[LC MALANG] 5 Traditional Dance from Malang East Java

East Java is a storehouse of diverse cultures and customs. One of them is traditional dance. It is undeniable, in Malang there are 5 different types of traditional dances. Here’s the review. 

1. Sarimpi Lima Dance 

Serimpi Lima dance is one of the regional dances from Malang, East Java which has a joyful, erotic, and sacred nature. Serimpi Lima dance originally developed in Ngadireso Village, Malang Regency. At first this dance has a function for the Ruwatan Murwakala ceremony, or is one of the ceremonies to free themselves (wong sukerta) from the evil interference of Batara Kala. However, currently Serimpi Lima Dance is used as a welcome dance. 

2. Bedayan Dance 

Bedayan dance is one of the dances used to welcome guests. Bedayan dance has the meaning of simplicity, straightforwardness, and openness, in accordance with the nature of most people in Malang City. Based on folklore, Bedayan Dance is present when the queen of the southern sea ruler Nyi Roro Kidul has a meeting with the kings. There are 9 dancers in the Bedayan Dance which produces a beautiful unity of dance movements. 

3. Grebeg Wiratama Dance 

Grebeg Wiratama dance is one of the traditional dances of Malang which has the meaning of the warrior spirit of soldiers who will go to war. The movements shown in this dance tend to be masculine and assertive, like the nature of a soldier. Not only that, this dance also describes the humorous nature that exists in humans 

4. Beskalan Dance 

The Beskalan dance is one of Malang’s special dances in East Java which was originally used in the ritual of honoring Dewi Sri or the goddess of fertility. This dance initially became a ritual when planting rice, asking for the fertility of the soil. In this dance, the dancer uses a red scarf. But currently, the Beskalan Dance is used as a welcome dance. This dance began to appear in the 1930s which was the time of the development of Ludruk 

5. Topeng Malangan Dance 

Topeng Malangan Dance is one of the traditional dances from Malang which has its own characteristics, namely using a mask. The dancers are required to animate the character of the mask. Topeng Malangan Dance was first coined by Airlangga, son of Darmawangsa Beguh from the Kingdom of Kediri. This traditional dance is increasingly known and developed in the Singosari Kingdom led by Ken Arok. Reporting from the Indonesian Communal Intellectual Property National Data Center, Topeng Malangan Dance adopts the Panji story. It has the meaning of human life which is sometimes sad, happy, angry, and others. Another meaning taken from the mask pattern is that red symbolizes lust, green symbolizes life, and white symbolizes purity.