Java Classical Dances

In Indonesia there are many kinds of traditional dances. The most famous dances are in Central Java Region. Especially in Surakarta and Yogyakarta. Among the Most popular are tile Beksan Lawung (Yogyakarta style), Klana Topeng (Yogyakarta style), Beksan Wayang Golek (Yogyakarta style), Gambir Anoni (Surakarta style), Bondan (Surakarta style), Gatutkaca Gandrung (Surakarta style), Golek (Yogyakarta style) and war-dances such as Srikandi fighting Cakil, Prahasta fighting Hanila, Ontoreja fighting Hanggada and so on.

BEKSAN LAWUNG

The Beksan Lawung is a dance for men depicting the knighthood of the Period of feudal society. it represents contests between knights in the skill of using their lances, similar to the tournaments in Western Europe during the Middle Ages.
Beksan Lawung has been cultivated in the palaces of both Surakarta and Yogyakarta. Kusumakesawa, a dance expert of Surakarta belonging to the older generation, says that Beksan Lawung already exsisted in the mataram (17th century). A Plete Beksan Lawung is danced by 16 dancers; however, the number can be reduced to 10, 8, 6 or even 4, in Yogyakarta the Beksan Lawung is also called Beksan Trunajaya because it, was danced by the Trunajaya army troop.

KLANA TOPENG

The Klana Topeng dance Yogyakarta style Of the strong type describes King Klana Sewandana from the kingdom Of Bantarangin who is in love with Dewi Candrakirana of the panji story. In the dance Klana Sewandana is dressing himself up. he combs his hair, Powders his face, arranges his eye-brows and his moustache, tidies up his Clothes, and finally looks in the mirror. The dance also describes how klana, who seems to see Dewi Candrakirana in front of him, Moves to and fro to got hold of her. There are many surakarta Style elements in the dance.

BEKSAN WAYANG GOLEK

The Beksan, wayang Golek was created by Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX about 1944. It is different from the Other Yogyakarta style dances in that the dance movements imitate the stiff movements of wayang golek (wooden puppet play) though the movement are short and broken the dance is none the less of a high aesthetic quality; both male and female dancers wear jackets. The important charaters portrayed in the Beksan wayang Golek are those of the Menak stories, for instance, marmaya fighting King Jayengpati. .

GAMBIR ANOM

Gambir Anom is a solo dance surakarta style of the refined type danced either by a man or a woman but usually by a woman.
The Gambir Anom dance depicts lrawan, Arjuna's son, in love he is dressing himself up; he combs his hair, Powders his face, arranges his eye-brows and Puts his clothes in order, His toilet complete, he bends forward in several directions as if the girl of his dreams is in front of him.

GAMBYONG

The gambyong is a female dance, surakarta style, usually danced by one' three or dancers. The gambyong dance describes a Young woman dressing herself up to look more beautiful.

BONDAN

The bondan is a solo female dance, Surakarta style, describing a young girl taking care of and cuddling her little sister.

GATOTKACA GANDRUNG

The Gatotkaca gandrung is a very popular solo-dance surakarta style of the strong type, describing Gatotkaca dresses himself up, moving here and there as though Pregiwa is close to him.

GOLEK

The golek is a Solo female dance, Yogyakarta style (which can 6180 be danced by more dancers) describing a young girl dressing herself up.

PETILAN ONTOREJA FIGHTING HANGGADA

This Yogyakarta Style dance describes the fight between onto-raja, Bima,s son and Hanggada, Subali,s son, from the lakon Rama Nitis (Incarnation of Rama). The fight is won by Ontoreja.The lakon Rama Nitis is a mixture of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, in which Rama incarnates in, Kresna and Laksmana in Arjuna.

-taken from many sources-