That is the Ratoh Jaroe dance from Aceh. Like its more popular cousin, the Saman dance, Ratoh Jaroe is a dance that involves movements of the arms and hands and is performed mostly sitting down – as if symbolizing prayer.
On Sunday April 24, to mark the 41st anniversary of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah theme park in Jakarta, 6,600 girls from the Jabodetabek area came to perform the Acehnese dance, setting a new Museum of Indonesia (MURI) record for the most Ratoh Jaroe dancers in a single performance.
Who knew watching 6,600 people in colorful costumes moving to the same beat could be so entrancing?
