PAPUA PEGUNUNGAN – War Dance or Falabea Dance is a traditional dance originating from Papua, Falabea Dance is generally played by male dancers in groups of at least seven people.
In its implementation, the War dance will be performed in an open field to make it easier for the dancers to move. The movements in Falabea dance imply a meaning of gratitude to the Creator.
The existence of this dance, of course, cannot be separated from the history behind it, the Papuan people are quite often involved in inter-tribal wars, therefore the soldiers who go to war need a lighter to ignite their enthusiasm so that they can fight bravely. Falabea dance became the accompaniment of the soldiers to give the spirit of war. Since then Falabea dance began to be performed and has developed until now.
Properties commonly used in Papuan Falabea dance, namely:
1. Costume, The costume worn in this dance performance is quite distinctive, because it is made of leaves and arranged to resemble a skirt, apart from being a costume in the War dance, the tassel skirt is usually also used when attending traditional ceremonies, but there is a slight difference between tassel skirts worn by men and women and for men wearing tassel skirts, there is no need to wear brackets like women and each dancer will use Papuan head accessories that are quite prominent.
Head and foot accessories use feathers and beads. In addition to costumes, the dancers will also wear makeup that is quite distinctive, the makeup used by the dancers is not only used on the face, but also on the chest, arms to the back and the legs of the dancers are also painted with typical Papuan motifs with white paint that way, the painting on the dancers’ bodies will be clearly visible when the dancers perform, for dancers who play the role of tribal chief, then he will wear accessories shaped like pig fangs and attached to the nose with the aim is to distinguish which tribal chiefs and which soldiers.
2. Musical instruments, The accompaniment of musical instruments makes Falabea dance more lively, so that it can arouse the enthusiasm of the soldiers. The musical instrument used in this dance is tifa. The tifa player will play the tifa by beating with certain tempos, so that it will produce music that matches the movements of the dancers. Tifa is a typical musical instrument from Papua.
In addition, the music of the tifa will be combined with the triton. The triton is a type of wind instrument made from clam shells. The way to play the triton is by blowing on the pointed side. The cheers of the dancers also depict the spirit of the warriors, especially when they are on the battlefield.
Floor pattern of Falabea Papua Dance, In an effort to display movements when performing War dance, the dancers will of course form a formation. The position of all dancers in a dance is known as a floor pattern.
The line formation of the dancers in a group in a performance will of course vary, including the typical Papuan War dance which has a varied floor pattern.
The movements in Falabea dance are quite energetic. In general, the floor pattern produced by the movement is a straight line.
However, at some moments, the dancers will also use other choreographies. Therefore, the Falabea dance floor pattern that appears will not always be straight. The variety of movements will make the Falabea dancers’ performances look more interesting.
Falabea Papua Dance Movement, One of the functions of War dance is to ignite the fighting spirit of the soldiers who will go to war. Therefore, War dance movements are generally energetic and active and this is to show the spirit of the struggle of the soldiers in war. The dancers will run compactly, as if attacking the enemy using spears and arrows. As for keeping the audience entertained, there will be role scenarios applied in Falabea dance performances.
One group of dancers plays the role of the enemy in Falabea dance, while the other group plays the role of war troops. Among these dancers, there is also a dancer who acts as a tribal chief. A dancer who acts as a tribal chief, has the obligation to give directions in starting the War dance, so that the movements of each dancer will look compact and harmonious.
After the War dance begins, the dancers will then move in various styles. Starting from crossing their legs to swinging their hands towards the front.
Each dancer will play an arrow held in the right hand, while the right hand will hold a bow. Sometimes, the dancers will also play a spear, as if they are fighting an enemy.
