Tari Piring

Tari Piring (Plate Dance) is a traditional Minangkabau plate dance originated from West Sumatra, Indonesia. The dance might be performed by a group of women, men or couples, each of them holds plates in each hands, and vigorously rotate or half rotate them in various formations and fast movements.

The dance demonstrates the skill of the dancers that manage balance and to move the ceramics plate swiftly without dropping or breaking the plates. Sometimes candles are lit on the plate, and this variant is called tari lilin (candle dance). Dancers hold the bottom of plates in the palm of their hands and swing them wildly using the inertia to keep the plate from falling. Dancers tap their plates with a ring on one of their fingers to animate their movement with sonic accompaniment. 

This dance is usually performed as a ceremonial welcoming dance to honor the guests and elders to a traditional ceremony. Next to randai, saman, pendet and jaipongan, the dance is also one of popular Indonesian traditional dances performed in festivals abroad to promote Indonesian culture and tourism. 

To download the easy alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

Mari kawan 

Mari kawan beriring

Mari kita beriring 

Ayo handai tolan yo

kawan mari kita beriring

keliling beriring sama sama piring

ditangan bercincin diatas piring terpasang lilin

Ditangan piring ditangan bercincin 

diatas piring terpasang lilin.

English Translation: 

Come on friends
Let's go friends
Let's ring
Ayo handai tolan yo
Dude, let's go in a row
circling around the same plate
in a ringed hand on a plate with a candle attached
In the hand of a plate in the hand of a ring
on a plate is a candle.