Sacred 'Seblang' dance, a ritual of contrasts<\/p>\n
BANYUWANGI, East Java (JP): In the culturally rich regency of
\nBanyuwangi, Seblang, a sacred dance ritual performed by an
\nentranced dancer, stands out as a unique weave of contrasts.<\/p>\n
It consists of Hindu rituals but opens with an Islamic prayer.
\nIt is a ritual dance, but none of its movements describe the
\nrelationship between humans and god. The dancers are either
\nvirgin teenagers or women over 80 years old.<\/p>\n
\"Normally songs or prayers in any religious rite portray the
\nrelationship between humans and their Creator. But not Seblang,\"
\nsaid Hasan Ali, an historian, artist and linguist who heads the
\nBlambangan Arts Council Advisory Board. Blambangan refers to the
\nname of an ancient kingdom which sat astride the land now known
\nas Banyuwangi regency.<\/p>\n
The dance was initially staged when residents of any village
\nin the area wanted to make a vow, but it is now only organized by
\ngroups in Olehsari and the neighboring village of Bakungan, four
\nkilometers west of Banyuwangi, and a belief is now held that
\nSeblang cannot be performed outside these two places.<\/p>\n
In Olehsari, the dance is now performed by a virgin teenager
\neach year after the Idul Fitri holiday. The performance lasts for
\nthree hours a day over a seven-day period. In Bakungan, the dance
\nis performed at night by a woman over 80 years old after Idul
\nAdha, which marks the end of the Haj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
Villagers believe 44 spirits and genies residing in the
\nvillage guide the dancer's body during the performance. As with
\nmany of her predecessors, this year's Seblang dancer in Olehsari,
\nLinda Astuti, 16, is not a skilled dancer.<\/p>\n
A new dancer is appointed every three years, but only after
\nconsultations with a talking genie who possesses the body of a
\nlocal resident one week before the ritual. The dancer must always
\nbe a descendant of Mak Milah, the woman believed to have been the
\nfirst Seblang dancer.<\/p>\n
To begin the dance, the village head reads a passage from the
\nKoran and prayers are held for the safety and prosperity of the
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
The dancer then dons a colorful headdress made from a young
\nbanana leaf and flowers. She wears a different dress on each of
\nthe seven days of the performance and holds a rounded bamboo tray
\nin her hands. A village elder clad in the black attire of a witch
\ndoctor lights some incense sticks and invites a genie to enter
\nthe dancer's body. The bamboo tray falls to the floor once the
\ndancer is entranced.<\/p>\n
Eyes closed, she moves to the tune of a simple score played by
\ntwo sarons, a kendang, two gongs, one peking and the voices of a
\nchoir of female sindens. She dances around the stage under the
\nguidance of two old women and takes a one minute break between
\nthe 28 songs in the program.<\/p>\n
Her movement is reminiscent of Gandrung, a more popular dance
\nin the Banyuwangi area. Ali said the two dances influenced each
\nother heavily as they evolved.<\/p>\n
The origins of Seblang are not clear. \"We are poorly endowed
\nwith written references and prefer oral works of literature,\" Ali
\nsaid, adding that a Dutch administrator named Th. Pigeaud made a
\npassing reference to the dance in papers published in 1770.<\/p>\n
Ali, who studied history and has pieced together events
\nsurrounding the founding of Banyuwangi, said Seblang might have
\nbeen born out of local resistance to Dutch rule.<\/p>\n
\"It is a ritual but some people see this as camouflage for
\ntheir struggle,\" Ali said.<\/p>\n
A clear example is Seblang Lukinto, which reads:<\/p>\n
The sun has risen in the east\/ Awake from your sleep\/ Time for
\ncocks crowing,<\/p>\n
Guards standing at the gate\/ Slip through the back door,<\/p>\n
You used to lead the young\/ Out one step and return<\/p>\n
\"The last line can be interpreted as a reference to guerrilla
\nwarfare, strike and retreat, strike and retreat,\" Ali said.
\nHowever, the song also alludes to adultery and its roots may
\nnever be known.<\/p>\n
\"This shows how skilled the composer was,\" said Ali, who is
\nthe father of popular singer Emilia Contessa.<\/p>\n
Residents of Olehsari believe their village will be struck by
\nplague and suffer crop failure if they fail to perform the
\nSeblang, but that may just be a myth put about by their
\nforefather to perpetuate the ritual. Let's hope we never find
\nout.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sacred-seblang-dance-a-ritual-of-contrasts-1447893297",
"image": ""
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