JP/19/LION

JP/19/LION

Lion dancing, military style

Harry Bhaskara/The Jakarta Post Semarang

Staying true to the military tradition, Chief Corporal Edy springs into action when his commander instructs him to set up a Chinese lion dance team. He gathers his troops and in no time the lion dance team, under the aegis of the Semarang-based Diponegoro Military Command (Kodam IV Diponegoro), is set up.

"It may be the first of its kind," Edy said recently when asked by The Jakarta Post about the team, locally known as barongsai.

Edy, who is attached to the Yon Arhanud 15 battalion at the command headquarters, says the instruction came from his superior, Artillery Lt. Col. (ret) Eko Supriyadi.

The team hired an instructor from the local Naga Hijau Club. "Pak Chandra is our trainer," he said, "Outside the training, team members watch CDs on lion dances."

Now the team, which exercises once a week, has expanded into three teams including two dragon dance teams and one unit of drummers. Each dragon team comprises 33 members.

"To date, the teams have taken part in numerous events across Central Java," Edy said, including the national barongsai festival in Surakarta, a trade exposition in Central Java town of Demak, the opening of Wisata Dufan Mall in the Central Java town of Pekalongan, a development exhibition in Boyolali and at an annual Chinese New Year event.

Combat-ready soldiers have a distinct performance style, with the dances being faster and more dynamic than those performed by civilian dancers. It was as if the dancers had an unlimited source of energy. This was evidenced during their recent show in the Central Java capital of Semarang during the Cheng Ho festival last month.

Dancers are dressed in military outfits and the body of their dragon sports similar military-type motifs, hence the name "Sasana Naga Doreng", meaning, belonging to the Dahana Bhaladika Yudha unit.