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PHOTOS: 12,262 Record-Breaking Mass Dance of UNESCO’s World Heritage

PHOTOS: 12,262 Record-Breaking Mass Dance of UNESCO’s World Heritage
The Jakarta Post | 10,001 Saman Dancers

12,262 dancers came together to break the Indonesian record for performing a folk dance in unison.

The event dubbed 10,001 Saman Dancers was at the Thousand Hills Stadium in Blangkejeren city, Gayo Lues, Aceh, on Aug. 13.

Image: The Jakarta Post
Image: The Jakarta Post

 

The event was listed at the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) for the most Saman dance participants. The Saman is a traditional dance from Tanoh Rencong, Aceh, Indonesia. It is one of the dances taught at school.

Saman dance or ‘the dance of thousands hands’ was recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity in 2011.

Image: The Jakarta Post
Image: The Jakarta Post

 

Performing this dance requires total concentration. It begins with slow swaying movements that become faster and faster toward the end.

 

 

“The Saman has a high difficulty level; mastering it requires physical endurance, quick and synchronized body movements between dancers and understanding of the song,” Gayo Lues Regent Ibnu Hasyim told The Jakarta Post.

 

Image: The Jakarta Post
Image: The Jakarta Post

 

“It’s not only how fast the movement is, but also how the dancers stay in sync while performing at high speed, which is why practice and discipline are required in order to perform a fascinating Saman dance,” Ibnu added.

The event topped the previous record of 5,057 Saman dancers set in 2014.

Image: The Jakarta Post
Image: The Jakarta Post

 

“This event is a collaboration between the Aceh and the Gayo Lues administrations. After being listed as a world heritage by UNESCO, the Saman dance doesn’t belong just to the people of Gayo Lues but also to the people of the world. Let's preserve it together,” said Reza Pahlevi, Head of Aceh Tourism Agency to The Jakarta Post. 

 


Source : The Jakarta Post  | BBC 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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