The Review of the Dance Performance: Candle Dance

The Candle Dance is performance by a group of musicians with dancers to dance. In the beginning, this dance was only staged by 5 to 7 female dancers, but along with its development there was perform by a pairing in pairs of men and women. However, this does not change the basic values of the dance. The movements of candle dance are dominated by the movement of the hands and feet. The dancers wear the small candelabra for performance and moves their body gracefully with the melodious tone of music and rhythms. These dancers will lit candles on every hand plate and they have to learn the right position. So that the candles do not go out or fall off the plate even though it is moving. The dances need to practise more extra exercise, especially the difficult movements are included such as uplifting, bowing, and slipping. In addition, the dancers also need to work hard in practise the Candle Dance to control the movement with a burning candle without accident. The Candle Dance is not popular as other Minang dance such as Tari Pasambahan, Piriang Dance, and Indang dance. But this dance is very strong with minang culture. The Candles Dance is a dance for the royalist. So the movements are made not so 'excited' like other minang dance. One of the philosophies of this dancers is caution. Because she should prevent the candle from falling and must keep his promise and accomplish the goal she wants to achieve.

The Candle dance is started from Sumatra and it have a story about there was a girl who had left her fiancée to travel. During the waiting, the girl lost her engagement ring. She looking for the ring there until late at night. She uses a candle on a small plate for lighting to look for the ring. When she look for the ring, the movement of the body's movement such as crouched, bending and dancing (prayer) was born beautiful candle dance in her village. In Negeri Sembilan, there are a Candle Dance perform by men, especially in Lenggeng area. The men will carry a plate to contain the candles and wear on their ring. When they were dance, they slammed the music with their finger on the plate them held. It requires a professional to dance by stamped plates and glass.

To create the atmosphere of losing, trying, praying and searching for support from escort music. The movements of dance is graceful and the music is made with a slow tempo, so it is still in service. The Candle Dance are often dominated by oral speech (choir - dendang). In addition, it also shows the flow and story in dance. This dance is not popular as other Malay dances. But this dance can even be a popular modern dance with its structure of dance. Performance of drama and storytelling with dance is popular in now. In addition, the candle holders are usually accompanied by the strangeness of the traditional Malay music of Sumatra. The Candle dance also will cooperation with some instruments such as accordeon, violin, gong, guitar, saxophone, kenong, bonang, drum, and tok-tok.

The candle dance movement is very selective. The Candle Dance will show the dancer's grace in the candlelight. In addition, the movement of dance should not be 'excited', so, the candle will no melt and drop at everywhere. Candles dance is perform in a group. Movement of bending, elegance and prayer are shows a group of friends to help their friend to look for the engagement ring in village atmosphere. So it seems this dance contains the drama and stories. So, the highlight of this kind of dance is elegant and natural movement. Normally, the Candle Dance are performance at festival of harvest to thank the goddess and show the candle dance. This dance perform by the characteristics of dishes. But the function of this dance is changing because this dance can enjoy for entrainment in everywhere and every time. The costume of the Candle Dance is used Clothes or Gowns Gede. It is typical Palembang clothing that is usually used for wedding dresses in Palembang. Gothic decoration is used by main dancers and other dancers is using Dodot Decor or Mantri Shawl. The meaning of the costume is more emphasis on the success of the era of Hindu Buddhist in the Kingdom of Sriwijaya which is strongly influenced by Chinese culture, especially in the head, chest, and hands. The apparel and the decoration show that this dance looks more beautiful and forbade the success of the kingdom of Sriwijaya in the past. The makeup of these dancer of Candle Dance can be uncharacteristic or more natural.