Historical Holistic of Indonesian Dance Stages

1. Pre Kingdom Era
2. Kingdom Era
3. Post Kingdom Era

1. Pre Kingdom Era
Prior to contact to outer world
Animism, worship, ritual
Still preserved by tribes in Indonesia: Sumatera (Batak, Nias), Kalimantan (Dayak, Iban), Java (Badui), Sulawesi (Toraja), Papua (Dani)
Characterized by repetitive movement, eg. Tortor Dance of Batak people
2. Kingdom Era
Outside influence: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity
Celebrated ritual & art world
Sendratari (incorporated story in the dance; Ramayana & Mahabrata)
Indian influence integrated with local culture (mostly in Javanese & Balinese dances)
The emergence of Court Dances and Folk Dances
3. Post Kingdom era
Creative modern dance
Uniting different characteristics of various traditional dances
For entertainment purposes, celebrating events outside of religious ceremony