Bedaya Ketawang

Yesterday, my friend, Yudhiakto Pramudya, reminded me about a traditional dance. It’s called Bedaya Ketawang that emerged in the early seventeenth century in the Javanese state of Mataram and commemorates the coronation of the king of Surakarta, one of the two Mataram Kingdom divisions. In Java, Indonesia, bedaya are dancers who perform ritual court dances. Bedaya are living embodiments of traditional Javanese high culture, and in addition to dance are expected to be proficient in the Javanese language and literature, as well as able to practice batik and the healing arts.

Bedaya Ketawang Dance

Bedaya Ketawang is one of sacred dance in Central Java. The movements in this Bedaya Ketawang dance are very simple, with few ornaments, and the instrumentation for the accompanying gendhing is not as full as the gamelan used for wayang or shadow puppet theatre. The patterns of dance are simple, the movements sway smoothly, as if following the breathing pattern of the dancers. It seems to contain sequence of body movements which have the goal of controlling fluctuating emotions, so that what appears gives an impression of a continuous flow, calm, without ripples or erratic movements or even explosions.
The dance depicts the relationship between Panembahan Senopati, the first ruler of Mataram, and Kanjeng Ratu Kidul (Her Majesty Queen of The South Sea), the goddess of the sea and protector of the royal family.
The dance is performed by nine bedayas wearing the makeup and dress of brides. The dancers prepare for the dance as they would for a marriage ceremony, and the hour long dance is open only to selected audiences who refrain from smoking, drinking, and eating. Some believe that a tenth dancer is the goddess herself, she also performs and can be seen by some people.

This story is a legend, but the fact that it’s used as a theme in the court dance suggests that it is in the official chronicles of the Babad Kraton Mataram. Things I can get that dancing is an educational process to acquire an ideal personality in the view of Javanese life. An ideal personality is one which is able to control emotions with movement and behaviour patterns, or body language, which in interpersonal relationships always shows self restraint and allows others to take the initiative. A personality which is almost passive and easily ashamed when acting outside the norms. These norms become the basis for reacting to the patterns of dance movements taught. High technical discipline is obligatory, as discipline in the details of movement performed also reflects the discipline in implementation of social order.

Bedaya Ketawang Dance

Note:

• Pictures are taken from http://heritageofjava.com/
• Some historical information is taken fromKitab Wedbapradangga
• Some terms are taken from Encyclopedia of Modern Asia Summary

This story is a legend, but the fact that it is used as a theme in the court dance suggests that it is in the official chronicles of the Babad Kraton Mataram.

Song for you

Don’t cry just sweep your pain from your eyes
that makes me fall to your heart
Sorry, it’s all I can say to your heart
you’ll always with me

You are my dream
My sweetest dream
Please babe don’t leave me alone
Hold me tight
Close in my arms
I’m with you wherever you are
You’ll always be my happy life
This love will last forever

Trust me I know what you have been through
believe me i’m here for you
Feel me I always be around you
Wherever I go

You are my dream
My sweetest dream
Please babe don’t leave me alone
Hold me tight
Close in my arms
I’m with you wherever you are
You’ll always be my happy life
This love will last forever

(by Air; for Angel)

Does she believe?

I believe… When she is not with me there are no stars in the sky.
I believe… The way back to her will feel a little far.
I’ll carry all those memories deep inside me.
I’ll feel pain, it’ll make tears fall.
When I won’t cry she will leave me
With no change and no tears.
Someday again the tears will come around
She knows it
I’ll believe that she is waiting.
I do it for her.
I believe. It’ll hurt me to see, she can’t cry.
I believe. My tears will fall, she should turn back to me again.
Again I’ll glimpse she comes into my sight
And it’ll make my tears fall.
When I won’t cry she will leave me
With no change and no tears.
Someday again the tears will come around
She knows it.
I’ll believe that she is waiting.
I do it for her.
Before I knew her, the world was dazzling.
From that sky I got left with tears.
I will care for that person.
She is the only reason.
To me the wait gives me enough happiness.
Love is the only reason.
As days pass by,
If she forgets the way, I’ll be waiting
I do it for her.

(sebuah lirik, saat tak bisa tidur, Shubuh, 29 Desember 2007, disaat terjadi perbedaan waktu antara aku dan dia)

Something that she doesn't know about.

Every night when I would go to sleep.
I couldn’t stop dreaming about her.
Even though I don’t really know her.
I’m waiting for the moment I can show her about my words.
I was watching her went for several times.
I was watching her passed me by.
It’s real love that she doesn’t know about.
I knew I had to come up and approach her.
Coz I really gotta let her knows.
I got a lot of love I wanna show her.
I need her love.
She’s the one that I want and no one can take.
I’m never gonna let her slips away again.
Every now and then when I watch her.
I wish that I could tell her that I want her
But now.. I just can wait and be patient.

Bandung, 29 Des ‘07, jam 01.50, saat dia ada di jauh sana.

Whose?

I am trying to understand her
I would like to know both
What she should hear
For that much she wants to believe
I am afraid of this silence
And the gap between us
From these statements of absence
Who put me in the knee
I lost my reason
Let me to the abandonment
I look back
I see a tear sinking
I lost my benchmarks
The color of my soul
Tell me where is my life
If she is “far” from here?