Javanese dance ( id, Tarian Jawa; jv, ꧋ꦠꦫꦶꦗꦮ) is the dances and art forms that were created and influenced by

Javanese culture Javanese culture is the culture of the Javanese people. Javanese culture is centered in the provinces of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java in Indonesia. Due to various migrations, it can also be found in other parts of the world, such as ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. Javanese dance movement is controlled, deliberate and refined. Javanese art often displays a finesse, and at the same time a serene composure which is elevated far above everything mundane. Javanese dance is usually associated with courtly, refined and sophisticated culture of the Javanese kratons, such as the '' bedhaya'' and ''

srimpi The Srimpi ( jv, ꦱꦿꦶꦩ꧀ꦥꦶ, translit=Srimpi) (also written as Serimpi) is a ritualised dance of Java, Indonesia, associated with the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. The ''srimpi'' dance is one of the classical dances of C ...

'' dance. However, in a wider sense, Javanese dance also includes the dances of Javanese commoners and villagers such as ''

ronggeng Ronggeng ( jv, ꦫꦺꦴꦁꦒꦺꦁ, translit=ronggèng) is a type of Javanese dance in which couples exchange poetic verses as they dance to the music of a rebab or violin and a gong. Ronggeng might have originated from Java in Indonesia. Ro ...

, tayub,

reog or ( jv, ꦫꦺꦪꦺꦴꦒ꧀) is a traditional Indonesian dance in an open arena that serves as folk entertainment, contains magical elements, the main dancer is a lion-headed person with a peacock feather decoration, plus several masked dan ...

,'' and '' jaran kepang''. Javanese dance and its discipline has different styles and philosophy compared to other

Indonesian dance Dance in Indonesia ( id, Tarian Indonesia) reflects the country's diversity of ethnicities and cultures. There are more than 1,300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. Austronesian roots and Melanesian tribal forms are visible, and influences ranging ...

traditions. Unlike vigorous and expressive

Balinese dance Balinese dance ( id, Tarian Bali; ban, ᬇᬕᬾᬮᬦ᭄ᬩᬮᬶ) is an ancient dance tradition that is part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese people of Bali island, Indonesia. Balinese dance is dynamic, angula ...

or cheerful and slightly sensual

Sundanese dance Sundanese dances ( id, Tarian Sunda; su, ᮒᮛᮤ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ) is a dance tradition that is a part of ritual, artistic expression as well as entertainment and social conduct among the Sundanese people of West Java and Banten, Indonesia. Sund ...

, Javanese dance are commonly involving slow movements and graceful poses. Javanese dance have somewhat a meditative quality and tends to be more self-reflective, introspective and more oriented toward self-understanding. Javanese dance is usually associated with

Wayang wong ''Wayang wong'', also known as ''wayang orang'' (literally "human ''wayang''"), is a type of classical Javanese and Balinese dance theatrical performance with themes taken from episodes of the '' Ramayāna'' or '' Mahabharāta''. Performances ...

, and the palaces of

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...

and

Surakarta Surakarta ( jv, ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ), known colloquially as Solo ( jv, ꦱꦭ; ), is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 44 km2 (16.2 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoh ...

due to the nature of dance being a

pusaka Pusaka is a Sanskrit word meaning treasure or heirloom. Within Javanese Kejawen culture and other Austronesian cultures affected by it, known as the Malays, but most specifically the inhabitants of modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia ( Minangs) ...

or sacred heirloom from ancestors of the palace rulers. These expressive dances are more than just dances, they are also used for

moral A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. A ...

education, emotional expression, and spreading of the Javanese culture.

Types of Javanese dance

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Reliëf Sudhanakumârâvadâna 19, Borobudur TMnr 60042686

Javanese dance reflects the stratified hierarchy of Javanese society, and roughly can be identified within two mainstream of traditions: #Court dances (''tari kraton'') #Commoner dances (''tari rakyat'')

Court dances (''tari kraton'')

Ramawijaya dan Shinta pada Sendratari Ramayana Prambanan

The courtly Javanese palace dance is the type of dances that developed, nurtured and fostered by Javanese Kratons, mainly

Yogyakarta Sultanate The Sultanate of Yogyakarta ( jv, ꦏꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦤꦤ꧀ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦡꦲꦢꦶꦤꦶꦔꦿꦠ꧀, Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat ; ) is a Javanese monarchy in Yogyakarta Special Region, in the Republic o ...

and

Surakarta Sunanate Surakarta Sunanate ( id, Kasunanan Surakarta; jv, ꦟꦒꦫꦶꦑꦱꦸꦤꦤ꧀ꦤꦤ꧀ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠꦲꦢꦶꦤꦶꦁꦫꦠ꧀, ''Kasunanan/Karaton Surakarta Hadiningrat''; nl, Soerakarta) was a Javanese monarchy centred in the city of ...

