The Transmitting of Minangkabau Dance: From Male Folk Play to Genderless Performing Art

ABSTRACT

Minangkabau traditional dances has changed significantly over years. Formerly, traditional Minangkabau dance called as pamenan. The main characteristic of dance as pamenan is played only by men in sasaran and base its movements from pancak. The dance itself own communally by people in nagari. In other word, dance was known as male folk play.

The absence of woman in traditional Minangkabau dance is definitely closely related to the institutionalization of gender in Minangkabau social system which is greatly influence by the practice of matrilineal system and Islamic teaching. The practice of matrilineal system and Islam had positioned man in public space and woman, as honored figure, placed at rumah gadang. The changing practice of both therefore allowed women to dance which was previously taboo for them. The presence of women in Minangkabau dance change the form of dance itself from male folk male play to genderless performing art. This paper, tries to analyse the transmitting of Minangkabau dance from male folk play to genderless performing art by considering the social context of the changing.


Key words: Minangkabau Dance, Matrilineal, Islam

paper seminar on ICTM Symposium, Kuala Lumpur 11-17 august 2008