The music group with their instruments
playing for the dancers imitating a wave
Show of strength: the plate dance on broken plates
demonstration of silek, the Minang martial art
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Right next to the big clock which is the symbol of Bukittinggi is held each evening shows of traditional Minang arts, which I liked so much that I went back with Christian. The first time, I got to talk before the show with the musicians and the woman presenting, to simply learn more about the culture, and also the way to tie the piece of cloth on the head like men do. The many dances all have a very different signification. Some are for important moments in a life, such as wedding, to enhance each spouse and reinforce their union. Another is used to greet social leaders. Others highlight the value of the dancers by also emphasizing the importance of hands in any kind of labor, or by showing through the movements of the feet the bravery of men protecting their homeland. More symbolical dances depict birds, or one of my favorite ones the rhythm of a wave. The most famous one remains the tari piring which illustrates the joy of peasants during the harvest, and which is a skillful mastery of plates. The Minang instruments are also special. A big drum is used to announce celebrations or to call for the prayer on Friday. Small gongs held by hand are very popular. Especially impressive are the very simple instruments made from bamboo, and which should lead to a reflection on the meaning of life in a melancholic way (as says the brochure). A demonstration of silek, the martial art of the Minang, was quite a sight, in particular the defense techniques against a knife. Finally, the funniest thing was to be asked to participate, especially when the spectators were challenged to dance on pieces of broken plates like a man had just done. Very skeptical about this feat which had seemed to me performed without any prior concentration, I hurriedly took off my shoes and socks to do the same thing! I suppose that lowered the esteem that the tourists had for the man and the show to the extent that there is no longer any form of invitation to this kind of performance by foreigners.
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West Sumatra 