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 Topeng Cirebon dance performance | |
| Native name | ᬢᭀᬧᬾᬂ (Balinese) ꦠꦺꦴꦥꦺꦁ (Javanese) ᮒᮧᮕᮨᮔᮌ (Sundanese) Tari Topeng (Indonesian) |
|---|---|
| Instrument(s) | Gamelan,Kendhang,Suling |
| Origin | Indonesia |
Topeng (fromBalinese:ᬢᭀᬧᬾᬂ;Javanese:ꦠꦺꦴꦥꦺꦁ,romanized: topèng;[1]Sundanese:ᮒᮧᮕᮨᮔᮌ) is a dramatic form ofIndonesian dance in which one or more mask-wearing ornately costumed performers interpret traditional narratives concerning fabled kings, heroes, and myths, accompanied bygamelan or other traditional music instruments.[2] Topeng dance is a typical Indonesian dance that can be found in various regions of Indonesia. Topeng dance has the main characteristic that the dancers use masks to cover their faces. The dance will usually be performed by one dancer or a group of dancers.
Topeng is widely used in dances that are part of traditional ceremonies or the retelling of ancient stories from the ancestors. It is believed that topeng is closely related to ancestral spirits, which are considered to be the interpretations of gods. In some tribes, topeng still adorns various daily artistic and customary activities. Topeng dance is a dance performance filled with meaningful symbols that are expected to be understood by the audience. These symbols are conveyed through the colors of the masks, the expressions of the masks, and the accompanying music. The meaning conveyed can be in the form of leadership values, love, wisdom, and many others expressed through the medium of dance movements.[3]
In 2010, Topeng Cirebon fromCirebon,West Java was recognized asa National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia by theIndonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.[4]
The termtopeng is theJavanese word for "mask" or "dance-drama that uses the mask".[5] In modern daily Javanese and Indonesian vocabulary,tari topeng or "topeng dance" refers to a dance or dance-drama performance that uses a mask.
Indonesian masked dance predates Hindu-Buddhist influences.Native Indonesian tribes still perform traditional masked-dances to represent nature, as theHudoq dance of theDayak people ofKalimantan, or to representancestor spirits. With the arrival ofHinduism in the archipelago, theRamayana andMahabharata epics began to be performed in masked-dance.
The oldest known record that concernsTopeng dance is from the ninth century. Around 840 AD an Old Javanese (Kawi) inscriptions calledJaha Inscriptions issued byMaharaja Sri Lokapala formMedang Kingdom inCentral Java mentions three sorts of performers:atapukan,aringgit, andabanol.Atapukan means Mask dance show,Aringgit means Wayang puppet show, andabanol means joke art.
On theinscription of Candi Perot (850 AD), the word "manapel" is written from the word "tapuk" or "tapel" which means mask. On theBebetin inscription (896 AD) there is the word "patapukan" which means a mask association. In theMantiasih inscription (904 AD) there are the terms "matapukan" and "manapukan" which means that they relate to the drama presentation of masks.
The most popular storyline oftopeng dance, however, is derived from the locally developed JavanesePanji cycles, based on the tales and romance ofPrince Panji andPrincess Chandra Kirana, set in the 12th-centuryKadiri kingdom.
One of the earliest written records oftopeng dance is also found in the 14th-century poemNagarakretagama, which describes KingHayam Wuruk ofMajapahit — wearing a golden mask — as an accomplishedtopeng dancer.[6] The currenttopeng dance form arose in the 15th century inJava andBali where it remains prevalent, but it is also found in other Indonesian islands — such asMadura (near East Java). Varioustopeng dances and styles have developed in various places in the Indonesian archipelago, notably inCirebon,Yogyakarta,Malang, andBali. The well-developedtopeng technique is now studied in universities in Europe and America.
It is believed that the use of masks is related to the cult of the ancestors, which considered dancers the interpreters of the gods.Topeng performances open with a series of non-speaking masked characters that may not be related to the story to be performed. These traditional masks often includeTopeng Manis (a refined hero),Topeng Kras (a martial, authoritarian character), andTopeng Tua (an old man who may joke and draw out the audience).
