SERIMPI DANCE

Serimpi dance is one kind of Indonesian traditional dances from central Java. The name Serimpi cames from the Javanese word impi (dream). Named serimpi because this dance has a duration of approximately 45 minutes to an hour where the graceful movement of the dancers can take the audience to the another world that is dreamland. Serimpi dance is performed by four people who are all women. The composition of the four dancers symbolize the four directions of the compass is Toya (Water), Grama (Fire), Wind (air) and the earth (ground). While the name of the role is Batak, Gulu, Dhada and Buncit which symbolizes pole marquee.

According to the legend, the emergence of this serimpi dance originated from the era of the Mataram kingdom, during the reign of Sultan Agung (1613-1646). At that time the dance is considered sacred because only performed in the palace as a state ritual to alert sultan ascended the throne. But in 1775, when the kingdom broke into Sultanate of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, serimpi dance then divides into two style, that is Yogyakarta Sultanate style and Surakarta Sultanate style. Serimpi dance in Yogyakarta Sultanate classified into Serimpi Babul Layar, Serimpi Dhempel, Serimpi Genjung. While in the Sultanate of Surakarta classified into Serimpi Anglir Mendung and Serimpi Bondan.

As a classical dance at the Yogyakarta Palace, Serimpi Dance as a noble art has become as well regarded as a palace heritage. Dance themes shown on Serimpi describing dispute between two opposites side that is good and bad, right and wrong, human reason and human passions. Battle expression in the dance is seen clearly in the same movement of two pairs of soldiers supported with weapon properties include a small dagger or cundrik, jebeng, spears, jemparing and guns.

Serimpi dancer wear a Yogyakarta palace wedding dress as a costume with dodotan and gelung bokor as a motive in the head ornament. But as the time flow, the costume changed to seredan cloth and armless dress with frilled headdress of cassowary feathers and a bracelet with ceplok flower ornament and jebehan.  

GAMELAN

Gamelan is an music ensembles that usually shows metalophone, gambang, kendang and gong. The nickname of gamelan refer to its instrument which is become a unity when formed and played together. The words gamelan derived from Javanese word “gamel” means pound, followed by “an” ending that makes it a noun. Gamlan orchestra mostly can be found in the island of Java, Madura, Bali and Lombok in Indonesia.  

The appearance of gamelan preceded with Hindu-Budha culture that dominate Indonesia in the beginning of historical record, that also represented Indonesian art. The instrument was developed in the days of Majapahit Kingdom and the shape become like gamelan we know nowadays. In the Java mythology, gamelan was created by Sang Hyang Guru in the era of Saka. The Gods who role the entire Java island who lived in the palace located in Mahendra mountain in Medangkamulan (now known as lawu mountain). At first, Sang Hyang Guru create a gong to call the other Gods. And then for a specific message, 2 gongs has been made, and as the time flow, a set of gamelan has been created. Image of the first musical ensembles was found in Borobudhur temple, in Magelang province, Central Java. Music instrument such as bamboo flute, bell, “kendang” in various size, stringed musical instrument, found in the relief. But, there is little information about musical instrument made from metal. However, relief about those kind of musical instrument has been told as the origin of gamelan.        

Gamelan music is a form of unity about foreign arts influence. Connection of the tones from China, musical instrument from Southeast Asia, drum band and music movement from India, bowed string from Middle East, even Europe milliter style has been adopted in the Java and Bali traditional music nowadays. 

One set of gamelan consist of several musical instrument, such as kendhang, rebab and cempelung, gambang, gong dan bamboo flute. Main component that arrange gamelan musical instrument is bamboo, metal and woods. Each instrument has their own function in the gamelan performance, such as gong has a role to close a long music rhytm and give balance after the music filled up with gending sound before.

GAMBYONG DANCE

Gambyong dance is a dance that originated from the province of Central Java, precisely Surakarta. This dance is one of the dances are staged in order to enliven the wedding ceremony or also played to welcome the guests. That makes it feel so different from other dance is gambyong dance always preceded by “Gending Pangkur”. This dance was very beautiful or seem so outrageous when the dancer dancing in harmony with the rhythm of the accompanying music.

History

'Gambyong' was originally the name of a waranggana, a woman elected or female entertainers  who are good at dancing and can brought a dance very beautiful and vivacious. The name of the waranggana is Mas Ajeng Gambyong who lived in the reign of Sinuhun Pakubowono IV  in Surakarta (1788-1820), he was famous throughout the Surakarta and that’s created Gambyong Dance name.

At first, gambyong dance as part of a tayub dance or taledhek dance. Taledhek term is also used to refer to tayub dancers, taledhek dancers, and gambyong dancers. Gambyong can also be interpreted as a solo dance performed by a woman or a dance performed in the beginning of a dance party. Gambyongan have “golekan” meaning doll made of wood, depicting women dancing in the “wayang” show as a cover.

At the time of Surakarta, street dance accompaniment instrument equipped with bonang and gong. Gamelan typically used include “gender, penerus gender, kendang, kenong, kempul, and gong”. All the instruments were taken everywhere by means bear. Commonly known among drummers instrument Gambyong dance, play “kendang” is not easy. Pengendang should be able to align with the fluidity of dance music and be able to chime in with the rhythm of the “gendhing”. So, not surprisingly, a Gambyong dancer often can not be separated with pengendang who always accompanied her.

Movement

The graceful movement of the woman dancers' showed an attitude and character of the women of Central Java that’s synonymous with graceful. Distinct impression can also be found when the gambyong dancers featuring a mix of hand and foot gestures while playing a piece of cloth worn around the neck scarf.

Accompaniment

Javanese gamelan instruments consisting of gongs, gambang, kendang, and kenong are musical accompaniment in the Gambyong Dance. Of the many musical instruments, which is regarded as the muscle gambyong dance is Kendang. Because during the show, Kendang leads gambyong dancer to dance following to the song or chant songs in Javanese.