This traditional dance is a welcome dance of the Karo Batak people in North Sumatra. Her name is Piso Surit Dance.
What is Piso Surit Dance?
Piso Surit dance is one of the traditional dances of the Karo Batak people in North Sumatra. This dance includes a welcome dance which is usually performed in groups by male and female dancers. Piso Surit dance is one of the traditional dances that is quite famous in North Sumatra, especially in the Karo area as its home region. This dance is often performed at various events such as welcoming grand guests, traditional events, and cultural events.
The Origins of the Piso Surit Dance
There are not many sources that explain the origin and history of this Piso Surit dance, so it still cannot be known with certainty. But from a number of sources, the Piso Surit dance is a dance that grows and develops in the Karo Batak people in North Sumatra. The name of this dance is taken from the word “peso surit” which in the Batak Karo community is a kind of bird that likes to sing.
Functions and Meanings in Piso Surit Dance
As explained earlier, this Piso Surit dance is a type of welcome dance or welcoming dance. So that this dance is more functioned as a dance to welcome great guests or guests of honor who come there. When viewed from his movements, this Piso Surit dance depicts someone who is waiting for the arrival of his lover. The wait is described as a piso surit that sounds as if calling out.
Piso Surit Dance Performance
This Piso Surit dance is usually performed in groups between male dancers and female dancers. But there are also those who only feature female dancers. The number of dancers usually consists of five or more pairs of dancers, depending on each group and the event to be performed. In the show, dancers use traditional clothing and dance accompanied by traditional music.
The movements in Piso Surit Dance are very typical. His movements tend to be graceful and many parts are like being done repeatedly, even though they are actually different. These movements include tiptoeing, rotating, stopping fingers, up and down movements, and other movements. When carefully examined every movement in the dance certainly has a special meaning in it.
Piso Surit Dance Accompaniment
In the show, Piso Surit Dance is usually accompanied by traditional music such as gongs, harps and Karo. While the improved rhythm is the song “Piso Surit” which is his trademark. The rhythm of the piso surit song tends to have a slow tempo, so it is very suitable with the dance in the dance.
Piso Surit Dance Costumes
For costumes used by dancers in the Piso Surit Dance performance, this is usually the traditional Karo outfit, complete with “uis” or Karo-style cloth. Male dancers usually wear long shirts and long pants. As well as the typical Karo uis or cloth used as a gonje (sheath), crown, shawl (uis nipes) and benting (belt). While women dancers usually wear kebaya and various kinds of uis worn as abit (long cloth down), hoods (headgear) and scarves.
The Development of the Piso Surit Dance
In its development, the Piso Surit Dance is still preserved and developed until now. Various creations and variations are also often done as the development of this Piso Surit Dance to make it look attractive, but not eliminate its characteristics and authenticity. The Piso Surit dance is also often performed at various traditional events such as welcoming grand guests, weddings and other traditional events. In addition, Piso Surit Dance is also often displayed at various cultural events such as art shows, cultural festivals and tourism promotion.
That’s all our explanation about Piso Surit Dance. Hopefully it will be useful and will increase your knowledge of traditional arts in Indonesia. So, have you tried a vacation to the North Sumatra area?
