Modern train has been passing by and Sintren left behind in the boxes labeled as ancient and forgotten. The magnificent and mystical dancing is deserted, even they who own it don’t want to hold it any longer. Sintren is vinegary dying.
Sintren or Lais is one of the traditional art that was outspread along north coast of Central and West Java. It is danced by the virgin girl, the pure one, for its essence as the shamanic dancing to invite rain in the long dry season. Especially since the northern seashore of Java, from Pemalang until Indramayu, is known as arid area it has a very low rainfall. The virgin girl symbolize Rara Sulasih, the Javanese princess from the past, who is longing for her lover Sulandana who ensconces behind the clouds lines. Their encounter happen in the wind that brings hot wind for a while but pouring rain after that. It personifies the farmers who pine for the soil fertility to start their growing season. That is why in the past Sintren was not kept as only dancing, but it transcendence ritual.
Sintren is combining dance, music, magic, wisdom, and hope in one package. The virgin girl will wear a farmer costume at first and she will dance accompanied by gamelan. In the middle of the dancing, a shaman comes to her and whispering his spell. The virgin dancer is suddenly in trance and people around her will cover her with a chicken cage blanket by black fabric. After a couple of minutes, the cage will be opened and the girl under the chicken cage will change her form becomes a beautiful Javanese princess, a sign that Rara Sulasih has been entering his body. If it is succeeded, people believe that rain will be falling and their hope is going to be realized.
But modernity has changed the face of Java, in the northern coastal as well. By its impacts, technology, velocity and comfort become the superior, effective and efficient become its motto. The indigenous way of life is left, including the traditional farming. It is a rarity finding people, especially the youths, who are having willingness of devoting themselves as a farmer nowadays. It is supported by lack of government’s alignment to agriculture that is ironic since Indonesia was well known as agricultural country. By this situation, local wisdom is substituted by mechanic and logic way of thinking. And sintren is also influenced, slowly it is forsaken. Yet waving goodbye, it is having one foot in the grave.
But is it really the ending? No! As long as we have concern and awareness in our traditional heritage, we are suddenly knocked by this phenomena. Sintren is able to grab its glory once more time if we want to embrace it again, by learning, keeping, spreading, and growing it. We are the key, not just for Sintren, but for the survival of all of our locality, bring back life to the dying.
Sintren or Lais is one of the traditional art that was outspread along north coast of Central and West Java. It is danced by the virgin girl, the pure one, for its essence as the shamanic dancing to invite rain in the long dry season. Especially since the northern seashore of Java, from Pemalang until Indramayu, is known as arid area it has a very low rainfall. The virgin girl symbolize Rara Sulasih, the Javanese princess from the past, who is longing for her lover Sulandana who ensconces behind the clouds lines. Their encounter happen in the wind that brings hot wind for a while but pouring rain after that. It personifies the farmers who pine for the soil fertility to start their growing season. That is why in the past Sintren was not kept as only dancing, but it transcendence ritual.
Sintren is combining dance, music, magic, wisdom, and hope in one package. The virgin girl will wear a farmer costume at first and she will dance accompanied by gamelan. In the middle of the dancing, a shaman comes to her and whispering his spell. The virgin dancer is suddenly in trance and people around her will cover her with a chicken cage blanket by black fabric. After a couple of minutes, the cage will be opened and the girl under the chicken cage will change her form becomes a beautiful Javanese princess, a sign that Rara Sulasih has been entering his body. If it is succeeded, people believe that rain will be falling and their hope is going to be realized.
But modernity has changed the face of Java, in the northern coastal as well. By its impacts, technology, velocity and comfort become the superior, effective and efficient become its motto. The indigenous way of life is left, including the traditional farming. It is a rarity finding people, especially the youths, who are having willingness of devoting themselves as a farmer nowadays. It is supported by lack of government’s alignment to agriculture that is ironic since Indonesia was well known as agricultural country. By this situation, local wisdom is substituted by mechanic and logic way of thinking. And sintren is also influenced, slowly it is forsaken. Yet waving goodbye, it is having one foot in the grave.
But is it really the ending? No! As long as we have concern and awareness in our traditional heritage, we are suddenly knocked by this phenomena. Sintren is able to grab its glory once more time if we want to embrace it again, by learning, keeping, spreading, and growing it. We are the key, not just for Sintren, but for the survival of all of our locality, bring back life to the dying.
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