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'Reog Ponorogo' Touring for survival
Showtime: Reog performers entertain residents in one of their mobile shows in East Java
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Showtime: Reog performers entertain residents in one of their mobile shows in East Java.
Accessories made of peacock feathers are placed against a store's wall as people take time combing the fur on tiger-head shaped masks called singo barong.
The players from the traditional masked dance troupe from Ponorogo regency, East Java, were helping each other to put on their makeup and costumes ahead of their performance.
That day, they were performing in a field in the heart of Tembokrejo village, 20 kilometers south of the regency's capital.
Braving drizzle from a cloudy sky, residents surrounded the field with their families to watch the show, locally known as Reog Ponorogo, paying Rp 8,000 (64 US cents) per ticket for an adult and Rp 5,000 for a child.
The sound of gongs, drums and trumpets was reverberating from inside the arena enclosed with tarpaulin.
The group, Singo Bolang Kertodiharjo, has 57 members and started nine years ago.
'We started the group after realizing that such a group was hard to find. Pressured with demands for better living conditions for our families, we then gathered players from across Ponorogo and Madiun to perform and shared the income evenly,' said the group's coordinator, Dharmono.
In the afternoon, the players ' predominantly men, since only three of them were women ' started a parade along the road heading to the field. They were wearing 20 masks, each weighing some 50 to 60 kilograms, adorned with peacock feathers.
With loud applause from the audience, they entered the field, taking turns showcasing their dance skills for 30 minutes. The show was then followed by a jatilan horse dance staged by female performers.
In between the performances, the master of ceremonies narrated Reog Ponorogo's history and legend.
'Reog players are not allowed to perform for more than five minutes each to maintain a good physical condition as they are going to perform the next day. We usually dance for 15 to 30 minutes each,' said Wito, a performer.
The group's players are mostly aged between 23 and 35. Some take their families to tag along with the group when touring from one city to another.
The next attraction was a warok fighter dance, showing off the performer's skill in playing with broken glass.
Later on, some Reog players took the center stage, performing a ku-cingan comedy featuring woman dancers.
'I've been touring with my husband and children for three years now. We were born and met in the world of Reog,' said Darwati, a 30-year-old dancer from Madiun.
The troupe also performed a variety of acts ' from riding motorcycles with costumes on and playing with fire to having hot water poured on them.
Closer to the end, an acrobatic stunt called Bujang Ganong was displayed by a masked man, who was turning upside down on a rope.
Visitors could also sit on Reog tiger heads to have their photos taken by paying Rp 10,000 per person.
'Money is not our ultimate goal when performing Reog,' said Agus, one of the performers, who would continue touring the country's cities to satisfy curious minds and ensure the art's survival.
'Just give us space and time to survive, since my friends and I grew up with Reog and it has become part of us. It's our soul.'
' Photos by Aman Rochman
