SATWIKA: Kajian Ilmu Budaya dan Perubahan Budaya http://ejournal.umm.ac.id/index.php/JICC Volume 1, Nomor 1 hlm ….. PISSN EISSN

WOMAN AS ACTRESS OF TRADITIONAL PERFORMING ARTS AND GENDER JUSTICE IN EAST JAVA

Arif Budi Wurianto The University of Muhammadiyah

Abstract Main problem is whether gender justice and equality in art performance, mainly in traditional art performance, have become central issues in efforts to socialize and as a gender mainstream in Education, Law, Economy, Politic, and Social. In general and traditional art performance, woman always involved, especially the main actresses in various art performances, they are adored both as ”diva or idol‘ who are able to attract people and also are humiliated because, in some occasions, she shows her over-sensuality so that it humiliates her dignity as a woman. The both positions generate a number of questions about position of gender mainstream and its advocating.

INTRODUCTION actress and art performance There is statement that in art organizer. woman is also marginalized. The Results of some researches meaning of the above statement is inform that there are still very deep, because in the world of unbalancing in the society about art, such as art of literature, certain values that cornering woman performance art, sculpture art, as an actress in art performance in recording art, skill art, and so on, expressing their art acting. woman, beside as an object of art Nevertheless, income received by work, in the process of art action, she actress is not balance with her also has never got responsive justice professionalism only because she is a and equality gender. Art constitutes a woman. Woman as an organizer human cultural product that neutral often finds difficulties to get access in gender, both man and woman have of credit for art performance and equality in creation and utilize it for lobby of cultural communication social and cultural life. In the life of only because she is a woman. Beside traditional performance art, woman that, there is still negative is much involved, both as an actress perspective to woman as an actress of active art and as performance because of its performance schedule organizer. Woman often identified as and their involvement with many a powerless art object. Even, in people. Based on the reality of traditional performance art that woman as an actress in traditional art should be neutral in gender, woman performance, it needs other is involved in stressing a brand perspective in viewing woman as she suffering gender inequality and conducting their traditional art injustice. This is a gender injustice performance activities. This new and a gender inequality for woman in perspective could be started from getting the same rights both as redefinition based on the cultural

studies as basis for providing new ”jathil‘ dancer that lead to paradigms that refer to conceptual in discriminative and exploitative nature. The redefinition is done as a treatment. This injustice treatment starting point of efforts to advocate happened, mainly in performance of woman, find concept and steps of ” obyok‘, where its dancer participatory strategy in helping performance seems free and woman who active in public sector in unrestricted. The injustice treatment traditional art performance to get her includes; sexual flatter, through gender justice. momentum of ”saweran‘ (chances Yet, gender injustice is for audience, mainly men, to dance caused by the existing social together with her while giving tip by construct. Patriarchy tradition makes touching body of the ”jathil‘ dancer; woman is marginalized and get woman is forced to obey to man gender injustice and always been as through ”edreg‘ dance (”jathil‘ an art object that lead to show her dancer gives respond in the form of sexual exotics in art, this ultimately captive attitude to ”barongan‘ and lead to sexual flatter that offend ”ganongan‘ dancers every after woman self-dignity and self-esteem. performing her dance); the attribute Moreover, beside as a sexual object of easy-woman to ”jathil‘ dancer is in art exotics, there are many cases caused by costume models (gaudy in indicating that woman as a subject to dress and makeup or more stressed in sell their sensuality in art activities, beautiful makeup so it looks as a especially in modern popular art and seducer woman); and even there is recording. brand as prostitute woman is caused Main problem is whether by pattern of taking and dropping gender justice and equality in art woman that are not appropriate with performance, mainly in traditional art time schedule agreed by society performance, have become central where the dancer lives, both when issues in efforts to socialize and as a exercising and performing in a stage gender mainstream in Education, (Ekapti Wahyuni, 2008). These Law, Economy, Politic, and Social. examples constitute some cases from Gender issue is, of course, a cultural many art performances in East Java issue, but cultural aspects inside or that are various. seldom discussed whereas it is the Related with world social issue that needs aids and conference about Woman IV in advocating. Some issues have Beijing 1995 that resulted in Beijing happened related with this problem. Platform for Action with basis of One research showed that, for action focusing on 12 critical points, example, woman in art of ”Reog there are some points referred Ponorogo‘ in East Java, it revealed dealing with woman rights and that ”Reog Ponorogo‘ performance woman dignity in traditional art with its ”jathil‘ woman dancer, performance. These points are: beside she brings the art of ”Reog Woman and Poverty, Violence to Ponorogo‘ as increasingly Woman, Woman and Economy, appreciated by wider societies, it also woman in authority and decision generate injustice treatment to taking, and rights for woman. These

