Students in Years 5 and 6 enjoyed an Indonesian incursion on Thursday, 17 October, with the Suara Indonesia Dance company visiting all the way from Sydney! Ibu Alfira and Pak Josh, both highly skilled Indonesian dancers with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, took us on a cultural journey around Indonesia, performing dances from various parts of the archipelago.
Two highlights were the Tari Kipas (fan dance) and the Tari Topeng (mask dance), from Java. This was followed by an interactive workshop, which got everybody moving!
Students engaged in Ratoh Duek, a sitting body percussion dance from Aceh, in North Sumatra. They followed intricate, patterned movements through clapping and tapping their hands against their body, while also using their voices. Traditionally, these communal dances are performed to bring individuals together and make them feel like they belong within a group through shared action, creating self-esteem and confidence.
Students were then shown the Randai, a form of traditional theatre from West Sumatra using galembong pants. Students got the chance to don a pair of the galembong pants over their uniform and learn how to create rhythm and sound by hitting the stretched material across their legs, like a drum.
Suara Indonesia is currently touring across Australia, and we were very lucky to have them come to Riverside to perform their dancing and teach us some of their skills. The students had a wonderful time! BAGUS!!
Ibu Dee
Indonesian Language Specialist