The story is narrated from apenasar, a jawless half-mask that enables the actor to speak clearly. In grouptopeng, there are usually twopenasars providing two points of view. The performance alternates between speaking and non-speaking characters and can include dance and fight sequences as well as special effects (sometimes provided by thegamelan). It is almost always wrapped up by a series of comic characters introducing their views. The narrators and comic characters frequently break Western conventions of storytelling by including current events or local gossip to get a laugh.
Intopeng, there is a conscious attempt to include many, sometimes contradictory, aspects of the human experience: the sacred and the profane, beauty and ugliness, refinement and caricature.[7] A detailed description and analysis oftopeng pajegan, the one-man form oftopeng, is available inMasked Performance[8] byJohn Emigh, a Western theater professor who has become a performer of Balinesetopeng.
Thetopeng also callstopeng barikin from South Kalimantan.
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Betawi mask dance ortari topeng Betawi is a theatrical form ofdance-drama ofthe Betawi people inJakarta,Indonesia.[9] This dance-drama encompasses dance, music,bebodoran (comedy) andlakon (drama).[10] The Betawi mask dance demonstrates the theme of Betawi society life which is represented in the form of dance and drama. It is called mask dance because the dancers usetopeng (mask) during dancing and Betawi people believed that thetopeng has magical powers.[11]
Cirebonesetopeng dance is a local indigenous art form ofCirebon in Java, includingIndramayu andJatibarang,West Java, andBrebes,Central Java. There is a lot of variety in Cirebon mask dance, both in terms of the dance style and the stories to be conveyed. The mask dance can be performed by solo dancers or it can be performed by several people. Graceful hand and body movements, and musical accompaniment dominated by drums and fiddle, are hallmarks of the art form. Cirebon mask dance might depict the story ofPrince Panji from 15th-century East Java, or anotherMajapahit story.Topeng Klana Kencana Wungu is a Cirebon mask dance in theParahyangan mask style that depicts the story of Queen Kencana Wungu of Majapahit being chased by the grotesque and rough King Minak Jingga ofBlambangan. TheSundanesetopeng kandaga dance is similar to and influenced by Cirebontopeng, where the dancers wear red masks and costumes.
Hudoq is a masked dance performed duringthe Erau harvest Thanksgiving festival of many sub-groups of theDayak ethnic group ofEast Kalimantan province,Indonesia. TheHudoq culture and performance are indigenous among the Dayak population ofEast Kalimantan province.
InEast Java,topeng dance is calledwayang gedog and is the best-known art form from East Java'sMalang Regency.Wayang gedog theatrical performances include themes from thePanji cycle stories from the kingdom ofJanggala, and the players wear masks known aswayang topeng orwayang gedog. The wordgedog comes fromkedok which, liketopeng, means "mask".
These performances center on a love story aboutPrincess Candra Kirana ofKediri andRaden Panji Asmarabangun, the legendary crown prince of Janggala. Candra Kirana was the incarnation ofDewi Ratih (the Hindu goddess of love) and Panji was an incarnation ofKamajaya (the Hindu god of love). Kirana's story has been given the titleSmaradahana ("The fire of love"). At the end of the complicated story they finally marry and bring forth a son named Raja Putra.
Thetopeng of theSurakarta Sunanate court is similar in style and theme to the Yogyakarta variants. Differences are seen in the craftmanship of masks; facial hair is represented with hair or fibre, while the Yogyakarta style uses black paint. Similarly to Yogyakarta, the Sukartatopeng punakawan (jester) often uses a jawless half-mask.
InYogyakarta tradition, the mask dance is part ofwayang wong performances. Composed and created by SultanHamengkubuwono I (1755–1792), certain characters such as thewanara (monkey) anddenawa (giant) inRamayana andMahabharata use masks, while the knight and princesses do not wear masks. Thepunakawan (jester) might use a half-mask (a mask without a jaw) so he can speak freely and clearly. Significantly here, the mustache is painted in black. The Topeng Klono Alus, Topeng Klono Gagah, and Topeng Putri Kenakawulan dances are classical Yogyakarta court dances derived from the story ofRaden Panji from the 15th-centuryMajapahit legacy. The Klono Alus Jungkungmandeya and Klono Gagah Dasawasisa are masked dances adapted fromMahabharata stories.
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| Betawi | ||
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| Cirebonese | ||
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| Javanese | ||
| Lampung | ||
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| Minangkabau | ||
| Minahasan | ||
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| Moluccan and Papuan | ||
