Bengkulu is one of the Indonesian provinces that has so many traditional cultures on its. This province consists of so many tribes that live there such as Rejang as the largest ethnic group of Indonesia in Bengkulu, Melayu, Javanese, Batak, Minangkabau, Chinese, and many more.
Just like other Indonesian provinces that consist of so many traditional cultures, Bengkulu also persistent to preserve their traditional cultures. They have traditional clothes, music, food, and dances that similar to the traditional dances from Jambi.
Speaking of traditional dances, Bengkulu has its unique traditional dances that may not find them everywhere. Their traditional dances are different from most of the Indonesian traditional dances as they have so many heterogeneous tribes lived there.
Let’s take a deeper look at Bengkulu’s traditional dance that will amaze you from the beautiful movements and folktales inside the dance. Now, check them below!
1. Kejei Dance
Kejei dance is one of the most famous traditional dances from Bengkulu as part of the wedding ceremony in Bengkulu. This dance plays for the sign as the release of singleness for the wedding couple.
Bengkulunese sees the Kejei dance as the sacred and mystique dances and should be played by a virgin girl. The dancer should be in strange number amount and they have to come from different tribes.
2. Persembahan Dance
Just like other Sumatran traditional dances from North Sumatra or so, Bengkulu also has its unique Persembahan dance for welcoming guests. Bengkulunese also plays this dance to welcoming their guest to a wedding ceremony before the Kejei dance plays later.
The Persembahan dance usually plays by five or more dancers in traditional clothes from Bengkulu. Commonly the color of their clothes is the combination of a red blouse and orange skirt.
Persembahan dance will follow by some traditional music such as Kulintang, Redap, Gong, and Seruling. The dancer will be wearing some foot accessories and a simple crown without shoes on.
3. Andun Dance
Andun dance is one of the traditional dances from Bengkulu that so famous in the youth generations and so different from the Javanese traditional dance. This dance plays for the media for every Bengkulu’s youth to find their true love.
Andun dance used to plays after harvest party only, but as the time goes by this dance plays for entertainment in some importants occasion. Bengkulunese commonly plays this dance at the wedding ceremony and some important government events.
Andun dance commonly plays by five or more dancer by both men and women in a couple. In some regions, this dance also plays by women only but more specific by women that have not getting married.
4. Lanan Belek Dance
Lanan Belek dance is one of the traditional dances from Bengkulu that usually plays by one man and three or more women. This dance is famously known as the folk dance with the local story tale drama during the dance.
In the Lanan Belek dance, we will get the story about the men that steal an angel shawl. The story kinda looks like Jaka Tarub’s story in the Javanese folktale. The dancer will wear a red Bengkulu’s traditional clothes with the purple shawl.
5. Sendratari Putri Gading Cempaka Dance
Sendratari Putri Gading Cempaka dances are one of the famous folk dance in Indonesia that still exists in Bengkulu. This dance is so popular with the most beautiful princess folktale from the North Bengkulu region calls as Gading Cempaka princess.
The love story of Gading Cempaka is so popular in Bengkulu that is why this dance is easy to find on so many occasions. Usually, this dance plays by men and women in so many dancers. They wear Bengkulu traditional clothes in so many colors.
6. Ganau Dance
Ganau dance is one of the traditional dances from Bengkulu that almost extinct. This dance usually plays following the Bengkulu traditional music instruments such as Mandolin, Rebab, and tambourine with Melayunese songs.
7. Bidadari Terminang Anak Dance
Bidadari Terminang Anak dance is one of folk traditional dances from Bengkulu with the beautiful folktales behind it. This dance originally comes from the Rejang Lebong tribes and still exist until now. This dances will tell us about an angel that tries to proposed her daughter.
Bidadari Terminang Anak dance commonly plays by more than ten dancers both men and women. They will wear a simple shawl and hat mix with the traditional clothes from Bengkulu.
8. Tabot Dance
Tabot dance is one of the folk traditional dances from Bengkulu that so famous with the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad’s story in the Tabot family. you can find this dance every once a year between the first day of Muharram until the ten days.
In Tabot dance, the dancer will be wearing a combination of black and red Bengkulu’s traditional dances. This dance can be play by both men and women with more than three couples dancers.
9. Bubu Dance
Bubu dance originally comes from Bengkulu as one of the oldest traditional dances. This dance commonly plays by both men and women with an even number. There are no standard rules regarding the number as long as it is even.
The clothes that should wear by Bubu dancer is a Bengkulu traditional clothes, calls as the brackets with the contrasting bright colors in yellow and green. They are equipped with a patterned Songket cloth that is dominated by gold color.
So, there are some glances about traditional dances from Bengkulu that you should know. Most of them have a folktale story that comes from Bengkulunese folk that keep preserve from time to time. Have you ever dance to one of them?
