BIDAYUH TRADITIONAL DANCE
By
Robert
Sulis Ridu, Lawrence Sinos Sabo and Ahi Sarok#
Dance For Entertainment
Most people dance either for fun or to entertain others.
Dancing also play a role in courtship. It often serves as a way for men
and women to become acquainted before they marry especially in villagers
those days where other sorts of entertainment were not common. A number
of these dances are performed for important functions. Rejang beuh,
langi pinyambut, tigal lawak and tigal aruh are dances
performed for entertainment.
Rejang beuh or eagle dance
Rejang beuh in Biatah or langi in Bukar-Sadung
or tigal bitagi or sigar bouh in Bau-Jagoi is usually performed
by two male dancers. The dance originated when a Bidayuh legendary hero,
Madu Sawan was ordered by the King of the Pleiades to fight with
the legendary bird of the sky known as Tingkilang Ramang or The
Spirit Eagle. This was to ascertain who has the right to take the King?s
daughter, Dara Buda for a wife.
Madu Sawan and Tingkilang Ramang were both
accomplished dancers. They started to dance from each end of the verandah,
moving gracefully towards each other in various styles and motions, following
the slow and steady beating and rhythm of the gongs and drums. Each time
when they meet, they swoop down in a quick motion as if they are attacking
each other in a fight. During each of these moving encounters, the invisible
poisonous snakes and insects will come out from Madu Sawan?s pockets
and attack Tingkilang Ramang until he fell down unconscious. Thus,
in the duel, Tingkilang Ramang lost and Madu Sawan was declared
the rightful husband of Dara Buda.
Langi pinyambut
Langi pinyambut is usually performed during harvest
festivals. The purpose of the dance is to welcome the returning padi souls
simangi padi from the farms and at the same time to ask for blessings
from god tampa so that there will be sufficient rice for every body for
the whole year. Langi Pinyambut is also performed to welcome invited
guests to the villages. There is no restriction on the number of dancers.
Tigal lawak
Tigal lawak or coconut-shell dance was first introduced
by a piggy-back spirit locally known as muat ungkab that lived in
underground cave or hole. The Bidayuh believed that in order to be able
to see these spirits with naked eyes, one has to wash one?s face with dew,
which accumulates on the undersurface of the handrail, antog of
a bridge. It was after during this occasion that the piggy-back spirit
was seen dancing tigal lawak, with one lawak in his right
hand and the other lawak in his other hand. While dancing, the bottom
of the lawak is knocked with the middle finger, which is fitted
with a ring to produce the clinking sounds of ?katek! katek! katek!?. This
noise is similar to the noise of pounding padi, or the noise of calling
for chicken and piglets and to the noise of the rhythmic beatings of bidumak.
Tigal aruh
Tigal aruh or bijapen in Biatah is a type
of dance performed by four persons, which comprised two male dancers and
two female beaters or vice versa. The two aruh are handled by two
persons, normally female dancers, and one at each end controlling the strokes
of the aruh. While dancing, the dancers will try to avoid their
legs being hit by the aruh, which the two handlers will try their
best to have them hit.
According to a Bidayuh legend, tigal aruh was first
introduced by an evil spirit in the underground cave or hole, muat ungkab.
Men who were caught by the evil spirit, were asked to perform this dance
to amuse them. Those who were unable to perform the dance were put
to death by boiling them alive. On the other hand, those who could perform
the dance were forced to do so until they were exhausted to death. The
musical instrument used in tigal aruh is similar to those used in
tigal lawak and the bidumak.
* This paper was presented at the Bidayuh Traditional
Music, Song, Dance and Costume Workshop held at Dewan Tun Abdul
Razak, Kuching on 15-16 May 1998.
# Encik Robert Sulis Ridu is currently a Research
Assistant with Majlis Adat Istiadat. The information and recording
of the traditional dances were obtained from his research and recording
from different informants in Bau, Kuching, Lundu and Serian District.
Encik Lawrence Sinos Sabo was formerly a Cultural Officer of Dayak Bidayuh
National Association and now is a Political Secretary to the Chief Minister,
while Encik Ahi Sarok is a Lecturer in Public Administration at the Faculty
of Social Science, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
Received on November 16, 1999.
Published on the Internet by courtesy of Mr.
Ahi Sarok (January 05, 2000)
Re-Published for bidayuh
dotcom by courtesy of Mr.
Ahi Sarok (May 03, 2000)
Citation:
Ridu, R. S., L. S. Sabu and A. Sarok. 1998. Bidayuh Traditional
Dance. Paper presented at the Bidayuh Traditional Music, Songs,
Dance and Costume Workshop held at Museum Tun Razak, Kuching on 16
- 17 May 1998. 16p. (http://www.geocities.com/dayung_biatah/biddance.html)
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