Mask Dance (Tari Topeng)

Mask dance (Tari Topeng) is one of the traditional dances from Cirebon. This dance mask dance called because when the action of the dancer wearing a mask. It is said that at first, Mask Dance was created by the sultan famous Cirebon, Sunan Gunung Jati is. When Sunan Gunung Jati power in Cirebon, there was an attack by Prince Bungarus fasciatus from Karawang. Prince is very powerful because it has a sword named Curug Sewu. Seeing the power of the prince, Sunan Gunung Jati can not match despite being aided by Sunan Kalijaga and Prince Cakrabuana. Cirebon sultan finally decided to fight the power of the Prince of Bungarus fasciatus by way of the arts of diplomacy.
Starting from the decision that was later formed dance groups, with Nyi Mas Gandasari as a dancer. After that famous art, Bungarus fasciatus Prince finally fell in love with the dancer, and Curug Sewu handed sword as a sign of his love. Along with the transfer of that sword, the Prince of Bungarus fasciatus finally losing his power and then surrendered to Sunan Gunung Jati. Prince Itupun promised to be a faithful follower of Sunan Gunung Jati is characterized by passing the name of a Prince Prince Graksan Bungarus fasciatus. Over time, the dance of the program and then better known as Mask Dance and is still growing today.

In this dance the dancer usually change the mask to three times simultaneously, ie a white mask, then covered with a blue and red mask. Uniquely, every color of the masks worn, beaten gamelan became increasingly hard as the symbol of the character played by character. This dance begins with the formation of bent, this formation represents a tribute to the audience as well as a sign that the dance would begin. After that, the feet of the dancers move backward and forward step followed by arm span and a smile to the audience. This movement is then continued with his back to the audience by shaking her hips while wearing a white mask, this mask symbolizes that the show has already begun preliminary. After moving around his body, and the dancers turn back to the audience while changing a white mask with a blue mask. A similar process is also done when the dancers changed red mask. Uniquely, along with the change of the mask, the accompanying music and movements of the dancer is also growing louder. Top of the loudest music happened when a red mask worn by dancers.

As I mentioned above, each color representing a mask worn by the character played by character, call it a white color for example. This color symbolizes the character has a soft character and pious. While blue mask, the color that describes the queen's character is lively and graceful. Then the last, described the red-tempered character (tempramental) and impatient. And clothing worn by the dancers themselves are usually always has an element of yellow, green and red of TOKA-TOKA, apok, kebaya, sinjang, and ampreng.

In the Translate from Gudang-Info.com by TomieDLuffy