Women’s Dances from the Javanese Court

Srimpi and bedhaya, danced by women at the Javanese court, developed into court rituals from the end of the 16th century. The choreography of these dances expresses ideas like the peace and order of the cosmos, the unity of good and evil or of God and man. These dances were first made available to the general public through a national project called the PKJT in 1970. This project did not just revive the dances, it also shortened and adapted them for a modern audience in the belief that the traditional dances were boring and monotonous. The new versions are widely known through recordings and are taught in art colleges. However, few dancers now know the original, full-length versions of the dances. I discuss how the meditative quality of these dances was lost when they were simplified. New ways of explaining the dances are now needed if they are to be understood and appreciated by modern audiences.