Singo Wiromo, a dance group bringing Indonesian culture to Hong Kong

Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)

A man twirls and leaps, wearing a heavy mask that is around twice his height.

The crowd of nearly 100 people cheers and claps as they watch the dancers of Singo Wiromo performing in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park.

None of these men and women are professional dancers, but you can’t tell from their intricate moves.

Singo Wiromo is an Indonesian dance group with about 20 men and women. Most of the women work as domestic helpers, while many of the men are drivers. The group looks to stay connected to their heritage and introduce Hongkongers to traditional Indonesian dances.

“We feel very proud and excited because we can bring our culture [here] and show people,” members of the group said.

Sharing traditions

Singo Wiromo, established in October 2015, is sponsored by the Indonesian government and the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong.

“We love our home of East Java, Indonesia,” said Lintang, who enjoys dancing with the group and has been living in Hong Kong for a decade. “We need to keep our culture with us. We need to explore this culture with international people.”

The dancers of Singo Wiromo said they enjoyed taking part in citywide events. One of their favourites is the annual Hong Kong Flower Show, which takes place every March in Victoria Park and always attracts big crowds. It gives the dancers and their traditional East Java dancing more exposure.

Bonds like a family

It can be tough for the members of Singo Wiromo to find time in their busy schedules to rehearse. Many of them are domestic helpers who often work 10 hours daily, six days per week. Their only day off is Sunday, so it is dedicated to dance practice.

“It’s not easy to get involved. Every Sunday, we need to come and stay at least half a day,” said Dilla, another member of the group.

They practise from around 2pm to 6pm, taking inspiration from Indonesian dances on YouTube.

Spending so much time together means the group has built strong friendships. The dancers chat and laugh together when they are not practising.

The group calls a woman named Katmini the “mother” of the group. She does not dance, but she oversees the group’s progress and meetings. She calls the dancers her family.

“This is my first family in Hong Kong. Because we separated from our real family, we have created a family here. [No matter] how happy we are, how sad we are, we have to do it together,” she said.

Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

Sample answers

1. Consider this: The dancers in Singo Wiromo are trying to introduce their Indonesian culture to Hong Kong people through dance. This is also how they stay connected to their homeland.

2. Stop and think: The dancers are mostly domestic workers, meaning they have very long schedules, and their only free day, Sunday, is dedicated to practice.

3. Recall: Katmini calls Singo Wiromo her family in Hong Kong because everyone is separated from their real families who live back in Indonesia.