Have you ever heard about traditional dance from West Kalimantan? Similar to some traditional dances of the Dayak East Kalimantan, the dance also comes with a magic sense from the local shaman.
Traditional dance from West Kalimantan was influenced by the Dayak tribe, which is different from the traditional dance from Gorontalo. As the biggest tribe in Kalimantan, the Dayak tribe brings different cultures to the locals.
The sense of sacredness shown in traditional dance from West Kalimantan commonly is followed by sacred custom culture. It is different from some traditional dances from Ambon that bring joy for entertainment purposes.
If you are wondering what kind of traditional dance is from West Kalimantan, here we have some of them on the list below. Let’s check them out!
1. Pedang Mualang dance
Pedang Mualang dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that represents war. During the colonialism era, many warriors get full support from locals to fight the colonialists.
Pedang Mualang dance used to function as the dance to support the warrior so that they could win the war, which is different from the traditional dance of Cirebon.
Pedang Mualang dance represents the motivations of the warrior and gives them strength as well. Locals believe by performing this dance before the warriors go to war will increase their spirit.
2. Monang dance
Monang dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that is popular among the Dayak tribe. This kind of dance is different from traditional dance from Bangka Belitung, which brings a colorful costume.
Monang dance contains sacred values that commonly perform for a specific purpose. People who asked for the Monang dance should follow a specific ritual led by the local shaman. Most of them commonly ask to hold the dance for healing and avoid black magic.
Monang dance started when the shaman fell unconscious after the spelled spelling well. The dancer will be played by the shaman alone.
3. Jonggan dance
Jonggan dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that originally come from the Dayak Kanayatn tribe. This dance is popular in the Kubu Raya area in Mempawah where most of the Dayak Kanayatn tribe live there.
Jonggan dance represents happiness among youth. Locals believe by holding the dance their gratitude towards god can be achieved well. That is why this dance is also well-known as a graceful dance.
4. Pinggan dance
Pinggan dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that originally come from the Dayak Mualang tribe. This dance is popular among locals living around the Belitang Hilir district at Sekadau Regency.
Pinggan is a traditional plate from the Dayak Mualang tribe that is made of clays. Locals used the plate as their main food plate made by villagers. That is why the Pingan dance represents the Dayak Mualang tribes living in all of its movements.
5. Kondan dance
Kondan dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that is popular with the sacred meaning behind it. This kind of dance usually performs during wedding celebrations, custom cultural ceremonies, religious purposed, and other specific rituals.
Kondan dance is popular because of the magic inside. Locals believe that the myth of their ancestors is accompanied by the dancers during the dance. That is why sometimes the movements are different during the performance.
6. Bopureh dance
Bopureh dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that contains theatrical dance. During the dance, the dancers will represent the love story between different tribes.
Bopureh dance shows the audience the boy from the Dayak Djongkang tribe that fall in love with a girl from the Dayak Kanayatn tribe. Among locals, falling in love with people from different tribes is rare and always rejected by the tribe’s rules.
That is why the Bopureh dance performance always becomes the most exciting moment to watch by locals in West Kalimantan.
7. Ayun Pala dance
Ayun Pala dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that originally come from the Dayak Mualang. This kind of dance used to function as a celebration dance after the warriors won the war over colonialism.
Ayun Pala dance is well-known among the locals that celebrate the Mengayau tradition. This local custom culture commonly starts with a sacred ceremony, followed by a dance to spread happiness among locals.
Ayun Pada dance nowadays is rarely found as the tribe of Dayak Mualang that has a Mengayau tradition decreased in population. Even so, the government tries to preserve the dance from extinction.
8. Ajat Temuai Datai dance
Ajat Temuai Datai dance is one of the traditional dances from West Kalimantan that is popular among the Dayak Iban tribe. This kind of dance represents happiness and joy during the celebration.
Ajat Temuai Datai dance is a dance that represents gratitude from locals toward their gods after successful farming. They want to give offerings to their gods and ancestors by holding a dance performance.
Ajat Temuai Datai dance nowadays can be found during the specific event for welcoming guests. Whether for government events or custom cultural traditions for welcoming guests, this dance is always there.
So far, most traditional dances from West Kalimantan contain specific purposes. Most of them were influenced by the Dayak tribe, which is why contain magic values inside.
Are you ready to watch one of those performances of traditional dance from West Kalimantan? Let’s make a plan to visit the region of Kalimantan Island this summer.
