SPAFA Digest 1982-3-2
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41 The Traditional Performing Arts of Indonesia by I Made Bandem, Sal Mur- giayanto and I. G.B.N. Pandi The Performing Arts hove three functions religious, ceremonial and entertainment. Indonesia is the largest archipela- its influence was reflected in the Indonesia's past still survive, kept go in the world. It consists roughly respect for religious learning and alive by the vital Indonesian way of of 13,000 islands, 6,000 of which, law. life. covering 60% of the land area, are Some groups, however, were Performing Arts: A Way to populated. It has extremely diverse generally left untouched by foreign Implore the Gods population, with different historical powers, although they had at times and socio-cultural backgrounds. become prey of Christian mission- Based upon practices of ancestor Over 300 ethnic groups which aries. They include the Toraja of worship, the performing arts are in- speak over 250 distinct languages Celebes; Dayak of interior Bor- digenous in origin and are entirely are found in the various islands. As neo; people of Halamahera and the religious and magical in nature. a nation, however, Indonesia is hinterlands of most of the lesser They were, and the surviving forms bound by one language commonly Sunda Islands; and the Gayo, Re- still are, preformed not for aesthe- known as Bahasa Indonesia. jang and Lampung of Sumatra. A tics or entertainment but for prac- Aside from its inherent diver- number of small groups like the tical reasons such as to implore for sity, the culture of Indonesia has Batak, Minangkabau, Minahassans rain, or to free the community been mingled with foreign influen- and Ambonese was also able to from curse such as epidemic etc. ces. Hinduism left a strong mark in maintain its own identity. These performing arts, mainly the way the society stresses formal Each ethnic group of Indonesia dances, have a communal nature etiquette and recognition of class developed its own characteristics and involve a high degree of distinction between aristocrat and and arts. Dozens of styles and hun- audience participation. Performers commoner, the admiration given dreds of forms of performing arts are drawn entirely from the local spiritual and social refinement, and have survived and been inherited by community and, thus, efforts are the intensive cultivation of the arts. generation after generation. Others on behalf of the community. The international spice trade are still being created. Probably to Costumes worn are made of brought in both Orientals — Malay, enrich the original, some have in- leaves, plant fibres and animal skins. Makassarese, Chinese, Moslem In- corporated foreign cultural ele- Masks of a type like Kuda Kepang dians and Arabs — and Occidentals ment that are compatible with the and West Java Kuda Lumping are — Potuguese, Dutch, English and nature of Indonesians. Despite their often donned. Accompaniment is Americans. They left their imprints different stages of development, provided by the Ketungan, a sim- on the culture also. Islam, too, held these performing arts exist simul- ple slit drum, whose interlocking sway especially in the coastal area; taneously in the country. rhythmic patterns became the source of the elaborate imbal of the Java- The Indonesian Performing nese and Balinese gamelan today. A portion of the country Arts in Contemporary Society Vocal music by male chorus and report given by the Indonesian Performing arts, that is music chanting by female choral group delegates during the Workshop and dance drama, have been an im- also accompany the dances. Their on Technological Develop- portant aspect of Indonesia's cul- high pitch is usually employed to ment and Traditional Perform- create a mood of expectation. ing Arts held in Jakarta in tural life throughout its long his- December 1981. tory. Examples of performing art The indigenous Indonesian dance forms from the various period of does not seem to have any narrative 42 The wooden masks used in the presentation of the Wayang Topeng... Radem Panji Inu Kenta ...Dewa Galuk Candra Kirama elements; in surviving examples, the putting one or more dancers into elements of the plot and charac- a trance to receive possessing divi- terizations are absent. In general, nities by means of incense, chant- dance in this context may be re- ing and prayers. Then, inhabited garded entirely as an adjunct to by animal god spirits, the perfor- worship. mers interact with the audience and occasionally with each other, An example is the Hudoq, a dance and mimic animal move- generic term for mask-dance of ments. In some localities, they the Dayaks in East Kalimantan. speak as oracles. The performance The Kenyan group, also of Kali- invariably involves improvisation by mantan, has four types of Hudoq the visiting spirits and they often dance: Hudoq Kibah, Hudoq Taing, step on hot coal fire. An element Hudoq Kita and