Linggih & Sudarsana. Space and Culture, India 2020, 7:4 Page | 45 https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v7i4.580 SPECIAL ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS The Dynamics of Rejang Renteng Dance in Bali as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World I Nyoman Linggih† and I Ketut Sudarsana†* Abstract This current study is intended to interpret a Balinese cultural product which has taken root in and connected to the Hindu religious system, namely the Rejang Renteng dance. Apart from becoming a cultural product, it also functions as a social cohesion as it involves a significant number of dancers who are children, women, elderly people and the homemakers who become the members of an organisation known referred to as PKK (Family Welfare Education). They interact with one another. The growth and development of the dance have been used as the icon of every Hindu religious activity in Bali, and also as an icon of different social activities. The question is why the Rejang Renteng dance has developed more rapidly than the other dance forms. This current study is also intended to answer different matters on the Rejang Renteng dance, which cannot be separated from the dynamics of the development of the Balinese society which is changing in the current globalisation era. It is also intended to explore the shift in its meaning, function and, which has taken place from the beginning until the current times. The current study was conducted at Masceti Temple Gianyar, Karangasem and Denpasar. The qualitative method, especially the observation, interview and documentary techniques, were applied to collect the data. The data were analysed through four steps; they are reduction, classification, interpretation and conclusion drawing. The informants were determined using the purposive method as they had been determined based on their capacities. The result of the study shows that (1) the Rejang Renteng dance (Rente) can only be performed by the women attaining menopause and are appointed by what is locally referred to as Ida Betara (the God who resides at the temple where the dance is performed) and may not be replaced by others; (2) a purification ceremony is held for the dance; therefore, it is classified as a sacred dance locally referred to as Tari Wali; (3) the Rejang Renteng dance (Rerejangan), which is seasonally performed, is referred to as the Balih-balihan dance; it is a result of the creative reconstruction made by the artists who were inspired by the sacred Rejang dance (Tari Wali). It is massively performed by the women who are the members of the PKK organisation for which no purification ceremony is held. Being a sacred dance, the Rejang Renteng dance is only performed at the temples or the other holy places; however, the creatively reconstructed Rejang Renteng dance can be performed as a part of different religious and social activities. Symbolically, it is a cosmic dance which refers to the concept of the event when the angels descend from the heaven to watch the ritual performed by human beings and is performed in the formation of a circle (renteng). Its sacred meaning empties into the concept of satyam (the truth), siwam (holiness), and sundaram (beauty). Keywords: Dynamics of the Rejang Renteng dance, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Bali † Universitas Hindu Negeri I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia *Corresponding Author, Email: [email protected] © 2020 Linggih & Sudarsana. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Linggih & Sudarsana. Space and Culture, India 2020, 7:4 Page | 46 Introduction . The Amusement dances (Tari Balih- The rapid development of the technology of Balihan) (Legong Kraton dance, Joged information is one of the factors causing people Bumbung dance and Barong Ket to be dynamic. As a result, people should adjust “Kuntisraya” dance). themselves to different changes. Several values The appreciation mentioned above causes the which are currently established will tend to dynamics of the Rejang Renteng dance to be change, leading to psychological restlessness urgently discussed so that different problem and crisis of identity (Frosh, 1991:12). Apart from linked to its changes can be explained to the that, traditions will change qualitatively; in other world— that its meaning is still highly valuable words, the levels of traditions, concepts and within the Hindu cultural and religious values symbols change; certain values are added, and embedded in the concepts of Satyam (the truth), the others are discarded (Sztompka, 2007: 72). Siwam (holiness) and Sundaram (beauty) Cultural expressions and the functions of (Dharma Suteja, 2017:1). Indeed, it has already different institutions may also change resulting had the Act No. 5 of 2017 concerning cultural from stimulations and the introduction of new furtherance as its juridical foundation. The concepts from inside and outside societies question