ABSTRACT
Indonesia 2003: Five years after the fall of the New Order, and well into Megawati Sukarnoputri’s administration, the country stabilized from its hotbed of ethnic, religious and political confl icts in its regions. Out of nowhere, a young female singer and dancer of dangdut music, Inul Daratista, attracted the public’s attention. With her so-called “drill dance” (goyang ngebor) she succeeded in achieving national and international media coverage and contributed to heated controversy. The “sexy” performer became the talk of the day and within a short time span, a national debate exploded among politicians, Islamic clerics, celebrities and local women’s groups on the question whether or not her performance was morally acceptable.
