Dance parody challenges Mataram tradition

Blontank Poer, Contributor, Jakarta

For centuries, the kingdoms of Java's Mataram dynasty practiced politics in the arts for generations, making facial beauty, physical allure and virginity absolute requirements to perform Bedaya royal dances in court ceremonies.

In her latest dance piece Srimpi Srimpet (a version of a comical court dance), Surakarta choreographer Wahyu Widayati challenged the long-established custom of Javanese sovereigns.

With four other dancers from Surakarta, Wahyu introduced two of her works at Teater Utan Kayu, East Jakarta on April 19 through April 20.

The other dance, Srimpi Ketawang Lima Ganep (a court dance with five dancers instead of nine), was also arranged as a parody of Srimpi and Bedaya -- two main types of dance considered sacred by royal descendants of the founder of Mataram, Panembahan Senopati.

Srimpi is normally performed by four girls while Ketawang, a popular dance of the court of Surakarta Hadiningrat, must consist of nine performers. While Srimpi serves to welcome royal guests of honor, and is therefore presented by members of royal families, Bedaya dancers are chosen by Mataram kings and granted the status of court servants for the art of dance by special decree.

Wahyu designed Srimpi Ketawang Lima Ganep more as a work of biting satire against the discrimination imposed by Javanese kings. She rejected not only the "selection criteria" for dancers like beauty, attractive physique and single status, but also the requirement for virginity. In her view, skilled dancers who have a good command of choreographic arrangement are free to perform without any external restriction.

Therefore, her variation of Ketawang can be interpreted as her blunt objection to the royal image of this court dance, including the presence of mythical Nyi Roro Kidul (Queen of the South Seas) while the dance is being performed. It is said that only Javanese kings and a few other people can witness her attendance.

As a consequence, Wahyu selected five women -- four of them married -- instead of nine virgins. Unlike court dancers, who wear luxurious and gorgeous costumes with garlands of cananga and jasmine flowers, her troupe appeared rustic, wearing the simple kebaya blouse. Thus, the formerly stately and majestic dances were presented in a mocking style, even resembling folk theater scenes, with dialog common in urban slums.

Many suspected the myth about the virginity requirement for Bedaya dancers as a behavioral eccentricity of Javanese kings, who had power over people living in his area. If the king (and Nyi Roro Kidul) desired one of the dancers, the virginity myth was believed to be a trick to get the woman. Another myth, which said that women having a period could not perform the dance either, made the suspicion all the stronger.

One of the Srimpi Ketawang Lima Ganep's dancers, Sri Setyaasih, said she had failed to become a Bedaya dancer at the Kasunanan Surakarta palace in the 1980s because she ran away during the selection process. "The Surakarta king peeked at some would-be Bedaya dancers having their makeup done. Knowing about that (the peeking), I hid and got out of the palace complex," said Sri, who now teaches at Surakarta's Indonesia Arts Institute (STSI).

In comparison with Srimpi Ketawang Lima Ganep, explicit and straightforward criticism could be observed in Srimpi Srimpet. Four dancers with grayish hair carried oil lamps and small mats. As in the court version, they made a gesture of respect, before proceeding to perform beksan (a free dance), perangan (a combat dance) and a closing courtesy. The difference was, they showed respect for the audience by prostrating themselves, gazing, waving and nodding, instead of putting their palms together.

The protest in this work was more pronounced when the free dance and combat scene had a more vocal accompaniment, imitating the sounds of three main court dance instruments: the kemanak (two banana-like brass pieces with a typical tone), the gender (an xylophone) and a gong. Usually, the complete set of Javanese gamelan instruments is required for Srimpi.

Wahyu and her Sahita dance troupe of Surakarta, realized the likely risk of their stance. But she added that apart from protesting the royal attitude toward art, she also wanted to parody the behavior of warmongering politicians, who also easily forgot promises they had made when seeking support before rising to power.

Appearing together with Suharti, Atik, Sri Lestari and Sri Setyaasih, Wahyu, in general, made an appealing dance show with theatrical dialog. The dancers, although all having a background in Javanese dance, were longtime members of Teater Gapit, a modern theater group that used Javanese language.

The creative works, however, were not supported by proper stage direction. Moreover, the use of songs and dialog in Javanese, which dominated both dances, made it hard for the audience to fully grasp the messages being conveyed.

Despite these minor shortcomings, Wahyu deserved praise for her original ideas and the courage to express them openly, as a reminder of the transient nature of what have so far been regarded as sacred dances, though the satirical pieces obviously encountered the great choreography of Javanese empu -- men of high distinction in art, literature and philosophy.