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points have close relation to the woman. Woman often been treated woman role in traditional art as an object of masculine authority. performance because, beside as a Masculine authority indicates man form of intellectual and talent views to woman and social capacity in art action, traditional art perception about relationship performance is also as a part of between man and woman based on economy expression activities that the existing values and norms. susceptible to woman flatter and Woman used as agent of injustice. change in tradition of Reog Ponorogo. When government Woman in Traditional Art transfers ”jadhil‘ dancer position Performance ” from man to woman in various In general and traditional art festivals and performance, it gives performance, woman always positive assessment about involved, especially the main acceptability of people appreciation actresses in various art performances, to this reog art. Yet, in the further they are adored both as ”diva or idol‘ development, this art changes that who are able to attract people and they are defeated by masculinity in also are humiliated because, in some art performance. occasions, she shows her over- Nevertheless, in case of sensuality so that it humiliates her art in Banyuwangi, dignity as a woman. The both popularity of Gandrung makes this positions generate a number of performance becomes ”cultural icon‘ questions about position of gender in the city. Meanwhile, Gandrung is mainstream and its advocating. identical with woman dancer. Two Special case could be given, sides accompanying the art of for example, position of Tayub dance Gandrung are (1) gandrung actresses in Ngadisari, Tengger Highland feel that they get cultural when there is ritual in ceremony acknowledgement, so that their talent sequence of ”Kasada‘, position of and capacity constitute her dignity as dancer is respected as theme of ritual subject, (2) in the other side, during central symbolism. Likewise, when gandrung playing, there is always ”tayuban‘ is playing, there is no violation to morality norms, for practice of sexual flatter like example, drug or giving money (tip) ”saweran‘ or giving money by to dancer, these generate people‘s inserting in part of the woman body negative assessment, so that as many tayuban do in some places. gandrung woman dignity is Some cases of dignity humiliating of cornered, (3) this second side woman actress, for example, in one triggers assumption from the of ”puppet show‘ play, when religious group to give distinction comedian ”limbukan or gara-gara‘ assessment, (4) issue of performance which is now often filled with song management that susceptible to request from ”dalang‘ to ”pesinden‘, injustice gender. or material of comedian that often Madura seems identical to conducting sexual flatter through religious society and seldom related words and nonverbal language to to traditional art performance, based

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on Elanie Bouvier research (2004), Java where all players are man. in fact, in part of Northern Madura Player of woman is played by also preserves traditional art transvestite man. Presently, although performance where woman also there is still transvestite man, yet involved. One of Madura traditional woman has taken over this role. art that involves woman is ”Tandha‘. There are two reasons for this, i.e.: Behind this people‘s art, there is (1) As a job chance for woman; man‘s authority that triggers gender (2) As an art innovation and injustice. Actually it is not only opportunity for woman to happened in Madura, almost all pair express. dances, certainly, inserted man‘s orang shows in the authority to woman in the form of royal palace, in the past, also played sexual subject and object. Yet, based by man, including player of woman on research by Riansyah and Ahmad character. This continued until 1930. Zainul Hamdi (2007) reported that Afterward, there is a change where woman role in traditional art is vary, woman character is played by such as phenomenon of woman as woman. In some chances, there is pengrawit and sinden di Northern cross gender actor where man Madura island that utilize traditional character is played by woman. Other art performance as a place to seek a example, there is waranggana living for their family. There are puppet show that usually played by roles of financial manager in art woman, now it is played by man group management and, of course, because their voice like a woman, there is always efforts to look for such as, man from Wonogiri, Central new young and beautiful actress, Java, who becomes part of puppet beside they must face their husband show of Ki Anom Suroto. What the and society with their different problem now is among ability, opinion and views. economy, and emotional comfort. Of course, it is not easy to do this job, Woman as Actress of Traditional although according to the art history, Art Performance in the Social in the past, there was also Space and Patriarch Authority story/legend/myth revealing that Traditional art performance singer is originally from man who that is still supported by people with has voice like woman both in around their local traditional culture of Gods and human being. Based on provides phenomenon of social space the above example, it can be for woman actress and their categorized that position of powerless on the patriarch authority. traditional art actors is in position as Woman position in the traditional art transvestite, (2) relationship between performance is not far from their woman and man in traditional art function and role in the traditional art performance is in the position of performance in the sequence of cross gender, (3) relationship history. In the past, traditional art between woman and man in performance always played by man. traditional art performance is in the Some example can be mentioned on position of substitution in the art performance of in East meaning of woman position can be