Hudoq Maok. It of ritual purification, even of exor- is a ritual of fertility related to the cism, is present in all varieties of seasonal cultivation of rice. Hudoq this dance. The Balinese Sang is usually performed to comfort the Hyang Jaran is accompanied by a Spirit of Each (Bali Tana) and to Cak chorus, a group of men drawn chase away evil spirits who might from the audience who chant, sing harm the rice during its planting, and make distinctive vocal percus- growing and harvesting seasons. sive patterns. A scene in a traditional dance Another example is the Kuda narrating the Ramayana Kepang, it may be the most recent among the indigenous dance in Cen- Ceremonial Dances tral Java. The genre is also found in West Java where it is known as Another function of the Indo- Kuda Lumping and in Bali where it nesian performing arts is to serve as a is called Sang Hyang Jaran. It is supplementary item in ceremonial performed by two to six people, activities to enlighten and to accom- each riding a hobby horse of woven plish a certain atmosphere. Dances bamboo. of this type were introduced dur- All of these dances involve ing the Hindu period in Indonesia. 43 Islam period in Sumatra. The Rangguk is performed by girls. They sing and dance to the accom- paniment of rebana, an Indonesian single-headed drum. The dance is performed during harvest time, wedding ceremony and the com- memoration of the Prophet Mo- hammad's birth. In the dance literature about Indonesia, stress has been placed on the Hindu and Islamic influen- ces; less on that of the Chinese, One dance, Barong, however seems to have a strong Chinese character. Its ancestor is surely the Chinese lion dance which appeared during the Tang dynasty, seventh to 10th centuries, and spread to many parts of Eastern Asia. Originally, it could have been a showman's substitute for the real "lion acts" performed by itinerant professional entertainers who followed seasonal fairs and festivals. Associated with Buddha, the Chinese lion dance ac- quired an exorcist connotation The Barong, an animal which represents goodness and readiness which is still believed today. When to come to the aid of people in need the Barong dance first appeared is unknown, but it has existed in Little is known of the characteris- tury, it started telling the story of many places in Java and Bali for a tics of the early Hindu Javanese Panji, the hero of the Wayang. long time now. court dance before approximately After the fall of the Majapahit the 12th century AD when the kingdom, the centre of Hinduism, Dances for Entertainment oldest of the presently surviving and the rise of the Islamic king- dance forms, the Wayang Topeng, dom in Central Java, the cultural The Indonesian performing arts was developed in Ja during the activities shifted from the East to are also used to entertain. Dances Singasari era. But Gambuh, the Bali- Central Java. The Wayang Topeng, are usually performed for recrea- nese dance drama performed for very much alive, became the in- tion and on occasions connected ceremonial purpose, was probably spiration of the present Javanese with religious observances. Gan- brought from Java to Bali follow- Wayang Wong. drung (meaning infatuation) dance ing the reconquest of the island by The latter, also a dance drama, is of Bali best illustrates this form of Gajah Mada in 1343 AD. It is the an harmonious combination of performing arts. It is a social dance oldest and most formal of the many dance, music and drama. The story performed by two girls which inclu- varieties of dance-drama on the becomes an integral part of Wayang des an ibing-ibingan — two girls tap island. Archaic, formal and very Wong. It has provided the struc- the shoulders of the spectators and stately, Gambuh has much to be ture and characterization for later invite them to dance on the stage. appreciated for — its classic beauty plays and dances in Java. The prin- At present, Indonesians are creat- and its importance as an archety- cipal characters speak in Javanese ing many modern dances. A few pical form of Balinese dance. Dan- and a dhalang, a story teller, sits in of the choreographers of the new cer-actors chant and intone their front of the orchestra to comment genres include Bangong Kusudi- speeches accompanied by an or- on the action of the play. The hardjo, Wisnu Wardana, Sardono, chestra with a unique sound of presentation is accompanied by the Sal Murgiyanto, Made Netra, and wailing flutes. Javanese gamelan, both Slendro and Wayan Dibia. Sardono has been Wayang Topeng, a masked dance- Pe/og which consist of percussive very successful in establishing the drama, may be the oldest form of instruments. status of modern dance in Indone- Javanese dance drama. It first ap- The Islamic influence in the In- sia with his works such as Cak Rina, peared at the Kediri kingdom in donesian performing arts is also Rama Samgita and Wanita dari East Java in the" 12th century AD.