Ronggeng

Ronggeng

A female Ronggeng dancer as depicted by Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles in his book The History of Java (1817).
Native name	ꦫꦺꦴꦁꦒꦺꦁ ronggèng (in Javanese) ᬭᭀᬂᬕᬾᬂ, ronggéng (in Balinese)
Genre	Traditional dance
Instrument(s)	Gamelan
Inventor	Javanese
Origin	Java (Indonesia)

Three genres of traditional dance in Bali
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Country	Indonesia
Reference	00617
Region	Asia and the Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	2015 (10th session)
List	Representative

Ronggeng (from Kawi roṅgeṅ 'female dancer'; Javanese: ꦫꦺꦴꦁꦒꦺꦁ, ronggèng; Balinese: ᬭᭀᬂᬕᬾᬂ, ronggéng) is a type of Java-origin cultural dance, invented by the Javanese people—the indigenous of the Central and Eastern Java regions. Ronggeng tend to bear the feminine or seductive characteristic, and always accompanied by the Gamelan (lit. 'Javanese musical ensemble instrument set'). It is related to another Javanese cultural dances, such as Lengger, Tandak, and Topeng.

Outside of Central and Eastern Java, the Ronggeng also performed by the Javanese diaspora in multiple regions across Indonesian Archipelago; in Greater Jakarta region, Ronggeng incorporated and absorbed as integral cultural part of the Betawi Ora (Betawi of Javanese-descent), where its distinctive style known as Ronggeng Betawi, lit. 'Betawi-style Ronggeng' (in Betawi), which most probably derived from its ancestral Sundanese-style Ronggeng Gunung Priangan or simply Ronggeng Gunung originated from the Parahyangan mountainous region. Meanwhile in its nextdoor island, Bali, the Ronggeng also play role, where it is acknowledged as a Balinese cultural heritage, rooting from its Javanese ancestral exodus to Bali back in 12th to 13th century during late Singhasari era.

Etymology

Etymologically, “ronggeng” is an Old Javanese-origin term “roṅgeṅ”, literally means 'female dancer'.

Ancient native records

One of the earliest mention of Ronggeng dance performance could be found within Classical Javanese manuscript of Kidung Sunda, found in the Indonesian island of Bali, dating back to 13th to 14th century (or earlier).

“menmen igĕl abĕcik, babarisan …, roṅgeṅ solahe aṅrawit.”

Translation: 'a good dance performer, group of Baris-dancers …, [and] the fascinating Ronggeng'

— Kidung Sunda manuscript, Bali (c. 13th-14th century)

Colonial records

Dutch historical accounts of Ronggeng, c. early 18th to 19th century

Furthermore, the Ronggeng are also recorded by the Europeans who colonized the regions. In early 18th century (1779-1785 to be specific), Jan Brandes—a Dutch preacher, draftsman and watercolorist, documented Ronggeng in his Dutch-language 1808-published book (both in written and image drawing form).

“als er een man met een Ronging danst, dan heet het Ibing, het danssen heet Tandak, de danseresse schreeuwde het woord Elée als zy de dans begint”

Translation: 'when a man dances with a Ronging (Ronggeng) dancer, it [the action] is called ibing, the dancing? is called Tandak, the dancer shouts the word Elée when she starts the dance'

— Scetchbook of Jan Brandes, (c. 1779-1785)

In early 19th century, Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles—a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, documented Ronggeng in his English-language book The History of Java as one of the Javanese dances, that usually performed by the females (at least according to his observation in the region where he visited).

