Sulawesi is one of the regions in Indonesia which has a rich culture. Some areas in Sulawesi have a rich culture. One of the many cultural properties of Sulawesi is the Pakarena Fan Dance.
Pakarena Fan Dance is a traditional dance originating from Gowa, South Sulawesi. This dance is performed by female dancers in traditional clothes and dancing with their distinctive movements and playing a fan as an attribute of the dance.
Kipas Pakarena Dance is a traditional dance that is well known in the Gowa area, South Sulawesi. This dance is often performed at various events that are both traditional and entertainment in nature, even the Pakarena Fan Dance is a tourist attraction in South Sulawesi, especially in the Gowa area.
Historically, this Pakarena Fan Dance is a legacy of the dance art from the Kingdom of Gowa. The kingdom of Gowa once triumphed in South Sulawesi. So that culture at that time influenced the culture of the people of Gowa today, one of which was the Pakarena Fan Dance.
The name of this Pakarena fan dance is taken from the word “because” which means “to play”. So that this dance can also be interpreted as a dance that plays a fan. This dance was then passed down from generation to generation to become a tradition that is still maintained today.
The origin of this Pakarena fan dance is still uncertain. But according to the myth of the people there, this dance originated from the story of the separation between the inhabitants of boting langi (khayangan) and the users of lino (earth) in ancient times.
It is said that before they separated, the residents of Boting Langi taught how to live a life such as farming, raising livestock, and hunting to lino residents. They give this teaching through body and leg movements. The movement was then used by the lino residents as their traditional ritual.
For the people of Gowa, this dance has a very important value and special meaning in it. One of them is as an expression of gratitude for the happiness they get, which they express through every movement of the dancers.
In addition, this dance also depicts the expressions of tenderness, politeness, purity and love from women, this can be seen from the gentle movements of the dancers.
Pakarena Fan Dance is usually performed by 5-7 female dancers. In traditional dress and accompanied by dry music, they danced with graceful movements while playing with folding fans in their hands. The movements in this Pakarena fan dance are very unique and certainly have their own meaning in it.
In this Pakarena Fan Dance also has several rules or standards in it. One of them is that dancers are not allowed to open their eyes too wide and lift their legs too high. This is because this dance prioritizes politeness and politeness so it must be done with a sincere heart.
In the Pakarena Fan Dance performance, it is usually accompanied by gondrong rinci. Gondrong rinci is a traditional music consisting of gendrang and flute. This musical accompaniment is usually played by 4-7 music players. One musician usually plays the flute and the others play the gendrang in different ways to produce a unified sound.
In this dance, although the dancer dances with gentle movements, the rhythm that is played by the accompaniment music is fast. These dancers usually wear traditional Gowa clothing. The dancers wear loose clothes, cross cloths, and sarongs typical of South Sulawesi.
On the head, the dancer’s hair is usually in a bun and decorated with gold ornaments and flowers. The dancers are also equipped with various accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, distinctive earrings and folding fans for dancing.
Although it is a dance that has been around for a long time, the Pakarena Fan Dance is still being maintained and developed until now. This dance is still often displayed in various events, including traditional events, culture, festivals, tourism and entertainment.
So, are you interested in learning one of the traditional dances from Indonesia on this one? It is not difficult to learn the dance if there is a good intention to learn.