is should the Rejang Renteng dance, as (Sedyawati, 2010: 383). Besides, the art aspect, a sacred dance, only be performed at the as an element of the Balinese culture, which is temples? One has to keep in mind that the highly related to the Hindu religious ceremonies, Rejang Renteng dance has tended to have especially those held in Bali, also changes. This is developed into a folk dance which can be affirmed by Bandem (in Yasa, 2018:1), that in Bali performed everywhere for different activities. no religious ceremonies can be stated to have As stated above, the Rejang Renteng dance, also been completed without any performing art. known as the Rejang Dewa dance, as a sacred One of the dances which cannot be separated dance of Bali is concerned it is commonly from the Hindu religious ceremonial system in performed by young girls or women who do not Bali is the Rejang dance. menstruate, and according to the Balinese As an attempt to maintain the Rejang dance as peoples’ belief, they are religioiusly purified. an intangible cultural product, it was determined Although they are religiously purified, they are to be an Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage obliged to take part in the ritual referred to as by the Minister of Education and Culture of the the majaya-jaya ritual in which they are Republic of Indonesia on 20 October 2015 with supposed to do a religious activity known as the registration number 85149/MPK.E/Da/2015. natab banten prayascita, tebasan durmanggala, Suteja claims that nine Balinese dances were and byukaonan. This type of Rejang dance is determined as the World’s Intangible Cultural usually performed by nine dancers or an odd Heritages on 2 December 2015 in Windhoek, number of dancers. Namibia by UNESCO (the United Nations Recently, the forms of the Rejang Renteng dance Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) have been re-developed; one of its forms is that (Suteja, 2017 : 1). They were divided into three it has been performed by a great number of genres of the Traditional Dances in Bali. They homemakers who are members of the PKK are: organization and are not religiously purified; in other words, it has massively been performed, . The Sacred dances (Tari Wali) which include Rejang dance, Dadari dance and and the dancers do not necessarily involve in the Baris Upacara dance; religious activity mentioned above. No . The Semi Sacred dances (Tari Bebali) purification ritual is performed for them. This which include Sidhakarya Mask dance, form of the Rejang Renteng dance has been Gambuh Dance Drama and Wayang developed in almost every traditional neighbourhood unit (banjar) in Bali. Why has Wong Dance Drama; Linggih & Sudarsana. Space and Culture, India 2020, 7:4 Page | 47 this taken place? It does not function to welcome The approach used in the current study is the and direct (penuntun and pemendak) the Gods phenomenological approach in which how who desecend to the earth. It has been human beings construct important meanings voluntarily performed as a part of the temple and concepts in the framework of inter- festival to amuse those who are present at the subjectivity is interpreted. Phenomenology temple festival. Apart from that, it has also been assumes that human being actively interprets performed to commemorate the anniversary of her/his experiences and tries to understand the the Independence Day of Bali, the anniversary of world using her/his personal experiences the establishment of the young people’s (Littlejohn, 2009 : 57). The phenomenon of the organisation, the anniversary of the Rejang Renteng dance reflects a dependent establishment of a city, and to welcome the reality as its meaning needs further Governor, Regent, Political figure who come interpretation. The following section discusses before the general election is held. The form the results: which is performed by the homemakers, does Results and Discussion not symbolise the angels coming from heaven. They voluntarily perform it to amuse themselves Form and Procession of the Rejang Renteng after being busy with the household chores. Why dance has this been performed enthusiastically and The form and procession of the Rejang Renteng massively? It is this phenomenon which needs to dance refer to the concepts of (1) Satyam, be explored scientifically. namely the structure of how truly the art The study begins with a brief description of the product is produced; (2) Siwam, namely the research method. Following this, the results of process or form of the purification of the art the study are critically analysed and discussed. product; (3) Sundaram, the form of the art product which can be enjoyed from the Research Method viewpoint of its beauty (Granoka, 1998: 15). The The key aim of the study was to explore the anthology of the sacred Rejang Renteng dance dyanmics of Rejang Renteng dance in Bali as an was adopted from mamungkah, ngenteg linggih, intangible cultural heritage of the world.