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Native name | Tanda' Ngajat |
---|---|
Etymology | According to the Iban Language Dictionary Second Edition, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia, the term "ngajat" comes from the verb "kajat" which means to jump. |
Genre | Traditional |
Instrument(s) | gongs , canang, ketebung, "engkerumung". |
Inventor | Iban people |
Year | 16th century [1] |
Origin | Sarawak, Malaysia [2] [3] |
Ngajat is popular family of dances among the Iban people in Sarawak, Malaysia. [4] [5] It's also popular in Brunei and West Kalimantan, Indonesia. [6] [7] In 2007, Ngajat was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Malaysia by Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage. [8]
The history of Ngajat dance begins with the ancestors of the Iban community following the movements of the common hill myna and the great argus. According to an oral interview with an Iban people from Lubuk Antu, Sarawak, the ancestors of the Iban community dreamed of coming to a remote village. There, they looked for a place to grow rice, a place to hunt and they came across the footprints of a common hill myna. When they saw the footprints, the movement seemed to be a Ngajat dance that made them follow the movement.
While dancing, they looked up the mountain, and saw a great argus. The great argus flapped and spread its wings as if it were a human hand. They also followed it's movements. And as a result of the movement of the two movements, "Bungai Ajat" or "Bunga Ajat" was created. That's why, when the Iban people dance and playing music, the common hill myna will also move its legs while the great argus will move its wings
It is not known when the dance came up but it is strongly believed to be associated with the Iban ethnic group since the 16th century
Ngajat consists of several types, including:
Musical instruments include large and medium gongs (tawak and bebendai), drums or ketebung/dumba and a set of small gongs engkurumong. Belikan is another string instrument used to perform ngajat dance.
Male dancers wear traditional costumes like 'mesh', 'Gagung' or bird clothes. Gagung is a kind of thick and hard armor made of animal skin such as bear, but not stitched on the sides. Dancers also wear hats decorated with feathers.
Female dancers dubbed "Kumang", they wear clothes such as a headdress, hooks high on the chest, cloth tied at the waist, hands and feet bracelets and earrings.
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