The Symbolic Battle of Coastal Culture in Zapin Dance in Palembang

This writing aims to read the symbolic struggle of coastal culture in the Zapin dance in Palembang. Historians have highlighted many issues of power change, colonialism, and identity politics. Therefore, the focus of this study is the occurrence of conflicts in the cultural identity of the coastal communities in Palembang, South Sumatra, in the presentation of the Zapin dance, which is a symbolic fight expressed in the Zapin Malay dance and the Arabic Zapin dance. The research method used is interviews with key informants, namely traditional dancers and choreographers in Palembang, and Arabic zapin dance artists, the Al-Munawwar Palembang. The data analysis procedure starts with designing the instrument, testing the credibility of the data using triangulation, data grouping, data analysis with interpretation descriptions, and reporting. The analysis results show the occurrence of identity conflicts in coastal communities. This identity resistance is offered through the expression of the Malay zapin dance movement, the symbolic fight of the coastal community. It gives birth to social relations that strengthen the Malay identity.