On November 5th 2019, As Sakinah Foundation held a Maulid Nabi celebration to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The event featured our students reading the Qur'an, singing nasyid and also doing performance arts, such as dancing Indonesian traditional dance. However, there was a new highlight on the event: Rapai Geleng team of As Sakinah Junior High School boys!
Rapai Geleng is a traditional dance from Aceh, Indonesia where a line of male dancers moved around while beating traditional drums called "Rapai". Dancers move around while shaking ("Geleng" in Indonesian language) the head left and right, which gave the dance its name. The song uttered during the performance is a traditional Acehnese song praising God, reminding humans to do good in life. It is a performance full of words of wisdom, which was very fitting to the theme of Maulid Nabi celebration.
The initiative to learn this dance actually came up from one of our youth mentor, Muhammad Rizqi Ariffi, who is currently studying in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan. Rizqi was one of the very first student of As Sakinah Qur'an class in 2005. He joined us when he was five and has frequently volunteered his time to participate in other programs such as Tahfizh Camp and Marawis band practice. Now, based in Oita, Japan, Rizqi decided to teach Rapai Geleng to our student during his semester break in August 2019.
Rizqi teaching Rapai Geleng to our junior high school students Rizqi learned the dance from participating in Indonesian Week at his university, APU. During the practice sessions, he shared his experience learning the dance in a multicultural environment. He has been teaching the dance to local citizens in Beppu, which gave me a rare opportunity to share his Indonesian culture to a larger audience. Rizqi also showed videos of other Indonesian Week performances to our students, emphasizing that although they are all in Japan, they still embrace Indonesia in their hearts - and share its uniqueness in every opportunity.
Rizqi teaching Saman dance with Rapai at the local event in Beppu
Although the sessions focused on learning the Rapai Geleng dance, our students were also encouraged to ask about Rizqi's experience in studying abroad. Through his stories, Rizqi was able to motivate the students to dream high, and work hard to achieve their dreams. In addition to that, the practice sessions were able to teach our students about the importance of confidence and teamwork, two traits that will be very essential in reaching their goals in the future. From learning the movement of Rapai Geleng, our students have learned to express themselves through art. Furthermore, by working together, our students have successfully learned to trust each other and enjoy the dynamic of working together.
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