Sacred dance accentuates Surakarta's special event

Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta, Central Java

The smoke, as well as the scent, of burning incense wafted across the hall at Surakarta Palace as nine female dancers entered to perform the Javanese ritual danceBedhaya Ketawang.

The atmosphere suddenly became very quiet and mystical, making the sound of the two-stringed music instrument Rebab very clear.

The dance was specially performed on Oct. 20 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the inauguration of Susuhunan Paku Buwono XII as King of Surakarta. The dance is sacred and lasts 90 minutes. It is only performed for such an occasion or during a king's inauguration ceremony.

As it is very sacred, the dance was performed under strict regulations based on the palace's tradition. During the performance, which started at noon, the audience were forbidden to smoke, eat, talk or leave their seats except for very urgent reasons.

Those who were not accustomed to such a dance might think it was too slow and delicate to enjoy. But for dance lovers, it is a medium that requires concentration and meditation.

The monotonous sound of the gamelan orchestra and the gentle movement of the dancers brought a feeling of solemnity to viewers.

An article published in last year's edition of Surakarta Palace's cultural magazine said there are presently two kinds of Bedhaya Ketawang dance. The first was the ancient version created by Bathara (god) Wisnu in Kahyangan (heaven), believed to have come into existence during the era of the Kediri and Majapahit kingdoms.

The second was created by the queen of the southern sea, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul -- who was believed to have taught the dance to Panembahan Senapati, who later on became King of Mataram, when she was in love with him.

Another book mentioned that the dance was about the love between Ratu Kidul and Panembahan Senopati. It came as no surprise then that both the movements of the dancers and the accompanying lyrics were sensual. In fact, the dance portrayed both lovers in a love-making scene.

When Mataram Kingdom was finally divided into Surakarta and Yogyakarta in 1755, the dance was still performed for special occasions. But only Surakarta Kingdom has continued with the tradition to this day.

The Kingdom of Yogyakarta, when Sultan Hamengkubuwono II was in power, replaced Bedhaya Ketawang with Bedhaya Semang. Since then, only Bedhaya Semang has been performed at Yogyakarta Palace and has been treated as a sacred dance.

For Bedhaya Ketawang, the female dancers were carefully selected from the best at Surakarta Palace. Although the dance only needed nine performers, there were usually 40 or more substitutes.

The dancers had to also follow particular rules. The female dancers, for example, were not allowed to perform during menstruation. Specific offerings had to also be made when the dance was rehearsed on a particular day, which was considered sacred according to the Javanese calendar.

The dance also served as a medium for the king to say his prayers and meditate. It was through the dance that he would hopefully experience the peak of religious satisfaction

Although Bedhaya Ketawang was the official dance of the palace, the performance of the dance was only accompanied by a gamelan set consisting of just five instruments with a seven-tone scale, known locally as Pelog. It is probably because of the limited gamelan instruments used that the dance, as well as the music, are considered boring by some people.

The instruments included Kendhang (a small wooden drum covered with leather at each end), Gong, Kethuk, Kenong (small gong), and Kemanak (percussion).Rebab was only used to accompany the nine dancers as they entered the stage.