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substituted by man and conversely. explanation about the meaning of (1) Moreover in this relationship, their man plays as woman character role in traditional art performance is (female impersonator), (2) woman done because of their ability in art, character played by man transvestite beside also as a means to get as the spiritual meaning for getting economic income, how is the justice purity, (3) social and cultural position and gender equality in the engineering from cross gender social relations? phenomenon in art performance, and Woman as actress of (4) role of limens position of man in traditional art performance in social woman character as phenomenon of space and patriarch authority man sinden in puppet show, and (5) constitute a paradox. There is no in each body of both man and gender difference between man and woman as subject. woman in terms of expression. What Female impersonator or man the problem is the meaning of their player who plays as woman character role and public space. Clifford constitutes an illustration of Geertz (1973) mentioned it as human character in art performance that who deceived in the net that they utilizes man to play woman spin by themselves. Mary Douglas character. It can happen, for (in Simatupang, 2005: viii) example, in wayang topeng, Malang, categorized human body into Wayang Gong in , Arja in Bali, physical and social body, economy or wayang topeng in the Royal body, and symbolic body. Various Palace in Java. It is based on various statements confirm the important factor, for example, spiritual reason meaning of a body in human life. and belief or skill factor of Meanwhile, Alma Gottlieb (in traditional art performance by man. Simatupang, 2005: viii) stated that Actually, if it is played by woman inherent in physical body there are herself is no problem, yet, cultural social body and natural body that are reason will become a problem. In intervened and arranged and also turn, man character that is played by make it as human body (cultural woman is an innovation of gender body) from woman (female) and man relationship. It can be seen from (male) that ultimately create woman Dolalak art in Purworejo Regency, and man. In traditional art . In this art, there are performance, often happened cross religious, magic, and social elements gender playing where woman that are played by woman as character is played by man or man representation of symbol system in character is played by woman. the history of Dolalak art. There is Woman as actress in balancing among social, politic, traditional art performance, in some economy and cultural access from cases, still occurred ”body this art performance (Prihartini, borrowing‘. There are many realities 2003). in the traditional art performance in Woman character is played Indonesia where ones borrow body by transvestite man as a spiritual for a character or woman as the role body meaning for getting ”purity‘. subject. In gender relation, it needs This is based on the developed myths

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in the society. An actor, Ki Soleh only in Indonesia, In Japan, Kabuki Adipramono from Tumpang, and Takarazuka art are also utilize Malang, states that if we review from cross gender as a tradition. Social art history in Nusantara, why are and cultural engineering are more there man and woman? And also viewed as an art creation with why is there not man and not domination of man entering to woman? In popular we call them woman world. But in a case of Arja banci, wadam, waria, and art performance in Bali, there are technically we call them as many names and characters of transsexual or transvestite. This is woman are played by actors. caused by their role as purifier from Limens position role of man the world that has been polluted by in the woman character is man (pure) man and woman, they function as who has ability and also has voice mediator. Although it is not in the like woman. This is happened in field of art performance, bassu (The some cases and the relationship of Royal Buton Monks) in South gender is not a problem except there Sulawesi also function as mediator are some social views. For example, and guard of the world purity. Apart in case of Wiyarto, a man who has from this reason, role of transvestite ability to be a sinden because he has like Ludruk in East Java, in soma voice like woman and he sit in cases, also help them in working and balance with woman sinden in looking for income because in accompanying puppet show of Ki outside of the art performance they Anom Suroto. Similar case also are find difficult to get job as their happened in Sunda. nature. In some cases, surely, they Role as a subject in each man try to play a role of woman as and woman body, called ”self‘. With originally. Now, in Jombang and all nature and ability they have, both Mojokerto, and Surabaya, it is man and woman act as characters starting to develop woman character and functions in traditional art that is played by real woman in performance. In this ”self‘, gender Ludruk, with various reasons, for unbalance is easy to intervene, example, as her seeking for living, as started from violence in language, her additional seeking for living, as sexual, emotional, and psychology hobby, or as conservation program of and in some cases related with social Province Cultural Agency for and art performance in stage. cultural mission. Woman in social Cross gender in art and cultural engineering derives performance of one self is licentia from phenomenon of cross gender in poetika or rights in expressing and art performance. This is new thing in contemplating, yet, in some terms in art performance. Art innovation traditional art environment and in developed by Mr. Didik traditional conservative people often Hadiprayitno (Didik Nini Thowok) there are many ethic norms and tight from , who, in some esthetic, such as woman limitation in occasions, often plays dancing in art action like how to look with eyes, woman character. He acts, dresses, how to lift one foot, how to put leg, makeup, all in woman. Certainly, not how to step (leap), mainly in dances,

