Rodat

Rodat (Jawi: رودات) is a traditional dance from Indonesia and Malaysia that probably came from the Middle East. Traders from Aceh brought it to Southeast Asia in the early 1800s. Rodat is performed by both men and women. It became popular at events like harvest festivals, Mawlid, and the Sultan's birthday. The dance's name comes from "hadrat Baghdad", which means songs that praise Allah and Prophet Muhammad.^[1][2]

During a Rodat performance, singers say 8 to 12 verses from the Kitab Zikir, a book filled with advice and life lessons. Male and female chorus groups take turns singing, accompanied by the rhythm of the Rebana drum. Usually, there are 20 to 26 performers, including 12 male dancers, eight drummers, and four to six female dancers. The dance involves sitting, kneeling, squatting, and standing movements.^[3][4]

1. ↑ Miller, Terry E.; Williams, Sean, eds. (2008). The Garland handbook of Southeast Asian music. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-96075-5.
2. ↑ Malm, William P. (1979). "Music in Malaysia". The World of Music. 21 (3): 6–18. ISSN 0043-8774. JSTOR 43560625.
3. ↑ "Tourism Terengganu | Culture". 2010-04-18. Archived from the original on 2010-04-18. Retrieved 2024-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
4. ↑ Matusky, Patricia Ann (2004). The music of Malaysia : the classical, folk, and syncretic traditions. Internet Archive. Aldershot, Hampshire, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-0831-8.