By: Laila Zahra
The Aceh Youth Creative Hub (AYCH) or the Center for Aceh’s Outstanding and Great Youth (AMANAH) continues to develop the potential of local dancers and young art enthusiasts.
Indeed, AMANAH itself is one of the strategic flagship programs of the government initiated by the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), which aims to continuously develop the youth of the homeland so that they can grow and possess high competitiveness in various fields, including the arts.
Therefore, the potential of regional dancers and young art enthusiasts will further develop maximally through education, training, and mentoring in the government’s strategic and flagship program, namely AMANAH.
Recently, there was a dance audition at the Aceh Museum, which served as a platform for young dancers from the region known as the Land of Rencong to showcase their skills, as the selected participants will later perform at the inauguration of the AMANAH Building.
Because it brings significant benefits to society, especially the younger generation, this flagship and strategic program initiated by the leadership of General Police (Ret.) Prof. Dr. Budi Gunawan has received a great deal of support and high appreciation.
Without holding back, as many as hundreds of dancers have registered to participate in the AMANAH audition. According to Safna Khairati, one of the audition participants from Sanggar Ceudah Rupa, the event clearly supports the flourishing of art in Aceh.
Not only that, but the large number of participants in the auditions is also one of the many concrete proofs that the region nicknamed the Veranda of Mecca has an abundance of potential from its extraordinary youth.
To further maximize various educational efforts, training, and mentoring for young dancers and artists, AMANAH also presents judges who are indeed experts in their fields and have impressive track records.
In the training, the talented young dancers will be able to present a spectacular colossal art performance that incorporates the traditional cultural acculturation of Aceh along with modern elements and a youthful spirit.
One of the judges in the dancer auditions, Denny Malik, stated that the concept of the dance they will perform at the inauguration of the AMANAH Building is a blend of traditional and modern dance.
There will be a unification of all existing elements of cultural arts, whether from traditional dance or creative dance, while still rooted in Acehnese tradition, but experiencing a packaging with innovative modern elements, all while maintaining the existing traditions as the foundation of regional pride in the arts.
In this activity, of course, the Aceh Young Generation is playing a role as a platform for the youth of the Land of Rencong to continue expressing themselves and creating, with the development of their potential being supported by that strategic flagship program.The government, through the initiative of the National Intelligence Agency, continues to fully support all the nation’s youth to be brave in exploring themselves and to keep creating by providing complete and adequate facilities for them to continue achieving and showcasing their abilities.
As information, the efforts of AMANAH to provide a platform and opportunities for young dancers and artists in Aceh is not the first time this has happened. Recently, there was also a Dance Creation Competition 2024 titled Aceh Na Gaya.
Through the event, Aceh’s Young People are Excellent and Great brought a flashback to past events that affected the Veranda of Mecca, particularly during a food crisis, while also educating local youth not to waste food.
According to Putri Nisrina, a member of Lhee Sagoe, the dance group that successfully won the event, the AMANAH competition can continue to encourage creativity among artists in Aceh, especially among dance enthusiasts.
Therefore, appreciation continues to pour in for the government’s flagship strategic programs aimed at empowering and enhancing the quality and competitiveness of the youth. This is because it is not just a platform for artists, but also a means of spreading education in the form of history to the millennial generation.
The local youth can have broader access to further explore dance, ranging from traditional dances that serve as a foundation to the level of creative dance. Many parties have acknowledged that the existence of AMANAH can bring a breath of fresh air for artists, especially dancers in Aceh Province.
The community greatly hopes that the flagship strategic programs during President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) leadership will become a new platform for the local youth as a whole.
AMANAH has been very optimal in its efforts to continuously develop the potential of regional dancers and young art activists so that they can further grow and have a platform to showcase their creativity and potential to promote local culture even to a global level.
*) Students of the State Islamic Institute (IAIN)
