Holiday Ayo - Gending Sriwijaya Dance is a colossal dance from the Sriwijaya kingdom. The dance, which was previously only performed by the internal circles of the kingdom, was intended as a welcoming dance for royal guests.

Now the Gending Sriwijaya dance is often performed by the people of Palembang for various purposes, such as weddings, meetings of government agencies, to various cultural events.

As cited from Indonesiakaya, in general the Gending Sriwijaya dance is danced by 9 dancers, all of whom are women. The nine dancers represent the nine rivers in South Sumatra. The Gending Sriwijaya dancers are escorted by two men complete with umbrellas and spears in their hands.

source: Indonesiakaya

Nine women wearing traditional clothes, complete with various accessories in the form of Paksangkong, Dodot, Tanggai, and Seledang Mantri. A dancer who is in the middle and at the front carries a box which is usually called a Tepak Sirih, a gending dancer brings Tepak Sirih contains betel leaf which will later be given to guests who are considered special as a form of respect. While the sound of gending accompanies the graceful movement.

Accompaniment music:

source: Indonesiakaya

The music that accompanies the Gending Sriwijaya dance is music that comes from a combination of gamelan instruments. The music is complemented by vocals which generally describe joy and gratitude for prosperity. However, recently the Gending Sriwijaya dance is not only accompanied by gamelan, but only uses recordings of existing music.

Dance moves:

Gending Sriwijaya dance movements are dominated by bending and kneeling movements, occasionally smiling while flexing their fingernails. This gesture is a form of respect for the guests who come. The core movement in the Gending Sriwijaya dance is the movement of the main dancer who brings a Tepak Sirih containing sekapur sirih to be given to the guest of honor. In the past, carrying Tepak Sirih contains sekapur sirih was only allowed for young women from the descendants of the King.

Meaning of dance:

This colossal dance depicts the joy of the girls, depicts the Sriwijaya Kingdom as a friendly host, who is sincere and open to welcoming guests, as the essence of mutual respect between human beings, and gratitude for the gift of God.