Gegerit Dance, Symbol of Women’s Struggle in Lahat

Helloindonesia.id – Four women left the stage, they were wearing maroon Lahat traditional clothes. On the shoulder there is a songket cloth that resembles wings. While the head is decorated with various ornaments, such as cempako, swinging, pilis, and lotus. They will dance a traditional Lahat dance calledegegerit dance.

The Gegerit dance is a traditional Lahat dance that tells about the struggle of women in facing colonialism. Etymologically, the word Gegerit can be interpreted as tired or tired, or commensurate with the meaning of the word stiff. The definition of rigid refers to the movement of the dance that tends to be broken and stiff. This is reflected in the half squatting motion while continuing to play the wings on the shoulder.

Theegegraphic dance choreographer, Indra. When met on the sidelines of the 2014 Sriwijaya Festival grand event revealed. The traditional gegeri dance is a dance that has always been danced from generation to generation. However, now its existence is almost extinct because more and less people are staging this dance.

The philosophy of the Gegerit Dance

However, in recent years there are still people who care, who learn and explore this dance to be staged again. As a traditional dance, the performance of theegegrite dance is accompanied by traditional music. Which is dominated by percussion instruments, such as kenong, dol, and drum. The rhythm produced from the combination of these instruments tends to cut and jerk. This is adjusted to the rigid and broken dance moves.

Indra added, the legendary dance contained a deep mandate about the struggle of the Lahat women in resisting colonialism. The mandate is reflected in the dancers’ movements with hold kudok. The traditional weapon of the people of South Sumatra.

The mandate is still relevant to the current situation. Where women are still confined by the philosophy of masculinism, making it an inferior being in society. But most importantly, theegegrite dance also mandates that the younger generation cannot be quiet. Still have to fight even if not in a state of war. The struggle in question is a struggle against the anger that is within.

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