Kuda Lumping Trarditional Dance of Java Islands

Kuda lumping also called braid or jathilan is a traditional Javanese dance center featuring a group of soldiers on horseback. This dance uses a horse made of wicker and bamboo which is cut like the shape of a horse. Matting horse is decorated with colorful paint and fabric. Lumping horse dance scenes usually show only the horsemen, but some performances will also serve lumping horse possessed attractions, immunity, and magical powers, like eating glass and attractions immunity against flogging whip. Jaran braid is part of the dance performances reog. Though this dance came from Java, Indonesia, this dance is also inherited by the Javanese settled in North Sumatra and in some areas outside of Indonesia as in Malaysia.

Lumping horse dance is played with a horse property imitation, made from woven bamboo or braid. None of the historical record can explain the origin of this dance, only verbal history passed down from one generation to the next.

History

That said, lumping horse dance is a form of appreciation and support of the commoners against the cavalry of Prince Diponegoro in the face of Dutch colonizers. There is also a version that says, that lumping horse dance depicting the struggle of Raden Patah, assisted by Sunan Kalijaga, against the Dutch colonialists. Another version states that, this dance tells about the war games led by the Sultan of Mataram forces lane I, King of Mataram, to face the Dutch troops.

Regardless of the origin and historical value, lumping horse dance reflects the spirit of heroism and military aspects of a cavalry or cavalry. This can be seen from the movements rhythmic, dynamic, and aggressive, with the flick of woven bamboo, mimicking the movement like a horse in the midst of war.

Often in lumping horse dance performances, also featured attractions that demonstrate the power of magical supernatural smells, such as the attraction to chew glass, cutting his arm with a machete, burn away, walking on broken glass, and others. Perhaps, this attraction is reflected supernatural powers in the ancient Kingdom of developing in Java environments, and is a non-military aspects that are used to fight the Dutch troops.

Local Variations

In East Java, the art is familiar with the community in some areas, such as Malaysia, Nganjuk, Tulungagung, and other areas. This dance is usually displayed in certain events, such as the welcome guest of honor, and as a thanksgiving, of intent have been granted by the Almighty.

In pementasanya, do not need a special choreography, equipment and supplies as well as Karawitan gamelan. Gamelan to accompany lumping horse dance is quite simple, consisting only of Kendang, Kenong, Gong, and trumpet, the flute to sound shrill. Poems is sung in the accompanying dance, usually containing the appeal that people are always doing good deeds and always remember the Great Creator.

Besides containing the elements of entertainment and religion, traditional arts lumping horse is often also an element of ritual. Since before the show begins, it usually rains a handler will perform the ritual, to maintain the sunny weather remember to keep the show is usually carried out in the open field.

Kuda Lumping Dance performances

In each pagelarannya, lumping horse dance was attended by four fragments of dance that is 2 times Buto dance Lawas, Senterewe dance, and dance Begon Princess.

At Buto Lawas fragments, usually danced by men only and consist of 4 to 6 dancers. Some young dancers horse plaited bamboo and dancing to the music. In this section, Lawas Buto dancers may have possessed or possessed by spirits. The audience was not spared from this phenomenon of possession. Many local residents who witnessed the performances into a trance and danced with the dancers. In the unconscious, they continued to dance with energetic movement and looks compact with the other dancers.

To restore the consciousness of the possessed dancers and spectators, always present in every performance of the progenitor, ie people who have supernatural abilities that its presence can be recognized through the clothes he wore all black. The progenitor of this will give bidders up to the dancers and audience awareness recover.

In the next fragment, male and female dancers joined senterewe bring dance.

In the last fragment, with movements that are more relaxed, six women brought Begon daughter dance, which is a dance cover of a whole series of attractions lumping horse dance.

Posted in: Traditional Dance