H

ave you ever heard of Kuda Renggong?

It is believed that this almost extinct traditional performance art originated in Cikurubuk, a village in Sumedang regency, West Java.

Renggong means male horse, and it is he that is the star of the show. The name of the performance is a play on words - ronggeng is the moniker given to a traditional female dancer. To be a renggong horse, the animal must be trained from the age of five.

More recently, performers have added trick performing goats to the ensemble.

Renggong spread to other areas outside Cikurubuk, even outside Sumedang, but the performance has been recognized as a cultural asset of Sumedang,

The performers traditionally entertain people at private receptions, including weddings and birthdays. But Kuda Renggong is now performed widely in public.

Traditionally, before a performance the renggong horse circles around a village accompanied by musicians playing drums, trumpets, a gong and a tambourine.

While circling the village, the performers ask for tips from the villagers. The performers believe the money collected at the beginning of the performance should go to the horse and not them. They believe that the misuse of the money brings bad luck.

After being circled, the horse, which wears colorful head wear, performs tricks such as elevating its front legs as high as possible, walking on its hind legs, or strutting to music.

A Kuda Renggong group has brought the folk tradition to the streets of Jakarta. Recently the group stopped by at Fatahillah Square in West Jakarta, attracting dozens of spectators.