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they should be adapted with Table. 1 character of woman. In nature and in Position and Condition of Man the construct of society culture state and Woman in Traditional Art that woman should be delicate, Performance polite, ethic, with little movement and speak. Meanwhile, handsome Acceptance No Position Econo Cultu man player is also susceptible to Social social like the easiness to attract my re Female accept accepte Acce woman both young girl and young 1 imperso ed d pted mother, and so on. Moreover, nator transvestite man and woman have Woman accept accepte Acce susceptible in norm and ethic issues character ed d pted about the same-gender relationship, played by and so on. Woman, in traditionally, transvest is not polite to be object of shows. ite man Limitation of woman ethic to act in 2 as art performance and domination of spiritual man in the roles of art performance, body meaning certainly, become issue of gender for reaction in social, economy and getting culture. purity Position and condition of Engineer accept accepte Bias man and woman in traditional art ing of ed d social performance including social, and economy and cultural acceptance can culture be seen in table below: from 3 cross gender phenome non in art performa nce Limens accept accepte Acce position ed d pted of man 4 in woman role Role as accept bias bias subject ed in each 5 both man and woman body

Based on the above table, it can be seen that issue of gender

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relationship in traditional art led by woman, developed by woman, performance indicates ”chaos‘ of and played by woman, yet, they have man and woman roles both as ”self‘ not got much attention in balance and ”they selves‘ and their condition roles, functions and rights as in social acceptance. individual. Beside, case of gender Some traditional art experts, injustice and inequality even dignity as in , said that if the role of violence those who work in art woman topeng dancer gets social performance. legitimate as ”empu‘. This is caused In viewpoint of gender by spiritual reason, for example, justice, discrimination and woman is able to carry out marginalization of woman social and reproduction massage as in topeng cultural rights in traditional art panji that reveals the early performance need to be noted and philosophy of universe creation like advocated. This relates with new baby who has minimum treatment and its positioning in roles movement and has not already been of strategic subject in woman colored by action at all. If this dignity. For this interest, we can cultural load gets justice treatment in adopt racism analysis model to give dignity and equality both in public gender justice for traditional art and economy, surely, it will be ideal, performance actress. The model is yet, if there is any sexual flatter, determination of gender analysis, as injustice in work load proportion and individual racism, institutional income, certainly, it needs reasoning racism, and cultural racism. for its advocating. If woman is related with traditional art performance, then Viewpoint of gender justice individual racism relates with Issue of woman as actress of indicators as (a) behavior traditional art performance has not discriminating and subordinating already got much attention in its woman in art, (b) attitude to woman justice and equality and still focusing who susceptible to violence and on economy, politic, social, and dignity. Institutional racism relates education. Although issue of culture, with indicators of (a) position as art especially art performance is still workers who need much attention marginalized in gender mainstream, and gender analysis, (b) law it does not mean that no attention protection, if they get injustice given, because woman expression in treatment relating with their job in art performance indicates expression art performance, (c) equality and of potential, intellectual capacity, justice in economy, both as and dedication to society through art individual who have potential and sector. Woman art experts such as professionalism and access to credit Miss Tjitjih, Srimulat, Christine from banks in operating their art Hakim, even actress in villages who efforts, and (d) social comfort, such dedicate their life for art need much as expectation in health and housing. attention. Further, there are many While in cultural racism, indicators traditional art performances that are that need to be seen are (a) organized professionally by woman, expression of esthetic in dignity, (b)

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normative and ethic values in Kabupaten Purworejo Jawa associating among artists and art Tengah. Mudra, 11(1). audiences. Simatupang, Y. S. (2005). Cross Gender Didik Nini Thowok. BIBLIOGRAPHY Malang: Sava Media. Prihartini, N. S. (2003). Dolalak: Kesenian Rakyat Unggulan

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