Medan, Indonesia
What would you think of an open field filled with thousands of women carrying a kilo of rice above their heads? That’s exactly what happened at Lapangan Banteng, Medan, Indonesia on Saturday afternoon, July 9 2011. This grand event was not an art show or any mass demonstration, but an internal event of a clan from the tribe of Batak.
Tor-tor is a traditional dance that seems to lack aesthetic movements yet is rich in philosophical life symbolism. Only the fingers are driven and there’s a hand made textile called “ulos” snagged on to every dancers shoulder.
A big attraction of the event was tandok, a traditional bag made of woven mats. Tandok is usually taken to wedding ceremonies within the Batak tribe. Formerly, a tandok will fill with various crops, which will then be donated to the bride and groom. But nowadays, the tandok will only be filled with rice.
Rows of women carrying tandok overhead simultaneously. More than 1500 people took tandok containing 1 kg of rice and make a record in the museum records of Indonesia. Pic: Chalid Nasution
In every wedding ceremony of the Batak, the bride and groom are required to perform a tor-tor dance as it is considered custom. The bride will perform the dance with relatives in attendance. But at the Lapangan Banteng Medan, there was no wedding celebration. A clan of the tribe, named Simbolon and who are scattered across Indonesia, gathered together on this event.
The colossal event broke a new record in the Indonesian Record Museum as more than 1500 people attended voluntarily and brought the tandok and danced the tor-tor. None of the 1500 dancers were professional, as every person born in the tribe is required to dance the tor-tor.
