Javanese dance

Rama and Shinta in Ramayana Ballet performance near Prambanan temple complex

Golek Ayun-ayun, a Javanese court dance of Yogyakarta

The courtly Javanese palace dance is the type of dances that developed, nurtured and fostered by Javanese Kratons, mainly Yogyakarta Sultanate and Surakarta Sunanate, the patrons of Javanese Mataram culture. Javanese sultans are known as the patron and the creator of Javanese court dances.

Kraton dances employs sets of rules about certain dance movements, body and hand gestures that requires discipline to learn. Gamelan orchestra is the prerequisite for Javanese court dance performances as well as for other Javanese art forms such as Wayang performances. The serene elegance, slow pace and constrains of its movements gave Javanese dance a meditative traits. Javanese court dances were heavily influenced by Javanese Hindu-Buddhist legacy. As the result the costumes, jewelry and story, often reflects or based on Hindu epic tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

There are three basic types of courtly Javanese kraton dance:

1. Beksan putra – These are the dances for men, which serve two purposes: a military close-order drill and highlighting martial skills. Dancers may learn beksan putra dances to familiarize themselves with the movements for narrative dances.
2. Beksan putri – Putri is the Javanese word for female, and these dances include courtly dances designed for royal events with very precise movements and distinct staging with subtle layers of meaning. Such dances were often used for entertainment or courtship.
3. Beksan wayang – These are narrative dances from epic poems, and usually are named after the characters in them, usually an alus-style hero and a gagah-style villain.

• Some examples of Bedhaya dance
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  The court of the Sultan of Yogyakarta, c. 1876. Performance of Bedhaya Sacred Dance accompanied by Javanese Gamelan Ensemble.
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  Bedhaya dance performance at the wedding in Mangkunegaran Palace, Solo, Java, in January 1921.
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  The bedhaya dancers doing a sembah (tribute) to the Sultan of Yogyakarta in 1884.
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  The Bedoyo dancers at the Susuhunan Palace Solo, Surakarta, between 1910 and 1930.

• Some examples of Srimpi dance
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  The elegant dance of Srimpi.
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  Srimpi Dhempel.
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  "Serimpi" dancers of the Regent of Bandung (circa 1864)
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  Srimpi Dancer in Yogyakarta.

• Some examples of Javanese court dances
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  Beksan Puri Melati dance
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  Beksan Jebeng dance
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  Gambyong Langenkusuma dance
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  Javanese-style dance at the 8th Malam Anugerah Sastra, Inna Garuda, Yogyakarta

It's the popular dances of the commoner. This is the type of Javanese dances that developed in villages or cities that located relatively quite far from Javanese kratons as the center of Javanese palace culture. Kawulo dances is lack in Javanese courtly dance discipline, constraints, and refinements. This type of dance relatively more open and adaptive to local preference as well as foreign influences.

Several dance forms function as courtship or social dance such as ronggeng, gandrung and tayub, while others are celebratory dances such as reog and kuda lumping. The movement of social dances, such as ronggeng and tayub are more vigorous and often erotic, closely related to Sundanese jaipongan. Because of the erotic nuances, those who perform this type of dance are sometimes perceived as intentionally being suggestive or even openly advertising sexual favors.

• Some examples of Javanese commoner dances
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  Singo Barong performance at Festival Reog Nasional in Ponorogo, East Java, Indonesia
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  Kuda Lumping also called "Jaran Kepang", is a traditional Javanese dance depicting a group of troops riding horses.
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  Shinta in Javanese Ramayana Wayang Wong dance performance, Prambanan.
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  Remo dance