Reog is a traditional Indonesian dance form. There are
many types of Reogs in Indonesia, but the most notable ones are Reog Ponorogo
(East Java) and Reog Sunda (West Java). Although both share a similar name,
there is no connection nor similar theme among these traditions. Reog Ponorogo
seems to be the kind of dance that demonstrate physical strength and
extravagant lion-peafowl mask and costumes, while Reog Sunda is a lot more like
a traditional musical comedy and dance.
The leading figures in Reog Ponorogo performance includes:
1. Klono
Sewandono, A men in regal attire wearing mask in proud and pompous dance, play
the role as the King of Ponorogo
2. Bujang Anom,
rough youthful men wearing red mask, they performed acrobatic dances and
sometimes also involved trance.
3. Jatil, the
youthful handsome horsemen riding horses made of weaved bamboo, similar to Kuda
Lumping dance. Today Jatil usually performed by female dancers.
4. Warok, played
as Singa Barong, the mythical creature. The one that allowed to performed this
mask dance is called warok. A warok is the hororary title of local hero or
strongman of the village that possessed both exceptional spiritual and
phyisical strength. The dance itself is demonstration of phyisical strength of
the dancers.
Reog Ponorogo usually consists of three sets of dances;
each dance is performed by several dancers:
1. The first
dance is the opening dance, performed by Bujang Anom, male dancers wearing
black costumes. The costume describe rough men with intimidating moustache and
other masculinity symbols.
2. The second
dance is the Jaran Kepang dance performed by Jatil; it is originally performed
by a gemblak, a handsome and youthful teenage boy wearing colourful costumes.
Today the female dancers were usually played this role.
3. The third
dance is the main attraction of the show; it is performed by all the Reog
dancers. The warok as the main male dancer, wearing a large and heavy lion
mask, dances in the centre of the stage while the other dancers dance around
him. To demonstrate the warok's extraordinary strength Jatil or female dancers
riding on top of lion mask and being carried around.
The dance describe Klono Sewandono the king of Ponorogo on
his journey to Kediri to seek the hands of Princess Songgo Langit. On his
journey he was attacked by a vicious monster called Singa Barong, a mythical
lion with peacock on its head. Historians trace the origin of Reog Ponorogo as
the satire on the incompetence of Majapahit
rulers during the end of the empire. It describe the innate Ponorogo
liberty and its opposition on centralist Majapahit rule. The lion represent the
king of Majapahit while the peafowl represent the queen, it was suggested that
the king was incompetent and always being controlled by his queen. The
beautiful, youthful and almost effeminate horsemen describe the Majapahit
cavalry that have lost their manliness.
Today this Warok-Gemblakan practice is discouraged by
local religious authorities and being shunned through public moral opposition.
As the result today Reog Ponorogo performance rarely features Gemblak boys to
performed as Jatil horsemen, their position were replaced by girls. Although
today this practice might probably still survived and done in discreet manner.
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