is key as the dancers perform their quick, chest-and-thigh-tapping rhythms. To say that they are synchronized seems almost an understatement.

Tari Saman is world-renown and officially recognized by UNESCO as a part of our world’s heritage.

Hope you enjoyed your weekly-dose of Indonesian culture!