Meuseukat (II)

For female participants. Performance of meuseukat, a female sitting dance genre, which usually comprises 8 members. This image presents a close-up of three of the meuseukat performers. They are wearing Muslim head scarves, long kebaya (blouses) and black trousers as they move in sitting (duek) position (as opposed to dong or standing position). Their sitting position here involves them kneeling on their forelegs and alternating between resting their thighs on their forelegs and raising their thighs to vertical position. Choreographed arm movements with clapping and other body percussion are performed synchronously or in interlocking rhythms. The young women may also include vocal segments during the dance, singing songs with secular texts that are usually interspersed with Muslim religious phrases. In the image, the aneuk (child) syahe (poetry) or 'child of poetry', who is positioned on the right holding a microphone and wearing a pink head scarf, leads the singing while the rakan (rest of the row of dancers), wearing alternating orange and navy blue head scarves, responds as a chorus.

Copyright 1982. Notes prepared by Bronia Kornhauser with Margaret Kartomi, School of Music-Conservatorium, Monash University. Photography by Hidris Kartomi.