, the patrons of Javanese Mataram culture. Javanese sultans are known as the patron and the creator of Javanese court dances. Kraton dances employs sets of rules about certain dance movements, body and hand gestures that requires discipline to learn.

Gamelan Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...

orchestra is the prerequisite for Javanese court dance performances as well as for other Javanese art forms such as

Wayang , also known as ( jv, ꦮꦪꦁ, translit=wayang), is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet itself is referred to as . Perfor ...

performances. The serene elegance, slow pace and constrains of its movements gave Javanese dance a meditative traits. Javanese court dances were heavily influenced by Javanese

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

legacy. As the result the costumes, jewelry and story, often reflects or based on Hindu epic tales of

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

and

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

. There are three basic types of courtly Javanese kraton dance: #''Beksan putra'' – These are the dances for men, which serve two purposes: a military close-order drill and highlighting martial skills. Dancers may learn beksan putra dances to familiarize themselves with the movements for narrative dances. #''Beksan putri'' – ''Putri'' is the Javanese word for

female Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gamet ...

, and these dances include courtly dances designed for royal events with very precise movements and distinct staging with subtle layers of meaning. Such dances were often used for entertainment or courtship. #''Beksan wayang'' – These are narrative dances from epic

poems Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in a ...

, and usually are named after the characters in them, usually an alus-style hero and a gagah-style villain.

''Bedhaya''

Surakarta *Bedhaya Ketawang *Bedhaya Pangkur *Bedhaya Duradasih *Bedhaya Mangunkarya *Bedhaya Sinom *Bedhaya Endhol-endhol *Bedhaya Gandrungmanis *Bedhaya Kabor *Bedhaya Tejanata *Bedhaya Dempel *Bedhaya La la *Bedhaya To lu *Bedhaya Alok Yogyakarta *Bedhaya Semang *Bedhaya Tirta Hayuningrat *Bedhaya Bedhah Madiun *Bedhaya Partha Krama *Bedhaya Sinom Mangkunegara *Bedhaya Anglir Mendung *Bedhaya Bedhah Madiun Pakualam *Bedhaya Angron Akung *etc. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Bedoyo danseressen aan het hof van de sultan van Yogyakarta TMnr 3728-444.jpg, The court of the Sultan of

, c. 1876. Performance of Bedhaya Sacred Dance accompanied by Javanese Gamelan Ensemble. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Bedoyo dansvoorstelling tijdens het huwelijk van Hoesein Djajadiningrat en Partini in de kraton van Prang Wedono (Mangkoe Negoro VII) de vader van de bruid Solo TMnr 60020674.jpg, Bedhaya dance performance at the wedding in Mangkunegaran Palace,

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

, in January 1921. File:KITLV 11564 - Kassian Céphas - The bedojos a sembah (tribute) to the Sultan of Yogyakarta - 1884.tif, The bedhaya dancers doing a sembah (tribute) to the Sultan of

in 1884. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Bedoyo danseressen aan het hof van de Susuhunan van Solo Soerakarta TMnr 60001443.jpg, The Bedoyo dancers at the Susuhunan Palace Solo,

, between 1910 and 1930.

''Srimpi''

Surakarta *Serimpi Ludira Madu *Serimpi Sangupati *Serimpi Gondokusuma *Srimpi Renggowati Yogyakarta *Srimpi Pandelori *Srimpi Jebeng *Srimpi Muncar *Srimpi Pramugari Mangkunegara *Serimpi Anglir Mendung Pakualam *Srimpi Renyep *etc. 2011-06-05 TTF 46.jpg, The elegant dance of Srimpi. Tari "Srimpi Dhempel" Puro Pakualaman.jpg, Srimpi Dhempel. KITLV 115029 - Isidore van Kinsbergen - Serimpi female dancers of the Regent of Bandung - 1863-1865.tif, "Serimpi" dancers of the Regent of

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...

(circa 1864) File:Serimpi Dancer in Yogyakarta, Kota Jogjakarta 200 Tahun, plate before page 137.jpg, Srimpi Dancer in Yogyakarta.

''Golek''

*Golek lambang sari *Bondan * Bambangan Cakil *Topeng *Banda Baya *Wiropratomo *Golek Menak *etc.

