Kabasaran is a traditional Minahasan war dance from North Sulawesi in Indonesia. The dancers are called kawasalan, referring to the imitation of game cocks (Indonesia Kaya, n.d.; My Indonesian, n.d.). The performers are dressed in traditional red Minahasa warrior costumes. Weapons like swords, shields and spear guns are used in dancing (My Indonesian, n.d.).The dance is accompanied by musical instruments (pa' wasalen) like the gong, tambur and kolintang (Indonesia Kaya, n.d.).
History/Development
Most of the dancers are farmers in their daily lives, if war occurs dancers will become soldiers (waranei), turning the dance into practical fighting techniques (Indonesia Kaya, n.d.). The kabasaran dance is still performed by the Minahasa people of North Sulawesu Province at ceremonies, artistic performances and cultural festivals (My Indonesian, n.d.).
Transmission (Policies/institutions)
The International Judo Federation (IJF) founded in 1952 and the first World Judo Championships were held in 1956 in Tokyo. Judo was then introduced to the 1964 Olympic Games in Japan for the first time, and has been an official sport in each Olympics ever since 1972 (International Judo Federation, s.d.). Today, there are approximately 5 million judo practitioners throughout the world (Web Japan, s.d.). The IJF has representatives from more than 200 countries and regions as of 2020 (Kodokan Judo Institute, s.d.).
Relevant Organisations
Additional Materials
References
- Indonesia Kaya. (n.d.). “Tarian Kabasaran”, Indonesia Kaya. https://www.indonesiakaya.com/jelajah-indonesia/detail/tarian-kabasaran - My Indonesian (n.d.). “Kabasaran Dance, Traditional Dance From North Sulawesi”, MyIndonesian.com. http://myindonesiann.blogspot.com/2017/10/kabasaran-dance-traditional-dance-from-north-sulawesi.html
