Srimpi or Serimpi is a form of repertoire (presentation) of classical Javanese dance from the tradition of the palace of the Sultanate of Mataram and has been preserved and developed until now by the four palaces of its heirs in Central Java (Surakarta) and Yogyakarta.
The presentation of this stage dance is characterized by four dancers performing graceful movements that describe politeness, subtlety, and gentleness shown by slow and graceful movements accompanied by the sound of gamelan music. Srimpi is considered to have a similar social position to the Pakarena dance from Makassar, which is seen from the softness of the dancers' movements and as a palace dance.
Since ancient times, Srimpi dance has had a special position in Javanese courts and cannot be equated with other stage dances because of its sacred nature. In the past, this dance could only be performed by people chosen by the palace. Srimpi has the same level of sacredness as heirlooms or objects that symbolize the king's power from the Hindu Javanese era, although it is not as sacred as the Bedhaya dance.
In performances, srimpi dance does not always require offerings like the Bedhaya dance, but only at certain times. The musical accompaniment for the Srimpi dance is to prioritize a combined choir, namely when singing Javanese songs.
Srimpi itself has undergone many developments from time to time, including the duration of the performance. Now one of the cultures originating from Central Java has been developed into several new variants with a shorter duration of performances. For example, Srimpi Anglirmendhung becomes 11 minutes and Srimpi Gondokusumo becomes 15 minutes which initially lasts approximately 60 minutes.
In addition to the performance time, this dance also experienced developments in terms of clothing. At first, the dancer's clothes were like the clothes worn by royal brides with dodotan and bun bokor as headdresses, now the dancer's costumes have turned into sleeveless clothes, as well as hair buns decorated with ceplok flowers, and headdresses in the form of cassowary feathers.
History and Fhilosophy of Serimpi Dance
The emergence of Srimpi dance originated from the heyday of the Mataram Kingdom when Sultan Agung ruled in 1613-1646. This dance is considered sacred because it is only performed in the palace environment for state rituals until the commemoration of the sultan's ascension to the throne. In 1775 the Mataram Kingdom split into the Yogyakarta Sultanate and the Surakarta Sunanate. This split has an impact on the Srimpi dance so that there are differences in movement, although the essence of the dance is still the same. This dance appeared in the Surakarta palace environment around 1788-1820. And from the 1920s onwards, classical dance training was included in the Yogyakarta students' Parks subject and in the Krida Beksa Wirama dance and musical association. After Indonesia's independence, this dance was then also taught in government dance and musical academies, both in Solo and in Yogyakarta.
Initially, this dance was called Srimpi Sangopati which refers to an understanding, namely a candidate for successor to the king. However, Srimpi itself also means woman. Another opinion, according to Dr. Priyono, the name srimpi can be linked to the root word “impi” or dream. The point is that when watching the graceful dance for 3/4 to 1 hour, the audience is like being transported to another world, namely dreamland.
Then related to the composition, according to Kanjeng Brongtodiningrat, the composition of the Srimpi dancers symbolizes the four winds or the four elements of the world, namely: Grama (fire), Wind (air), Toya (water), Bumi (earth). The composition, which consists of four people, forms a rectangle that symbolizes the pillar of the pavilion. What is described in the Srimpi dance performance is the war of heroes in the stories of Menak, Purwa, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Javanese history and others or it can also be said as a dance that tells the story of the battle symbolized in the camp (one camp means consisting of two dancers) who involved in a war. The theme displayed in the Srimpi dance is actually the same as the theme in the Bedhaya Sanga dance, which describes the conflict between two contradictory things between good and bad, between right and wrong, and between human reason and lust. The four dancers usually act as Batak, Gulu, Dhada and Buncit.
The theme of war in the Srimpi dance, according to Raden Mas Wisnu Wardhana, is a depiction of the eastern philosophy of life. The war in the Srimpi dance is a symbol of the never-ending struggle between good and evil. Even the Srimpi dance in expressing the war dance movements is seen more clearly because it is carried out with the same movement of two pairs of soldiers against other soldiers with the help of dance properties in the form of weapons. The weapons used in this dance include a small keris or cundrik, a jembeng (a kind of pestle), and a short spear. During the reign of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana VII, namely in the 19th century, there was also the Srimpi dance in which the weapon was a gun that was fired downwards.
This dance performance from Central Java is usually at the beginning of the event because it functions as an opening dance, in addition, this dance is sometimes also performed when there is a puppet performance. Until now, Srimpi dance is still considered a noble art and is a palace heirloom.
Types of serimpi dance
Srimpi dances in the Sultanate of Yogyakarta are classified into Srimpi Babul Layar, Srimpi Dhempel, and Srimpi Genjung. For the Sultanate of Surakarta, Srimpi is classified into Srimpi Anglir Mendung and Srimpi Bondan. One of the other types of Srimpi dance is Srimpi Renggawati which is performed by five people, namely four dancers plus one dancer as Renggawati's daughter. The story told is the story of Angling Dharma, a young crown prince who was cursed to become a Mliwis bird. He will be able to return to his original form if his body is touched by the hands of a beautiful princess (Princess Renggawati). All of these events are reflected in the dances performed by the Renggawati srimpi dancers which end with a happy ending.
Outside the palace walls, there is the Srimpi dance which is also danced by five dancers, namely Srimpi Lima. This dance developed in rural areas, namely in the midst of the people of Ngadireso Village, Poncokusumo District, Malang Regency, East Java. In Ngadireso Village, Srimpi will be held during a ruwatan ceremony, which is a self-cleaning process that aims to eliminate bad luck and negative aura in a person which is carried out in a certain way. The ruwatan that is carried out is ruwatan murwakala, namely the ruwatan that is carried out to save or protect someone who is believed to be Bethara Kala's prey or food. Even so, this Srimpi has the theme of joy, eroticism, and sacredness. Srimpi Lima is a manifestation of the ideas and activities of the community that owns it. Its existence is strongly influenced by the socio-cultural environment because in an ethnic environment, behavior has a very large authority in determining the existence of arts including traditional dance.
The oldest form of srimpi according to written sources, was created by Sri Pakubuwana V in Java 1748 or around 1820-1823, namely Srimpi Ludiramadu. This dance was created by him to commemorate his mother who is of Madurese blood. The newest form of srimpi is Srimpi Pondelori, composed by teachers of Yogyakarta dance associations, then Among Beksa, performed by eight dancers with the theme Menak.
Srimpi Pondelori itself is a form of Srimpi dance typical of Yogyakarta which is performed by four people. The content is a fight between Dewi Sirtupilaeli and Dewi Sudarawerti over the love of Wong Agung Jayengrana, a prince from an Arab country. At the end of the story there is neither defeat nor victory because the two warring camps are finally all married by the prince.
Then there is the Chinese Srimpi dance. What distinguishes this dance is that the dancers wear typical Chinese clothes. Usually this one dance is performed at the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace.
Next up is the Srimpi Pamugrari dance, so named because the accompanying music uses the song of the flight attendant. For the weapon that is carried while dancing is a gun.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon