''Sisingaan'' ( su, ᮞᮤᮞᮤᮍᮃᮔ᮪) or also known as ''Gotong Singa'', ''Singa Ungkleuk'', ''Singa Depok'', ''Kuda Ungkleuk'', ''Pergosi'' or ''Odong-odong'', is a traditional

Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...

lion dance originated from Subang,

West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. This lion dance performance marked by a form of an ark or palanquin that resembles a lion. The lion ark or lion-shaped effigy is carried by a group of dancers who perform various attractions accompanied by traditional music. The lion palanquin is being ride by a children. This dance usually performed to celebrate the child's

circumcision Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...

ceremony, where the child is carried on a lion around the ''

kampung A kampong (''kampung'' in Malay and Indonesian) is the term for a village in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and a "port" in Cambodia. The term applies to traditional villages, especially of the indigenous people, and has also been used t ...

'' (village).

Etymology

Sundanese language Sundanese (: , ; Sundanese script: ) is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Sundanese. It has approximately 40 million native speakers in the western third of Java; they represent about 15% of Indonesia's total population. Classifica ...

the term ''sisingaan'' means "imitation lion", "playing the lion" or "lion play". This refers to the form of a lion-like

effigy An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certai ...

that is the main part of the show.

Form

Unlike other lion dances however, this lion dance is quite different. It uses

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

-like statue or an

doll that resembles a lion in ''

couchant In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a charge, a supporter, or as a crest. The attitude of an heraldic figure always precedes any reference to the tincture of the figur ...

'' (lying down) position, being held in a palanquin-like structure by four or two men with bamboo rods. This lion statue is being ride by a

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

, as the lion being carried away and held high by these men in certain dance movements, sometimes involved

acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...

. The dance is accompanied with a traditional music troupe consists of musicians playing musical instruments; including ''

kendang Kendang or Gendang ( jv, ꦏꦼꦤ꧀ꦝꦁ, translit=Kendhang, su, ᮊᮨᮔ᮪ᮓᮀ, translit=Kendang, ban, ᬓᬾᬦ᭄ᬤᬂ, translit=Kendang, Tausug/Bajau Maranao: ''Gandang'', Bugis: ''Gendrang'' and Makassar: ''Gandrang'' or ''Ganra ...

'' (drum), ''

kempul A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. The kempul is a set of pitched, hanging, knobbed gongs, often made of bronze, wood, and cords. Ranging from 19 cm to 25,4 cm (7 to 10 inches) in diameter, the kempul gong h ...

'', '' gong'', '' suling'' bamboo flute and

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

History

2018 Asian Games opening ceremony 22 (cropped)

At first, the Sundanese people of Subang had an art called "oesungan" which they carried in the form of birds, deer, stealth on a stretcher. At that time there was no stretcher in the form of a lion like this time. Then The Sisingaan was created around 1975 by Sundanese artists, because remembering the arrival of the

reog Ponorogo or ( jv, ꦫꦺꦪꦺꦴꦒ꧀) is a traditional Indonesian dance in an open arena that serves as folk entertainment, contains magical elements, the main dancer is a lion-headed person with a peacock feather decoration, plus several masked dan ...

art to the city which was brought by urbanites from

Ponorogo Ponorogo Regency ( id, Kabupaten Ponorogo; jv, ꦑꦧꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦦꦤꦫꦒ, translit=Kabupatèn Pånårågå) is a regency (''kabupaten'') of East Java, Indonesia. It is considered the birthplace of Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indone ...

. After the Sundanese artists discussed with the Reog artists who were very different from the Reog Dog-Dog Sundanese, that reog from East Java attracted more attention and had philosophical values and historical records against Dutch colonialism, an art was created that was able to show the distinctive identity of Subang from the ideas of the artist. Sisingaan was inspired by the Reog series in East Java, which tells of the joy of the journey of King Singa Barong's bodyguards from the kingdom of Lodaya to the Daha kingdom. Even though the king was known to be cruel and arrogant, the guards were always loyal to carry the litter that King Singa Barong slept with. In addition, as a symbol of the resistance of the people of Subang against Dutch arbitrariness, which is depicted as a lion in the VOC symbol, it is intended as a calming historical learning education for students. At first, the Sundanese people of Subang had an art called "oesungan" which they carried in the form of birds, deer, stealth on a stretcher. At that time there was no stretcher in the form of a lion like this time

Gallery

File:DSC07451-01.jpg, Sisingaan dance performance in a village. File:Sisingaan traditional lion dance of West Java.PNG, Sisingaan dance with kids riding the lion effigy. File:West Java Cultural Parade (Parade Budaya Jawa Barat).jpg, Sisingaan lion dance parade during Independence day parade in 2008 Merdeka Square, Jakarta.

References

External links