SAMAN DANCE COLLABORATION OF THOUSAND HANDS

Saman Dance awfully fantastic collaboration of thousand hands are the most popular dance in Aceh and the dance that has become well known abroad with the name "Thousand Hands".

Saman Dance is origin from the Alas ethnic group and is normally performed to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, and other important occasions. Saman is a native tribal culture Gayo dances that developed since the 13th century by Sheikh Saman. This dance is originally a religious message in the form of delivery of Gayo Lues and surrounding areas. Saman Dance displayed for entertaining guests and enliven the national and religious holidays. Saman Dance also competed when one village invites another village to establish a relationship between villages and informally taught to children in the villages.
  

Saman dance featuring dancers with odd and even positions a position in line. Generally, the performers are young men where they sit cross-legged and line up a meeting. They wear traditional costumes embroidered motif Gayo. Penangkat or coach in the middle of the lead dancers sing verses contain a special message such as religious, advice, tradition, satire, humor, even romance.Eight to twenty male performers kneel in a row on the floor and make different kinds of torso movements accompanied by song, clapping hands, slapping chests, slapping hands on the floor, etc. The songs are praises to Allah or prayers.

The dance starts with slow movements and increases its tempo gradually to great speed and finally come to a sudden stop. There are many different regional versions of "Saman Dance". Meuseukat is almost the same as "Saman Dance", the only difference is that "Meuseukat" is performed by women and originates in west and south Aceh.

Saman dance from Aceh officially merged with Batik, Wayang (puppets), and Angklung in the list of intangible cultural heritage protected by UNESCO. It is as published in the 6th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage held in Nusa Dua, Bali, from June 22 to 29 November 2011.
With this recognition of the Saman Dance Gayo Lues officially become the world's cultural property originating from Indonesia and recognized. Saman's official entry to the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO Urges Protection Needs.