Tari Pa'gellu Pangala

Pa'gellu dance is a joyous dance that is usually performed at traditional ceremonies in Toraja, South Sulawesi which is cheerful in nature. Pa'gellu or ma'gellu in the local language means dancing happily with hands and body swaying gracefully, wriggling lenggak-lenggok. This pa'gellu dance or known as pa'gellu pangala was first created by Nek Datu Bua ', which is when he returns from the battlefield which is then celebrated with a joyful dance. At that time there were no drum instruments so they used a mortar to accompany the dance. In the pa'gellu dance there is no limit to the number of dancers and both men and women can follow this dance. Until now, no one knows for sure the year this dance was created. The pa'gellu dancers before independence, including: Nek Lekke, Nek Sampe Alo, and Nek Tangke Lengi '. Pa'gellu dance is usually enlivened at the time of the sign tuka ceremony (joy ceremony), welcoming guests, wedding parties, and ma'bua (Tongkonan house inauguration ceremony). In the pa'gellu dance performance, there is one interesting thing, namely the ma'toding activity (the obligation to give a certain amount of money to the dancers by inserting it in the sa'pi 'or their headdress). According to Petrus (2012), there are types of movements in the pa'gellu dance, which represent the daily activities of Toraja girls as well as imitation of animal movements accompanied by drums, including: 1. Pa'dena-dena The first movement resembles that of a sparrow, which is spinning with swinging hands and prancing while entering the dance venue. The philosophy of this movement is to live together. 2. Ma'tabe