Nguri Dance of Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province

Tourists have many demands when it comes to a vacation. For example, they want to enjoy local performances like dances and festivals. In Sumbawa Regency, in this case, tourists may find an interesting performance called Nguri Dance. It has become the part of the region for generations. No wonder, the dance offers both beauty and historical value to the audience. When it comes to function, the dance represents the warm and friendly traits of the locals. Also, the locals perform the dance to welcome important guests during a special event. Due to the popularity, in fact, the dance has become one of the most attractive dances in Indonesia!

The Nuance
For the information, Nguri Dance is performed only by women. They perform it in a group and apply both gentle and graceful movements. The purpose is to show both courtesy and friendliness. Those moves even have names, including gerak tebe, gerak nyema, jempit tope, and much more! As for the accompaniment, it features several musical instruments like tambourines, gong, etc. What about the costumes? The dancers wear Sumbawa’s traditional clothes and several ornaments. The dominant colors are red and dark yellow.

Exploring Nguri Dance
Nguri Dance becomes an interesting entertainment that tourists can watch when visiting Sumbawa Regency later. The first benefit is related to the history. It is said the dance has been the part of the local culture for generations. That means it has been done since the reign of Sumbawa Sultanate! In the past, the locals performed it in order to entertain and give encouragement to the king. Not to mention the dance became the sign of loyalty, support, and tribute to him.

Tourists should know that there is a slight difference between the past and recent Nguri Dance. The modern one has become more flexible these days. No wonder, the performance becomes more attractive to tourists. Aside from enjoying the beautiful movements, the audience also has the chance to learn the cultural values of the dance. The history has been mentioned before. As for the values, the dance shows friendliness, politeness, and tenderness of the local life.

Well, all tourists should find the right time to visit Sumbawa Regency for watching the dance. According to the locals, they usually perform the dance when welcoming important guests. Thus, tourists must come at the time. As an alternative, they can visit the region during cultural festivals! The simplest way is to hire a local and get reliable information from him. Tourists can even get more stories related to the dance including the history and values from the guide later.

Nearby Attractions

• Istana Dalam Loka
• Seketeng Market

How to Get There
Tourists need to get to Sumbawa Regency if they want to watch Nguri Dance directly. For those coming from Jakarta City, though, they need to take an airplane to reach the destination faster. From Soekarno – Hatta International Airport, the flight takes about 4 hours and 5 minutes to reach Sultan Muhammad Kaharuddin III Airport. Later, after arriving at the destination, they can simply hire a local guide and find the right place to witness the dance.

Where to Stay

• Dewi Hotel
• Dian Hotel
• Samawa Rea Hotel