Jakarta, 5 September 2023 – Two Indonesian traditional dances were performed to welcome ASEAN leaders and delegates as they arrived at Soekarno-Hatta airport to attend the 43rd Summit on 5—7 September 2023.
The two performances are the Geol Manis Betawi dance and the Banten Walijamaliha dance. This welcoming ceremony, which is rich in Indonesian culture, becomes an attraction for the honored guest.
Geol Manis Betawi dance is a traditional performance originating from Jakarta that portrays how happy and playful Betawi children are when they are playing. The dance is characterized by its quick and lively moves. Usually present in even numbers, the dancers perform in pairs.
Typically, Geol Manis dancers wear traditional clothing consisting of kebaya for women and koko clothes for men. This outfit is also complemented by accessories such as scarves, batik cloth, and hats.
This dance is accompanied by Betawi traditional music such as Tanjidor and Gambang Kromong which is a combination of musical instruments such as trumpets, gendang drum, and several other traditional musical instruments.
In addition to the Geol Manis Dance, the delegates and ASEAN leaders were also welcomed with Banten's Walijamaliha Dance. This dance, which is typically performed by female dancers, embodies elegance and gentleness.
The dance, in fact, was created to honor the valor of Nyi Ageng Serang, a feisty female hero from Banten renowned for her courage against the colonizers. Thus, the movements of the Walijamaliha dance symbolize grace and bravery. The movements are gentle, but they possess a fierce fighting spirit.
The Walijamaliha dancers typically wear traditional Banten clothing of kebaya, shawl, and batik cloth. This costume represents women’s elegance. Accompanied by traditional musical instruments such as the gendang, flutes, and several other traditional musical instruments.
The 43rd ASEAN Summit which is held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Jakarta is attended by 22 countries. Of these, 11 are ASEAN members, namely Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia, including Timor-Leste.
Furthermore, nine invited partner countries including the Republic of Korea, India, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Russia, and the United States (USA) have confirmed their attendance. In addition, two other countries, namely, Bangladesh as the Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and Cooks Island as the Chair of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) will also be present at the 43rd ASEAN Summit.
Indonesia also invited international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Economic Forum, IORA, and PIF to participate in this event.
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For further information, please contact the following:
Director General of Public Information and Communications of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics – Usman Kansong (0816785320).
Get more information at http://asean2023.id, https://infopublik.id/kategori/asean-2023, and https://indonesia.go.id/kategori/ragam-asean-2023
Photo caption: Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh (right), accompanied by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno (left), is welcomed by traditional dance upon arrival at the VVIP Terminal of Soekarno Hatta Airport, Banten, on Monday (September 4, 2023). Media Center of the ASEAN Summit 2023/Raisan Al Farisi/aww