The Sudanese dance is a South East Asian style of dancing mainly performed by a community known as “Sudanese”. This “ritualistic” is said to have originated from West Java located in Indonesia. This dance style is said to be extremely cheerful, dynamic, and expressive. Furthermore, this dance form is further divided into various styles, and includes Jaipongan, Topeng, Sunda, Kandagan, Merak, Sisingaan, and Badawang. In addition, this dance style comprises three key elements and they include the female entertainer, the drumming, and the male performer’s sense of freedom.
a. History/origin of the Sudanese Dance:
Most of the Sudanese dance forms have been developed by the people belonging to the community. Furthermore, unlike the Javanese this dance form is not further subdivided into court dances and commoner’s dances as per the social hierarchy. In addition, it was in the 17th century during the reign of the Mataram dynasty that the Sudanese Priangan region got heavily exposed to the Javanese culture. It is due to this exposure that the Sudanese dance then imbibed major elements belonging to the Javanese form of dance
STYLE OF SUDANESE DANCE
The most well-known style and form of Sundanese dance is probably Jaipongan. The Jaipongan dance can be performed by a female dancer alone, in a group of female dancers, in a couple between professional male and female dancers, or in a couple where professional female dancers invite male audience members to dance with them.
Topeng Sunda, Kandagan, Merak, Sisingaan, and Badawang dances are among the other Sundanese dances. The Merak dance (peafowl dance), which is performed by women dancers and is modeled after the peafowl’s movements and feathers and combines these with traditional Sundanese dance movements, symbolizes the beauty of nature.
Some dances may include Sundanese Pencak Silat style movements. Due to the widespread development of Sundanese culture in the mountainous Priangan region’s rice farming villages, the Seren Taun rice harvest festival includes dance rituals like the Buyung dance, which is accompanied by angklung music. Rampak kendang, on the other hand, are kendang performances that are synced with some dance movements. East Javanese Reog Ponorogo differs from Sundanese Reog dance in its style. Comedy, jokes, music, and the performers’ humorous, comical movements and dances all come together in the Reog Sunda performance.
In contrast to Javanese culture, Sundanese tradition does not clearly distinguish between court dances and commoners’ dances based on social hierarchy. Since Sundanese court culture has not existed since the fall of the Sunda Pajajaran kingdom in the late 16th century, the majority of Sundanese dance traditions and its culture have been developed by common people in villages. However, Sundanese people are aware of the Menak (nobles) region of Priangan, particularly in Cianjur, Bandung, Sumedang, and Ciamis. The subtlety of aristocratic Sundanese arts is demonstrated by musical forms like Kacapi suling.
b. Costumes involved in the Sudanese Dance:
The costume used in this dance form varies according to the gender and they are as follows:
1. For males:
The attire worn includes a long sleeve Batik shirt, sarong and an embroidered jacket.
2. For females:
The attire worn includes the traditional “Kebaya”, a fitted lace blouse, and sarong tied around the waist.
c. Music involved in the Sudanese Dance:
The musical instrument used in this dance style includes the “Kendang” i.e. a two headed drum and Gamelan deung i.e. a music ensemble.
Ade Suparman, an instrumentalist and composer from West Java, Indonesia, was a visiting artist at the Southeast Asia Center and UW School of Music during the spring quarter. Sundanese music is what Pak Ade specializes in. Nurrika, a Sundanese choreographer who performs folk dances in the Jaipongan and Ketuk Tilu styles, was also a welcome addition. During their Spring residency, Ade and Nurrika both instructed UW undergraduate and graduate students. On June 2, 2016, Meany Hall hosted a grand performance to mark the end of the visit.
Ade Suparman was born in Purwakarta, West Java, in 1969. He is a musician and composer of Sundanese music. His wife is a dancer named Nurrika. When Ade was 10 years old, he and his father began playing the game of kacapi. At the Indonesia Art School, he later pursued studies in music theory and classical music (including vocal, Suling, Kendang, and Gamelan) (SMKI). Along with performing, he has written several method books for the Sundanese instruments Suling, Gamelan, and Kacapi, as well as developed a new learning method for Suling (a bamboo flute). In West Java, he has recorded both traditional and modern Sundanese music with renowned composers.
Nurrika performed and taught in the US in 2006. Currently, she is teaching dance in Bandung. She performs Sundanese classical dance as well as jaipongan and folk dances.
Nurrika has been teaching dance at the Center for World Music workshops in Bali since 2004. She has also participated in the Payangan Festival of World Music for a number of years. Nurrika is a talented dance choreographer as well. A recent example is “Babalen,” which combines her Sundanese traditions with the Balinese and Western styles she has encountered while traveling abroad.
d. Training availability and technique involved in the Sudanese Dance:
In terms of technique, this dance essentially involves the use of flowing body movements in complete harmony to the beats produced by the Kedang and the Gamelan deung. Furthermore, this dance style is further subdivided into several styles that include Jaipongan, Topeng, Sunda, Kandagan, Merak, Sisingaan, and Badawang. As for training centers/schools, there are none available around the world since this “ritualistic” dance form is mainly performed within the “Sudanese” community in Indonesia.