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No visit to Yogyakarta would be complete without witnessing some
of the dances and drama that have shaped the lives and culture of
so many. Whilst, there is no shortage of dances to see, below are
some of the most interesting and certainly most popular amongst
the local population.
Ramayana
A classic story of good over evil, the full blown
Ramayana epic adventure is something not to be missed.
This spectacular dance replete with several characters all in different
and gorgeous costumes is taken from the Ramayana
epic and tells how the evil King Rahwana
uses trickery to kidnap Rama's wife
Dewi Sita and how Rama, with the help of the white monkey
army, rescues his wife and defeats evil. Performed under the stars
at the open air theatre at Prambanan Temple and accompanied by a
full gamelan orchestra, the Ramayana is a truly memorable event.
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Jatilan
Indonesia has many trance dances and the Jatilan is one such dance.
Using a flat hobbyhorses made from woven bamboo, Jatilan dancers
'ride' their stead to the sound of drums whipping the 'horse'and
themselves into a trance - eventually rolling around on the ground,
eating glass bottles and so on. Not for everyone (parents should
be mindful of letting especially young children watch).
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Wayang
Kulit
The Wayang (puppet) Kulit
(leather) is not a dance but is still one of our favorites.
The Wayang Kulit are leather shadow puppets and this cultural treat
is often overlooked by the tour operators because there are no flashy
costumes. The "stage" is quite small - really only a bed
sheet with a lantern illuminating it from behind so you will need
to sit close.
Whilst the performances are in Indonesian and Javanese, the average
tourist will have no idea what is being said but no matter, in this
intimate night setting you will get a good idea of how this ancient
tradition is still performed in the villages throughout Indonesia.
This is Indonesian story telling at its best - and has often been
used as a way to poke fun at the powers that be. Accompanied by
a gamelan, drum and gong, the Dalang
(puppet master) commands up to 50 puppets made of flat pieces of
dried leather. Since each puppet must have a different voice and
have a different 'personality' (i.e. funny, smart, stupid, kind
and so on) you can see why the Dalang is a clever man indeed.
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Wayang
Golek
The Wayang (puppet) Golek
(doll) is similar to the Wayang Kulit but using colourful
three-dimensional wooden puppets dressed in character (silk
for rich folks, rags for beggars) with movable heads, arm and hands
that manipulated by a Dalang (puppet master) to the same effect
as shadow puppet however there is no shadow screen - and it is quite
tricky to get the movements just right. Incidentally, the Wayang
Golek are sold every where and make beautiful souvenirs,
so watching the show will give you a greater appreciation should
wish to buy them.
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Wayang
Wong
More theatre than dance, The Wayang
(puppet) Wong (man) is a very
popular form of drama takes place of a set stage where the characters
use either the Mahabharata or Ramayana epic as a storyline and then
unfold their own plot with long dialogues. Whilst it may be interesting
to see the set up and the watch the audience, as with the Wayang
Kulit and Wayang Golek, the Wayang Wong is performed in Indonesian
or often, Javanese language and casual visitors will find it very
hard to understand.
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Ketoprak
Part theatre opera and dance the Ketoprak
is a very popular form of theatre for the common Javanese as they
got to play royalty for awhile. Originating
in Solo in the 1910's the dance takes its name from the
sound of rice pestles beating the mortar (prak, prak, prak...) that
was once the background music. The gamelan is now the most common
musical accompaniment.
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