''Gambyong''

*Gambyong Retno Kusumo *Gambyong *etc.

''Beksan''

*Beksan Lawung *Beksan Anglingkusuma *Beksan Jangerana *Beksan Panji Ketawang *Beksan Wireng *Klana Raja *Klana Alus

''Wayang wong''

*Wayang wong File:Beksan Puri Melati Gagrak Pakualaman 04.jpg, Beksan Puri Melati dance File:Penari Beksan Jebeng.jpg, Beksan Jebeng dance File:Gambyong Langenkusuma Pj DSC 1322.JPG, Gambyong Langenkusuma dance File:Javanese-style dance at the 8th Malam Anugerah Sastra, Inna Garuda, Yogyakarta 2014-10-22 01.jpg, Javanese-style dance at the 8th Malam Anugerah Sastra, Inna Garuda, Yogyakarta

Commoner dances (''tari rakyat'')

''Topeng endel''

''Kethek ogleng''

''Lengger''

Lengger lanang

''Sintren''

''Angguk''

''Barongan''

''Tayub''

''Ronggeng''

''Kuda lumping''

''Topeng malang''

''Reog''

''Remo''

It's the popular dances of the commoner. This is the type of Javanese dances that developed in villages or cities that located relatively quite far from Javanese kratons as the center of Javanese palace culture. Kawulo dances is lack in Javanese courtly dance discipline, constraints, and refinements. This type of dance relatively more open and adaptive to local preference as well as foreign influences. Several dance forms function as courtship or social dance such as ''

gandrung ''Gandrung'' ( jv, ꦒꦤ꧀ꦝꦿꦸꦁ; Osing: ; ban, ᬕᬦ᭄ᬤ᭄ᬭᬸᬂ; pey, Gandroeng) is a traditional dance from Indonesia. ''Gandrung'' has many variations and is popular in Bali, Lombok and Eastern Java among the Balinese, Sa ...

'' and ''tayub'', while others are celebratory dances such as ''

'' and '' kuda lumping''. The movement of social dances, such as ''ronggeng'' and ''tayub'' are more vigorous and often erotic, closely related to

Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...

jaipongan Jaipongan (), also known as Jaipong, is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people from Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and pencak silat movements. Background In 1961, I ...

''. Because of the erotic nuances, those who perform this type of dance are sometimes perceived as intentionally being suggestive or even openly advertising sexual favors. File:GREBEG SURO PONOROGO 1.jpg, Singo Barong performance at Festival Reog Nasional in

Ponorogo Ponorogo Regency ( id, Kabupaten Ponorogo; jv, ꦑꦧꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦦꦤꦫꦒ, translit=Kabupatèn Pånårågå) is a regency (''kabupaten'') of East Java, Indonesia. It is considered the birthplace of Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indone ...

East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...

File:Kuda Lumping 1.jpg, Kuda Lumping also called "Jaran Kepang", is a traditional Javanese dance depicting a group of troops riding horses. File:Javanese Dance Ramayana Shinta 2.jpg, Shinta in Javanese

Wayang Wong dance performance,

Prambanan Prambanan ( id, Candi Prambanan, jv, ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ, Rara Jonggrang) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the P ...

. File:Tari Remo.jpg, Remo dance

Gallery

File:Beksan Nir Corona Keraton Yogyakarta.webm, thumbtime=1:25, Beksan Nir Corona, a dance about

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

prevention performed at Kraton Ngayogyakarta File:Raffles A Ronggeng or dancing girl.jpg, Ronggeng dance File:Isaac Israels, Javanese dancer.jpg, Painting of Javanese dance File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Javaanse danseressen TMnr 3204-367.jpg, Painting of Javanese dance

External links

Gambyong Sukoretno dance
at

Mangkunegaran The Duchy of Mangkunegaran ( id, Kadipaten Mangkunegaran) is a small Javanese princely state located within the region of Surakarta in Indonesia. It was established in 1757 by Raden Mas Said, when he submitted his army to Pakubuwono III in Fe ...

palace
Golek Sulung Dayung dance
at

palace
Ramayana Javanese dance
at

temple

References

*Brakel-Papenhuyzen, Clara (1995)''Classical Javanese Dance'' Leiden KITLV Press *Soedarsono (1984) ''Wayang Wong'' Yogyakarta Gadjah Mada University Press {{DEFAULTSORT:Javanese Dance Javanese culture Dances of Java Dances of Indonesia