Derivative names

Names	Native script (blank if none)	Languages	Notes
Rénggong	ᬭᬾᬂᬕᭀᬂ	(in Balinese)	Alternative form
Renggong	-	(in Betawi)	Alternative form
Ronging	-	(in Dutch)	Alternative form
Rungging	ꦫꦸꦁ​ꦒꦶꦁ​	(in Kangean)	Kangeanisation
Rungghing	ꦫꦸꦁ​​ꦒ꦳ꦶꦁ​	(in Madurese)	Madurisation
Salonreng	ᨔᨒᨚ ᨙᨑ	(in Makasar)	Developed as seperate dance form
Ronggyèng	ꦫꦺꦴꦁ​​ꦒꦾꦺꦁ​	(in Osing)	Alternative form
Rong Ngeng	รองเง็ง	(in Thai)	Thaizisation; introduced during Raden Panji Inu migration to Indochina

History

An 8th century Borobudur temple bas-relief, depicts a female dance performer accompanied by a group of musical instrument player.

Ronggeng has probably existed in Java since ancient time as the bas reliefs in Karmawibhanga section of the eighth-century Borobudur display the scene of a travelling entertainment troupe with musicians and female dancers. In Java, a traditional ronggeng performance features a traveling dance troupe that travels from village to village. The dance troop consists of one or several professional female dancers, accompanied by a group of musicians playing musical instruments: rebab and gong. The term "ronggeng" also applied for this female dancers. During a ronggeng performance, the female professional dancers are expected to invite some male audiences or clients to dance with them as a couple with the exchange of some tips money for the female dancer, given during or after the dance. The couple dances intimately and the female dancer might perform some movements that might be considered too erotic by standard of modesty in Javanese court etiquette. In the past, the erotic and sexual nuance of the dance gave ronggeng a shady reputation as prostitution disguised in the art of dance.

Comparison of Ronggeng and Lengger

Variants

Javanese Ronggeng (original)

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  Ronggeng performance in Yogyakarta court palace, c. 1920
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  A portrait of Javanese female Ronggeng dancer, c. 1880
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  Illustration of Javanese male Ronggeng dancer (Dutch East Indies)
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  An illustration of Cirebon Javanese Ronggeng dancer in Cirebon
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  Javanese Ronggeng and Gamelan
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  Illustration of Javanese female street-dancer of Ronggeng
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  Two Ronggeng dancer
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  A Javanese female Ronggeng dancer and Gamelan performer
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  A Javanese female Ronggeng dancer, c. 1890
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  Javanese Ronggeng
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  Two Javanese female Ronggeng dancer and Gamelan orchestra, c. 1910
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  Ronggeng performer
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  Ronggeng dancers, c. 1900
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  A Javanese female Ronggeng dancer, c. 1900
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  Cirebon Javanese dancer in Cirebon, c. 1851

Betawi Ronggeng

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  The performance of Ronggeng Blantek in Bekasi Regency, West Java
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  A group of Betawi female Ronggeng Blantek performer
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  A Javan (probably Betawi) Ronggeng dancer, c. 1905
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  A Javan (probably Betawi) Ronggeng performer in Jakarta (during Dutch colonial era)
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  A portrait of Javan (probably Betawi) Ronggeng dancer, c. 1972
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  A Javan (probably Betawi) Ronggeng dancer and musical instrumentalists in Jakarta (Dutch colonial era)
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  Javan (probably Betawi) Ronggeng performer in Jakarta (Dutch colonial era)

Paser Ronggeng

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  A group of Paser Dayak female performing Ronggeng in East Kalimantan

Sundanese Ronggeng

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  The performance of Ronggeng Gunung in Pangandaran Regency, West Java
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  A Sundanese couple performing Ronggeng Panggung in Padjadjaran University, West Java
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  Ronggeng Geber performance in West Java
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  A Sundanese female Ronggeng Gunung performer in Ciamis Regency, West Java
• 
  Group of Sundanese performing Ronggeng Geber in West Java

Popular culture

Ronggeng is the main theme of Ahmad Tohari's novel Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, which tells the story of a dancer girl who is also a prostitute, in a remote village in Central Java. Ronggeng is closely related to Sundanese Jaipongan dance.

See also

• Lengger
• Topeng