The Betawi mask dance ( id, Tari Topeng Betawi) is a theatrical form of

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

and

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

Betawi people Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language * Betawi cuisine *Betawi mask dance See also * Batavia (disambiguation) * Batavi (disambiguation) Batavi may refer to: *Batavi (Germanic tribe) **Revolt of the Batavi *Batavi (military unit) *Ba ...

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

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 ...

. This dance-drama encompasses dance, music, ''bebodoran'' (comedy) and ''lakon'' (drama). The Betawi mask dance demonstrates the theme of Betawi society life which represented in the form of dance and drama. It is called mask dance because the dancers using ''topeng'' (mask) during dancing which Betawi people believed that the ''topeng'' has magical powers.

History and origin

The Betawi mask dance was first created by Mak Kinang and Kong Djioen in 1930 which was inspired by

Cirebonese mask dance Cirebonese mask dance ( id, Tari Topeng Cirebon) is a local indigenous art form of Cirebon in Java, including Indramayu and Jatibarang, West Java and Brebes, Central Java. It is called mask dance because the dancers use masks when dancing. Ther ...

. This theatrical form of dance drama developed in the area of the Betawi Pinggir community (''Betawi Ora'') in Jakarta.

Social functions

The Betawi mask dance has some social functions in Betawi society. In the past, Betawi people believed that Betawi mask dance has function to keep them away from dangers, diseases and calamities. However, nowadays, Betawi occasions often performed the Betawi mask dance as a part of the occasion, such as in Betawi weddings,

circumcision Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...

s and ''

Lebaran is the popular name for two Islamic official holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in Indonesia, and is one of the major national holidays in the country. holiday officially lasts for two days in the Indonesian calendar, although the governme ...

''.

Musical instruments

In the Betawi mask dance performance, musical instruments that usually played, includes

rebab The ''rebab'' ( ar, ربابة, ''rabāba'', variously spelled ''rebap'', ''rubob'', ''rebeb'', ''rababa'', ''rabeba'', ''robab'', ''rubab'', ''rebob'', etc) is the name of several related string instruments that independently spread via I ...

gong A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

kendang Kendang or Gendang ( jv, ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦝꦁ, translit=Kendhang, su, ᮊᮨᮔ᮪ᮓᮀ, translit=Kendang, ban, ᬓᬾᬦ᭄ᬤᬂ, translit=Kendang, Tausug/Bajau Maranao: ''Gandang'', Bugis: ''Gendrang'' and Makassar: ''Gandrang'' or ''Ganra ...

kempul A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. The kempul is a set of pitched, hanging, knobbed gongs, often made of bronze, wood, and cords. Ranging from 19 cm to 25,4 cm (7 to 10 inches) in diameter, the kempul gong h ...

, kulanter and kecrek.

References

External links

Tari Topeng Betawi of Jakarta - Gema Citra Nusantara @ Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2016 (YouTube)Betawi Dance at SCBD Jakarta (YouTube)
{{Dance of Indonesia Dances of Java Theatre in Indonesia Traditional drama and theatre of Indonesia Masked dances Masquerade ceremonies in Asia