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 Gui ...

. 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 The bedhaya (also written as bedoyo, beḍaya and various other transliterations) ( jv, ꦧꦼꦝꦪ, translit=Bedhaya) is a sacred, ritualised Javanese dance of Java, Indonesia, associated with the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Alon ...

'' and '' srimpi'' dance. However, in a wider sense, Javanese dance also includes the dances of Javanese commoners and villagers such as '' ronggeng, tayub, reog,'' and '' jaran kepang''. Javanese dance and its discipline has different styles and philosophy compared to other Indonesian dance 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, angu ...

or cheerful and slightly sensual Sundanese dance, 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, 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 Su ...

due to the nature of dance being a pusaka 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. ...

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 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 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 epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...

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 K ...

. 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 ( symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Fema ...

, 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 ...

, 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 The bedhaya (also written as bedoyo, beḍaya and various other transliterations) ( jv, ꦧꦼꦝꦪ, translit=Bedhaya) is a sacred, ritualised Javanese dance of Java, Indonesia, associated with the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Alon ...

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 mo ...

, 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 '' ronggeng, gandrung'' and ''tayub'', while others are celebratory dances such as '' reog'' and '' kuda lumping''. The movement of social dances, such as ''ronggeng'' and ''tayub'' are more vigorous and often erotic, closely related to Sundanese '' jaipongan''. 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,

East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a 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 border its northern and ...

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. 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 identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

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 Prambanan 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