Ponorogo : The mainly cultural arts of Reog performance

Reog is a cultural art performing by dance theater that has a high cultural value and unique. These art of Culture is derived from Ponorogo district, East Java, which is considered as the home town of Reog art. Reog conducted by a group of performers dance with various characters and characterization, The performance of Reog is always accompanying with some of gamelan players and singers who performed the song with the local language. Reog Ponorogo emerged as a form of magical ceremonies with local beliefs that would brought a thick aura of magic and mysticism, as the changing times, Reog Ponorogo was changed becoming a form of entertainment and theater folk art. Modern Reog usually performed in several events such as weddings, circumcisions and national major holidays. Reog told about the struggle for a prince who will propose to a lovely pretty princess .

The show of Reog maid instruments that usually using kempul, tap, kenong, handheld, ketipung, angklung and especially salompret, who voiced tone and slendro. which is giving a rise to mystical atmosphere, unique, exotic and uplifting. One group of Reog usually consists of a Warok old, some young warok, pembarong, dancers Bujang Ganong and King Kelono Suwandono. Number of reog group ranged from 20 to 30-person, the main role is in the hands of warok and pembarong.

Reog Ponorogo performing art consists of several series of 2 to 3 opening dance. The first dance is usually performed by 6-8 brave men dressed all in black, with polished face into red. The dancers depict the brave lion. And the next is a dance performed by 6-8 girls who ride horses . In traditional reog, these dancers are usually played by male dancers with dressed as a women. This dance is called the braid horse dance. If there are another opening dance, is usually using dance by a little boy who brought a funny scene. After the opening dance is finished, the new core scene displayed the contents of which depend reog condition where art is displayed. If associated with the wedding scene shown is romance. For the celebration of circumcision, is usually a story of warriors.

The last scene is the barong lion, where the actors wore masks performing by head of a lion with a crown made of peacock feathers. The players who wear the masks are commonly referred as "pembarong". Pembarong, must have an extra strength. He must have a good jaw strength, to withstand the bite of a burden called "sudden Peacock" which is forming of by tiger's head adorned with hundreds of strands of peacock feathers six feet tall and can weigh up to an 50-pounds during the show.



The scene in the art of reog usually do not follow a neat scenario. There is always interaction between the player and puppeteer (usually the leader of the group) and sometimes with the audience. Sometimes a player's performances can be replaced by another player when the main player had fatigue. The more overlooked in the staging of art reog is to give satisfaction to the audience. Until now people Ponorogo only follow what their heritage as a very rich cultural . In the experience of Reog Ponorogo art is copyright from human creations which formed as belief currents that is hereditary and awake.

Reog dance is also staged full moon nightly in paseban, Ponorogo Town Square.The visitors can enjoy this traditional dance mainly in Ponorogo, East Java - Indonesia. The only area that has REOG dance is Ponorogo, Indonesia , not in other country.