Jakarta wins 'reog' contest

Jakarta wins 'reog' contest

JAKARTA (JP): The capital's 'Reog Ponorogo' troupe won the
1996 national Reog Ponorogo contest recently held in Ponorogo,
East Java.

Reog is a folk dance based on the history of a king in East
Java before the great Majapahit Kingdom of the 13th century.

The dance, depicting the fight between a tiger and the chief
minister of a king in Kediri, is popular with people in East
Java, especially the residents of Ponorogo, some 200 kilometers
southwest of Surabaya.

The head of the city cultural agency, Azharie Baedlawie, said
he was delighted with the Jakarta team's victory, Antara
reported.

"The contest took place from May 12 to 19 in Ponorogo, a town
where reog is believed to have originated," Azharie said proudly.

The contest was held to commemorate the May 19 beginning of
the Islamic year.

Nine reog troupes, coming from East Kalimantan, Riau, Lampung,
Surabaya, Wonogiri, Pacitan, Madiun, and Jakarta, participated in
the contest. Similar folk dances from Brunei, Malaysia and
Suriname were also featured. (sur)