Indonesian Syofyani Dance Mesmerizes

Indonesian Cultural Troupe from West Sumatra Province concluded its trips in Pakistan by performing at The National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and Iqra University. The performance is part of the cultural program of the Indonesian Embassy to deepen cultural connections between the people of Indonesia and Pakistani.

Consisting of seven performers, the Troupe entertained audiences with several traditional dances showcasing the unique culture of the only matriarchal community in Indonesia. Among the peculiarities of the dances were the fusion of firmness of martial arts works and graceful movements. Traditional musical instruments and flutes played during the event made the performance more unique. One talented Pakistani dancer recipient of the 2023 Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (BSBI) also joined the performance.

“We warmly welcome this cultural performance to take place in NUML as it reminds me connected-similarities in the poems made by famous poets of two countries, Allama Muhammad Iqbal from Pakistan and Chairil Anwar from Indonesia,” explained Prof. Dr. Jamil Asgor Jammi, Dean of Languages NUML in his welcoming speech.

A similar sentiment was also expressed by the academic community at Iqra University on the following day. “By this performance, we know that the good impression about Indonesia is not only from Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. This dance is very elegant. The dancers neatly cover their body and their movements are also very polite,” commented Dr. Jasim Tariq, Assistant Professor Business Administration Department, at Iqra University, who just returned from the Umrah.

In his remarks, Indonesian Ambassador Adam Tugio stated that this performance by Syofyani Dancing Group was only one small part of the huge diversity of Indonesia, an archipelago that has hundreds of tribes and local languages, living in 38 provinces with their own respective uniqueness. The envoy further encouraged Pakistani students to apply for fully funded scholarships provided by the Indonesian government to get first-hand experience of the unique culture of the Archipelago and simultaneously witness the cultural fusion as reflected in customs and cuisines. “Currently, Pakistani students are the largest recipients of educational scholarships from the Indonesian Government,” he added while pointing out the similarities between various words in Urdu and Indonesian.

Brig. Shehzad Munir, Director General of NUML and Engr. Khizer Zaki, Director for Student Affairs, at Iqra University while expressing his admiration for the unique cultural dance from Indonesia, thanked the Indonesian Embassy for its initiative and expressed interest in furthering academic cooperation including student exchanges in various fields.

Universities are among the important partners in bolstering the people-to-people relations between Indonesia and Pakistan. Apart from showcasing Indonesian cultural arts, the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad has also organized an Online Internship Program (OIP) to introduce modern Indonesia through a series of public lectures by experts from universities and think tanks in Indonesia.