Kethek Ogleng Dance, Traditional Dance From East Java

Kethek Ogleng Dance is one of the traditional dances originating from East Java. This dance is a dance whose movements imitate the behavior of kethek (ape). In the performance, Kethek Ogleng Dance is performed by 4 (four) dancers, 3 (three) female dancers and a male dancer who acts as an ape-man.



This dance begins with the entry of the three female dancers into the stage. Then 2 (two) of the 3 (third) female dancers were portrayed as ladies and one female dancer acted as the daughter of Dewi Sekartaji, the daughter of Jenggala, Sidoarjo. While the male dancers act as Raden Panji Asmorobangun who came from the kingdom of Dhaha Kediri.



Initially, this dance was danced by Tokawi Village community, Nawangan Sub-district, Pacitan Regency. By telling the story of Raden Asmorobangun and Dewi Sekartaji who both love each other and then aspire to build a harmonious life in a family.



However, King Jenggala, Dewi Sekartaji's father, had the desire to marry Dewi Sekartaji with a man of his choice. When Dewi Sekartaji knew she would be married to a man of choice from her father, then secretly Dewi Sekartaji left the Jenggala Kingdom without the knowledge of her father and all the people in the kingdom.



At night, the princess departs with some ladies heading west. The departure of Dewi Sekartaji came to Raden Panji's ear. Raden Panji even rushed to find his lover, in the middle of the journey he stopped at a house of a pastor. The preacher advised him to go west, disguised as an ape. While Dewi Sekartaji disguised as Endang Rara Tompe tried to climb the mountain and rest in a region and decided to settle there.



The place is not far from the existence of Raden Panji. The two also meet and play each other and then become familiar. At first, the two did not know each other disguise. In the dance movement, the event is represented by the entry of a monkey man into a stage that encounters Endang Rara Tompe and his two bodyguards. The human movement of the Ape (kethek) jumps up and down here and there, the rolling motion portrays an intimate friendship.



This dance ends with the movement of Endang Rara Tompe who climbed the ape-man and then ended with his second unity, while both his ladies held the goddess Sekartaji. In the story, after the meeting, Endang Rara Tompe changed its manifestation into Dewi Sekartaji and the ape man turned into Raden Panji Asmorobangun. Both went back to the kingdom of Jenggala to hold a marriage.