TRADITIONAL DANCE

Horse Dance Kepang

Horse braid is a traditional game that is favored by the people of Johor, especially of Javanese descent. The form of a horse statue woven braid that formed like a horse without legs. It is made of woven bamboo or animal skin to be more attractive dicorakwarnakan.

Normally a horse braid group has 10 to 15 dancers. One of them acts as the head (maidens). At the beginning, all the gestures of dancers are maidens command strings to control the game. The dance is usually demonstrated in occasions gatherings to enliven the atmosphere like during the welcoming dignitaries, celebrate weddings and feast days. There are various opinions about the origin of this dance.

There are opinions that relate to the Wali Songo origin who live in the land of Java in the 15th century. In an effort to spread Islam in the interior of Java, Wali Songo facing difficulties to reach the people there. He got the idea for dancing while horseback riding. In the transition period, the horses changed with animal skins or bamboo to replace the horse even felt sebenar.Ada origin of this dance has to do with Ali. To mimic army steps' Ali then braid horse dance was born.

Another opinion linking to the natural origins heaven. Riding a horse named Sembrani said fairyland down in Java to find his lost. After seeing them dancing pleasure. According to popular belief, controlled by a braid horse supernatural. Thus, a special ceremony to be done before play. If it is not done maybe something untoward will happen to the players and the audience. The rite begins with the ceremonial worships spirits. After the shaman would spell for the ceremonial opening of the ring usually 40m x 60m.

Shaman will also cater for waiters. The dish is coconut, rice, ripe bananas, incense, white fabric, needle, thread, white chicken, rice, egg and potpourri. Minimum number of dancers is nine and the maximum 15. Dancers are usually composed of men only. Dance created by the teachers themselves. The dances are often performed dance Sola, shawls, Pak Tani, AUR shoot, fight, Martial and others. Movement in this dance named Gait sway.

One interesting thing in this dance is that often there are some dancers will rise sheikhs (drunk) after the official presentation ends. Those who "rose sheikh" can do strange gesture that surely can not be done in a sane state.For example, jump as high as six or seven feet, moved on a smooth wooden or bamboo or rope, also peel oil with teeth. During the dancers are "up sheikh", the sounds accompanying dancers will continue to play. If they are not infuriated and pounced players such sounds.

When the dancers steps for the more wild and out of control, the healer will recite mantras to the crown or their ears after they were arrested and direbahkan by cekap.Setelah guards-guards that they will recover in a faint. It is believed that apart from entertainment, dancing horses braid can also be used to cure diseases such as possessed by ghosts odd, infused spirits of the dead and so on.

It is also believed that this braid horse shall be placed in a place khusus.Jika placed at arbitrary places braid horse's spirit goes berserk and destructive demonstrations to come. Musical instrument that often accompany braid horse dance is angklong (main tool), drums, gongs (round and made of bronze), kinong (like gong but smaller), allahumagfirli (such as large tambourine), small soron (made from so crushed copper curved and dimpled like bamboo segment) and Bonang (made from copper, round the middle bulge of about eight diameters). However not all of these tools are used in a dance. Selection is at the discretion of the groups concerned. Designs clothes are up to the requirements of 

Boat Dance

One of the Malay social dance form that is still intact and popular adult is zapin dance. From the perspective of historical development zapin have wide spread among fans Senitari in Malaysia has undergone modifications in form and ragamnya that was more traditional in nature. However, many of these traditional genres zapin spread only to certain districts and one of the genres of traditional zapin dynamic and graceful said to be still in the state of Johor.In Johor zapin known in two forms, namely Bunga Bunga Malay and Arabic showed differences in terms of peradaptasiannya element. In reality both zapin genre was originally an Arab community arts brought Hadramaut.
 Boat Malay tradition uniqueness lies not only in the union of music and arts equipment are influenced by Arabic, but also on the nature segretasi dancers and audience. In this context zapin uniqueness shines, especially on its linkages with the arts of Islam brought by Arab men. Boat Dance in Johor which is accepted as the nature of Islamic art that functions as either entertainment events or celebrations secular days of greatness. But in terms of softness and fineness dance tradition itself, shaped to Johor Malays although they come from adaptations made to the Arab Boat selectively but no doubt this zapin more subtlety and beauty show the movements of Arab Boat Dance.

An interesting thing about dance Boat Johor is the ability to create a sense of brotherhood and character dancers and musicians esprik decorps can appear among them at once break dancers shame when dancing in public. Symbolically this zapin dance moves to show the importance of a collaborative effort rather than individual effort as well as expense of competition between the players in the group and between groups, Viewed from this perspective, the uniqueness and specialty dance Johor Boat highlighted.

Dance Barongan

     

Barongan depict stories Prophet Sulaiman time with the animals that can talk. Supposedly, a tiger has seen a peacock tail is expanding. When she saw the tiger, peacock even jumping over the head of a tiger and the two continue to dance. Suddenly Pamong (Auditor Tandem) named ringtones that accompany Princess Royal who was riding past in the area. Tutor went down from his horse and dance together last animal. This dance continued to be practiced and can be seen especially in Batu Pahat, Johor.