West Javanese dance is still a modern art performance
Seeing the development of the time, traditional West Javanese dance is still preserved even if life is modern. This effort is deliberately made to ensure that the culture transmitted since time immemorial never fades. The role of culture for a region or tribe is very important as a form of identity in society.
Not only is it an art, but various types of dance are often performed at important events . Dance performance treats always arouse the interest of the community to respect the culture of a region. From government elements, art workers and the community combine with each other to preserve art.
The art of dance is often used to convey a story or story of behavior through rhythmic movement. The sound of gamelan music will accompany the dancer by performing movements aimed at the art of the stage. Until now, it is still found in some regions where traditional events take place.
However, dance does not always appear in sacred ceremonies only because it can be used as folk entertainment. In the development of modern times, of course, art can be well combined without diluting cultural values. To make you more familiar with art, we want to describe it in its entirety based on its popularity.
Jaipong from Sunda is still popular today
Seeing the great development of the dance world, it turns out that there are many aspects that need attention. Different types of dancer movements will provide their own uniqueness during an artistic performance. One of them is art in the form of dance originating in West Java called jaipong.
Jaipong is native to a certain region, which is native to the Karawang region with certain characteristics. In the area, of course, the type of dance has been widely known to the local community because it is a tradition. Starting from a single region, it has now extended to all the inhabitants of the province of West Java.
The uniqueness of this art lies in the costumes worn by the dancers on stage. Accessories on the head are in the form of a bun decorated with flowers and brightly colored clothes. Not to mention also related to the shawl to wrap around the neck of the dancer during the execution of his artistic movements.
The image of West Javanese dance is also accompanied by fast and firm tempo music. Therefore, the dancer’s movements must also be agile in order to keep up with the rhythm and rhythm of the instrument. There is a distinct meaning to be conveyed deliberately through jaipong with the intention that Sundanese women never give up.
In addition to showing an inflexible message, it turns out that there is also a purpose behind the movements of the jaipong dancers. This is related to the existence of a beautiful body and a beautiful face so that it shows a graceful nature. In other words, a woman can certainly be herself through self-confidence.
Ronggeng Bugis must be preserved by the community
Discussing the issue of several dance names, of course, refers to several types at once when entering the land of the Sunda. There are many traditional Western Javanese dances that can be known by people outside the region. You can discuss the existence of one of the types of the Cirebon region with its characteristics.
This type of art refers to the name ronggeng bugis which means Makassar literally. The name comes from the existence of bugi troops after being able to provide help and settle in the Cirebon region. From this history, there began to be a form of community and a fusion of cultures between the two.
Due to the cultural fusion of art, the result is also quite unique as a traditional valuable show. The uniqueness lies in the side of the dancers, who all come from them among the men with thick makeup. For striking natural makeup , this look is also meant to be an attraction in itself.
In this West Javanese dance, the dancer’s costume also uses a light-colored kebaya. The bun is also positioned as a woman with about four or more dancers. The main purpose of the stories and stories brought through the movement is to bring a comic feel.
All movements and choreographies are performed in an attractive way even if they are dressed in full kebaya costumes according to the music. One of the other peculiarities of ronggeng bugis is the freedom of the dancers to create fun improvisations. Knowing this, then at least you can distinguish the type of dance when you are in the area.
Tap Tilu often played in sacred ceremonies
The discussion continues on a unique model of dance art originating in West Java is tap tilu. To know the differences on the basis, this dance pattern is often held during certain sacred events. Because they are considered sacred, spiritual ceremonies are very similar to the presentation of dance movements as performances.
Few people understand the differences in the different types of uniqueness in the type of tilu faucet. Usually, the dance model will take place during the reception of the rice harvest period by the community. The kingdom and the owner of the rice fields will often organize these artistic performances and become folk entertainment.
Tap dancing is accompanied by the main musical instrument in the form of a rebab which is a traditional classical instrument. This musical instrument was commonly found in royal times to provide musical accompaniment to dance. The dancer will follow the movements according to the melody and tempo of the music so that the results are integrated.
Western Javanese regional dances use unique costumes with a full kebaya, but tend to be more likely to be dark colors. The dancers are performed by women in accordance with the dispositions of the creators of this art of dance in detail. However, there are pairs of male dancers who also wear leather headbands and belts.
During the staging, you will be able to enjoy the performance with the music of the gamelan throughout the dance. So far, there are still many types of dance in various performance venues depending on the event. It is therefore not surprising that until every time tap tilu is still safe as a tradition left by the ancestors.
Cirebon masks are very flexible for telling stories
Trying to understand the various arts belonging to a region must be done by the community. All kinds of traditions still need to be passed on to the next generation so as not to disappear from civilization. Therefore, art must have an appeal for the needs of entertainment shows for the public.
The West Java dance to discuss in detail is the Cirebon mask that uses characters. The masks have different natural shapes for each model so that each viewer can get to know the characters more easily. Also, the mask dance has 5 different types and names for performances.
The names on the masks include pennant masks, samba, patih, rumyang and kelana with their own characters. At first, this dance model was born from street artists and then developed over time. In fact, there began to be many people who were able to appreciate the art of dance despite modern times.
According to the mask of the five wanda, later dancers will wear various models depending on certain stories and stories. Adjustments are needed to make the character’s form more relevant to the dancer’s story . In addition, the music must also be presented according to the story so that the movements remain in rhythm.
In general, the Cirebon mask dance carries a message in the form of all the problems in life that humans will face. The fact is that each dance model will have its own uniqueness depending on the purpose and how to play the art. In this way, there is no doubt that the dances of West Java will always be in demand by the public.