Have you ever spent time on vacation to West Papua? Does the province of West Papua have traditional dances? This time we will discuss one of the cultures of the origin of a province located in the eastern part of Indonesia.
The province of West Papua has several cultural properties. Some of these cultural properties are War Dance. This dance tells about the heroic spirit and courage of the Papuan people. Usually this dance is performed by male dancers wearing traditional clothes and carrying arrows as an attribute of the dance.
In ancient times, this dance was performed by soldiers before heading to the battlefield. This dance is performed to encourage and arouse the courage of the soldiers in battle. However, along with the times, this traditional dance is performed as a performance dance or a welcoming dance.
For the people of West Papua province, this dance is interpreted as a tribute to the heroes and ancestors who have fought and defended their homeland.
War dances are usually performed by male dancers in groups. The number of dancers in this War Dance usually consists of 7 dancers or more. In the show, the dancers dance wearing traditional clothes and carry arrows as their dancing attribute.
Accompanied by the sound of drums of traditional music and chanting of war songs, the dancers dance with their distinctive movements full of enthusiasm like a soldier going to the battlefield.
The movements in this War Dance are very unique, varied and energetic. Movement in War Dance is usually dominated by hand movements playing arrows. On the left hand holds a bow and the right hand carries an arrow.
Movement of the foot is swung forward and the movement of the leg is crossed. In this War Dance is usually divided into several dance parts, and each part of course has a special meaning in it.
In war dance performances are usually accompanied by traditional musical drums such as “tifa” and wind instruments such as “shells”. For the rhythm that is played is the rhythm of war that is full of enthusiasm. In addition, this dance is also accompanied by chanting songs or cheers.
The costumes used by the dancers are traditional Papuan clothing. The dress consists of a skirt made of roots and leaves attached to the dancers’ waist.
Then on the head, the dancer uses a typical Papuan headband. Meanwhile, the accessories consist of necklaces made of beads and bracelets made of feathers. In addition, the dancers’ bodies are usually painted or drawn with Papuan motifs.
War Dance is also often displayed at various events such as welcoming important guests, traditional events, and entertainment events. Apart from that, War Dance is also performed at various cultural events such as art performances, cultural festivals, and tourism promotion.
So, are you interested in this one native Indonesian culture? Hopefully this article is useful to broaden your insight into Indonesian culture and arts.
