Salapan dance, symbol of unity and balance

Sumbar.online-Salapan dance is a dance originating from the Air Bangis area, West Pasaman, West Sumatra. This dance is played by 8 dancers who use media in the form of cloth strands of 8 strands hung at the top of the room or where the dance is exhibited and woven into a very neat woven fabric, therefore Tari Salapan has a very dynamic and complicated movement pattern.

The dancers are required to cooperate with each other if, there is one wrong move from the dancer, it will affect the overall results of the braid or woven fabric.

This dance describes the spirit of mutual cooperation, balance, cohesiveness in establishing community life and unity in the struggle, this is symbolized through the fabric of strands of cloth that form a very neat braid. "Salapan means Eight, according to the number of dancers and strands of cloth used in the dance. 

There are other meanings of the "salapan" symbol of the dance, the story of the Air Bangis community, there is an immersive nan with four names and four inside. As leaders in their communities, these eight leaders work together to form a harmonious and peaceful society. 

Salapan dance is included in the category of creative dance developed in classical Malay dance. Salapan dance accompanied by rhymes with musical arrangements in the form of drums and violins.

 There are 9 movements in Tari Salapan, namely:
 Add the beginning Swing swaying Take the rope Hit the wood Twisted rope Open the rope Gather the rope Chain wood Sambah end At first, the salapan dance was only performed by male dancers, according to the current development of this dance involving women, namely four female dancers and four male dancers. 

Likewise, the movements and arrangements of music and pantun are also more or less also experiencing changes. But the most important thing is how the Air Bangis community continues to preserve its own culture and keep it from the cultural currents that come from outside by practicing the teachings contained in the philosophy of Salapan Dance, namely the spirit of mutual cooperation, cohesiveness, unity and harmony in the community, so that this dance is not only just be a ceremonial complement.