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Papua Indonesia Culture: 4 Traditional Dances from Raja Ampat Community

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Raja Ampat offers not only breathtaking natural beauty but also amazing papua indonesia culture. There are many distinct and intriguing traditional arts to study on this island. The Bintaki Dance, Wor Dance, and Flute Tambur Dance have been among the most famous.

So, do you want to know what the dance’s rationale is? This page collected information from multiple sources.

Bintaki Dance

The northern Waigeo men created the Bintaki dance. The dances depict a figure called Jober Maray, who is seeking fish in the Kali Kui river with traditional tools made from the bore plant’s roots. The main figure is supported by group vocals as well as the biya, another wind instrument constructed from the marine creatures’ shells.

The Short Story Behind the Bintaki Dance

To cut a long story short, this dance starts whenever a character discovers a group of individuals performing Bintaki tunes in the jungle, the rhythmic sounds of Biya Shell (clams), and a cheering crowd.

Mr. Jober then returned to his profession of collecting fish using root mash bores (a kind of poisonous plant root). In his endeavor, he also appreciates the sounds he perceives and participates in dancing to the rhythm till foam flows out of the bore root, which is used to contaminate the fish in Kali Kui.

Wor Dance

Wor dance, in addition to Bintaki, is prominent in Raja Ampat, Papua Indonesia. It is customarily a treat to greet monarchs or other distinguished guests. This dance may also be seen in the Biak region, as it was created by the island’s residents.

The Facts Behind the Wor Dance

Wor in Biak culture possesses a vast significance and cannot be isolated from the Biak people’s religious life, both in terms of dowry payment (ararem), food exchanges (fanfan as well as munsasu), dance performances, and folk songs. In another sense, wor is a ceremonial as well as a customary song and folklore in Biak culture.

Wor tradition as a customary event/traditional party with wor as a traditional song Wor, as a traditional ceremony, has a symbolic meaning that incorporates cultural values that regulate their connection with the creator, with each other, and with the natural surroundings in which they are situated.

Wor is regarded as a holy ritual because wor protects a person in his social transitory position in a sequence of traditional ceremonies centered on the life cycle or life cycle in Biak culture.

Suling Tambur Dance

Another Papua Indonesia Culture is the Suling Tambur dance is also another welcoming dance in Raja Ampat, Papua Indonesia. This dance, unlike the Wor dance, was not originated by the indigenous people. It was popularized by two men named William Ottow and Johan Gottlob Geissler. Both are evangelical missionaries in Papua who spread Christianity.

Suling Tambur Dance Procession

Every Suling Tambur performer carries and plays the flute, plus drums. It is typically done in groups, but anybody may perform it. This dance has recently gained popularity among visitors.

The good news is that the local administration responded by setting aside time for the Suling Tambur dance. So Raja Ampat now features not only a Maritime Festival, but also a Tambourine Flute Festival.

Panggayung Dance

Six people perform the panggayung dance, which includes the tassel attribute, the tiara of heaven, and the panggayung, or paddles. This dance was first conceived in a cultural performance by a local Raja Ampat student studying in Yogyakarta.

A Short Story Behind the Panggayung Dance

Raja Ampat’s population, who largely live on the shore, have one habit: they go to sea.

There is fishing, molo/diving, and fishing. The panggayung dance evolved from their lifestyle. This dance depicts how the habits are frequently performed by the inhabitants there before sailing to sea till their return.

Then they started rowing the boat together, then fishing together. On the next day, they rowed back to the mainland and were greeted by their family, and then they savored the results produced jointly.

Closing

So, those are all 4 traditional dances from Papua Indonesia culture in Raja Ampat. From that knowledge, you now know that Raja Ampat is not only a spot for diving, but also a destination to see and enjoy heritage, such as those traditional dances.