Pakarena Dance, Women's Gentleness

SOME women play soft and supple movement. Sometimes moving up and down, sometimes move with a graceful bend. That is Pakarena dance, a classical dance that reflects the calm attitude, serene, and contemplative.

Pakarena is ritual dance that reveal the human relationship with God and tell the story about the rhythm of life. This Makassar tribe art is often displayed in the guest reception or traditional ceremonies.

There are several types of Pakarena dance, such as royong and bone balla. Pakarena royong type is only displayed during the customary ritual ceremony. While Pakarena bone balla type can be displayed at any time. Including welcomed guests.

Pakarena Dancers consists of seven women wear traditional dress. In Pakarena royong, every dancer has to pray before dance. They have to provide offerings consist of rice, incense, and candles. In Pakarena balla bone, the rule is not too strict.

The dance movement divided into 12 sections. Each part has meaning. Movement in sitting position to be beginning and end of the dance, the rotary movement tells about human life cycle, and movement up and down represent rhythm of life.

Pakarena is also a softness, courteous attitude, and the loyalty of women. Therefore, a Pakarena dancer can not open the eyes too wide. Feet and hands also may not be raised too high. Pakarena is constant movement.

While the music accompany is called gandrang pakarena. Although the movement is supple, accompaniment music is thunderous. If Pakarena reflects the softness, gandrang Pakarena describes the brave Makassar man.

Musical instrument consisting of a drum, flute, pasrak or split bamboo, and gong. The music composition is called gondrong rinci played by seven men who wear traditional clothing.

There are no official records since when Pakarena dance appear. But, this dance had become the official art in the palace of Sultan Hasanuddin, the 16th Gowa King. This dance got an art touch from sultan’s mother I Li'motakontu.

Some traditional people believe, Pakarena dance begun from the farewell among boting langi (kahyangan country) with the Lino (earth) in first period. The boting langi teaches lino the etiquette of life.

Boting langi teach how to plant, to farm, and to hunt. The teachings then expressed through hand movements, body, and legs. These movements became Pakarena dance when resident of lino utter gratitude.(*)

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