Traditional Dances

The characteristic of Acehnese traditional dances:

- Islamic

- At early stages, it was intended for ritual purposes only, not for public

- A harmonious combination of dance, music and literature

- Performed in groups but within a limited space

- Repetitious and monotonous physical movements

- It takes a long time to perform.

Today Acehnese dances can be enjoyed by the public and have incorporated aesthetic elements as well.

Out of 52 traditional dances recorded in 1981, there are two most popular dances domestically and in foreign countries:”seudati” and “saman”(originated from Gayo Luwes). The former is also known as the”one thousand hand dance”. In addition to traditional and religious backgrounds there are also dances based on myths and legends of pre-Islam era, such as “Pho”dance in South Aceh, and “Bines” dances in Central Aceh.

Seudati, in which the influence of the Middle East cultre is strong. There are two kinds of “Seudati”: “seudati Agam” (performed by men), and Seudati Inong (performed by women).

Saman, a dance performed by a number of dancers while sitting a row. The verses recited contains messages on good deeds. It is originated from Southeast Aceh and bears similarities with”Didong” of Central Aceh. Ramphak describes the heroism of female fighters during the Dutch Colonial War. Rapa’I is always accompanied with the sound of a large tambourine and with “zikir” words or sentences praising Allah or the Prophet uttered repeatedly). The most well-known “rapa’I” is a combination between”rapa’I” and saman called “Rapa’I Geleng”.