GHENTAK

Abstract

The “Ghentak” dance’s title is taken from Malay language which means ‘menghentak’ or stomp the ground. This dance tells about the life of a ‘kumantan’ (spiritualist) in bulian ritual to recover any spiritual diseases in Talang Mamak tribe, Rengat regency, Riau province. Kumantan plays an important role in recovering spiritual diseases, because only kumantan who can get connected and to communicate with spirits. Every spirit that comes into a kumantan’s body (trance) has different attitude, it’s obviously seemed by the kumantan’s attitude that is always changing during the ritual, like swinging his body and stomp his feet on the ground with kangsa (feet bracelet).

This dance is inspired by a kumantan whose strength becomes the main theme of the dance. The strength that’s meant to be is akumantan’s strength that’s able to recover any diseases that are caused by evil spirits by holding the recovering ritual for one day long, to move like swinging his body (kumantan) and stomp his feet on the ground.

This Ghentak dance is performed by 7 male dancers that illustrate the figure of kumantan as general image, but there is no specific characterization, and they all wear the kangsa and mayang pinang as dance properties. This dance is also picturing about the life of Talang Mamak tribe that lives in the jungle with hunting as their primary occupation.