Banyumas dancers face misperception<\/p>\n
By Wartono Permadhi<\/p>\n
BANYUMAS, Central Java (JP): Lengger, a folk dance unique to
\nBanyumas, is now gaining in popularity if the large number of
\ndance troupes registered at the local office of the ministry of
\neducation and culture is anything to go by.<\/p>\n
Lengger, or Ronggeng Banyumasan, is similar to dances found in
\nother areas with different names. The dance apparently has its
\nroots in the gambyong dance, a folk dance with set movements.
\nHowever, it has been adapted locally and now differs from the
\noriginal gambyong dance, largely through the rhythm of the
\ngamelan music which traditionally accompanies it.<\/p>\n
The term lengger or tayub, which has similar meaning, was
\nfirst referred to in a 12th-century book entitled Kakawin
\nBaratayudha, suggesting that even by this early date folk art was
\nalready geared towards entertainment.<\/p>\n
Soedarsono, an expert on culture from Gadjah Mada University,
\nhas said that lengger was initially intended as a ritualistic
\ndance.<\/p>\n
It used to be performed in rice fields as the planting season
\napproached. The symbolic representation of sexual intercourse
\ncontained in the dance is a request to God to bless the season's
\npaddy with fertility.<\/p>\n
In Banyumas, lengger is also often performed at weddings,
\nwhere it is intended to bring fertility to the bride and groom.
\nThe female dancer, also called a lengger, invites the bridegroom
\nto dance with her.<\/p>\n
Some locals are unhappy with this racy behavior and charge
\nthat the ancient rite teaches young men and boys about sex. The
\nangry locals refer to the belief of some dancers that they will
\nremain young if they have sex with young males. The people of
\nBanyumas call this traditional sex education gowokan.<\/p>\n
According to Soedarsono, lengger has been directly and
\nindirectly influenced by the passage of time to a point where its
\nritualistic and aesthetic values have now diminished.<\/p>\n
As a result, those performing lengger are usually considered
\nto be people of loose morals who readily indulge in sex.<\/p>\n
However, according to Setijanto, chairman of Banyumas Arts
\nAgency (BKB) and an enthusiast of traditional arts in Banyumas,
\nthis unfavorable image of lengger dancers has arisen because many
\ndo not understand the meanings behind the dance.<\/p>\n
He said most modern lengger dancers are educated and even
\nuniversity students do not find it embarrassing to perform.<\/p>\n
Astuti, 30, a lengger dancer who recently returned from a
\nEuropean tour, said men often asked to have sex with her.<\/p>\n
She said that she always refused then tried to explain to them
\nwhat her profession was. To ensure that nobody flirted too much
\nwith her, her husband was present at every performance.<\/p>\n
\"That is the risk of being a lengger dancer. I always consider
\nmy family to be more important than anything else. I don't want
\nto see the family break simply because I am lengger dancer,\" she
\nstressed.<\/p>\n
The crisis has hit hard, she said, with fewer people hiring
\nher and her troupe. Performances are down to one a month, whereas
\nbefore her troupe performed almost every day, she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/banyumas-dancers-face-misperception-1447893297",
"image": ""
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