Sekartaji Mask Ballet in Surakarta

This research entitled “Sendratari Topeng Sekartaji” proposed exploring dance creativity in Surakarta and finding its formats and support elements. This research used data collection with techniques such as observation, interview and documentation as the research method. Data is processed by the technique of format and structure analysis. The technique of triangulation is used as a technique to evaluate data. This research used an art anthropological approach. It is assumed that an artwork is an expression of an artist’s work. Research results showed that Sendratari Topeng Sekartaji is a colossal dance with a romance theme. It was a representation of artwork that has been popularized since the end of the old order and early new order. During that time, sendratari has presented narratively, according to situation, condition and support elements. Art creativity manifested into fragment “pethilan”, single dance and especially “sendratari”. Its arrangement for presentation depends on its performance format. They have “gagahan” in Surakarta style for their dance moves, “alus luruh” and “putri lurah” for antagonist, protagonist, and female dance, irrespectively. The last performance always refers to romantic relationship successfully. Sendratari Topeng; Sekartaji; Mask balet


Introduction
The production of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet comes from the panji tales in the era of Kediri kingdom, East Java, in the XI-XII centuries. The kinds of panji tales themselves vary. In the beginning, there was a princess named Prabu Kameswara from Penjalu Kediri who was proposed by Prabu Kelana Sewandana from Bantarangin (Tayibnapis, Tarsani, and Dwijayanti 2020). To avoid war, Panji Asmarabangun, also known as Panji Inukertapati from the Kingdom of Jenggala Manik Kediri, left the palace disguised as a commoner. Sekartaji, also named Galuh Candra Kirana, heard the news of the departure of Panji Asmarabangun and disguised himself as a figure under the protection of the gods (Kumar 2020). Almost all versions bring together Panji Asmarabangun with Galuh Candra Kirana in disguise at the end of the story. Panji took every step in finding Galuh Candra Kirana always meets an obstacle from Prabu Kelana Sewandana, who is in disguise as well (Tayibnapis, Tarsani, and Dwijayanti 2020). The peak point of the story tells that either Panji or Galuh Candra Kirana can always defeat Prabu Kelana. The Sekartaji Mask Ballet featuring three standard figures, including the figures of Sekartaji, Panji Inukertopati and Prabu Kelana Sewandana, is one of the group dance performances in a variety of Javanese dance arts with the theme of romance. When performed as a single dance, each character in the dance can stand alone-for example, the Kelana Mask dance and Sekartaji Dance (Vickers 2020). The Sekartaji Mask Ballet refers to the Panji tale, which tells about a king named Prabu Kelana Sewandana who is in love with Dewi Sekartaji, the princess of the Daha kingdom, who is married to Panji Inukertapati, the prince of the Jenggala kingdom (Wibowo and Mahardika 2020). There are at least two versions of the story of Prabu Kelana. First, Prabu Kelana was unable to snatch Dewi Sekartaji from the hands of Raden Panji Inukertapati. In the struggle, there was a conflict between Kelana and Panji Inukertapati, which ended with the killing of King Kelana (Minarto and Rahmanto 2020). Second, Prabu Kelana from the Kingdom of Bantarangin returned to his kingdom safely after not being able to get Dewi Sekartaji (Sulton, Wulansari, and Utami 2020).
Initially, the Sekartaji (also known as Galuh Candra Kirana) mask ballet was a form of mask drama performance. In its development, the Sekartaji figure performances were relatively diverse depending on the regions supporting the performances. In some areas, the performances of the Panji Asmarabangun story even occur without masks. Some dances, either pairs or single dance forms, use masks, but some do not. The use of masks in performing arts is often related to the role holders themselves, for example, due to their old age, but it is also possible because of other factors. A popular mask performance in Central Java can be observed in Klaten in the 1930s (Guillot and Couteau 2020). After the proclamation of Indonesian independence, there emerged a theatrical show called Topeng Dalang (Dalang mask) centred in Manjung, playing a role as the main character (Kelana) was Ki Gondo Tukasno. Until around the 1970s, topeng dalang shows were still often held (Maryono, 2012: 17-18;in Risang Journal, 2014: 59). Performing arts in Klaten Regency area can be divided into three types, namely, topeng (masks) mbarang or mbeber, topeng tanggapan, and topeng daleman. Topeng mbarang or kelilingan (door to door) show some scene parts, which depends on the money the requesters give to them. The word mbeber is due to attract the audience's attention by doing (promotion) in strategic places such as at crossroads or three junctions in the road (Sunarno, 1980(Sunarno, /1981. The mbeber mask troupe is carried out by dalang from villages. By going door to door, they peddle their art when they work in the rice fields is finished or during the lean season. The number of group members is around ten people, consisting of dancers and musicians. The properties brought are around nine masks, tekes and cloth, then other equipment is usually borrowed from the requesters. Topeng tanggapan is a development of the topeng mbarang, playing in response to an invitation. The show takes place for people at celebrations, such as weddings, parties, and birthdays. The length of the show depends on the conditions agreed by the group leader and the requester. Both topeng mbarang and topeng tanggapan existed in Surakarta are performances by dalang from Klaten. Topeng daleman is a mask performance that is staged at the homes of the nobles of the Surakarta Palace. The dalangs and several palace relatives perform the performances by adapting the PanjiAsmarabangun cycle's story and are a dialogue-type theatre. The mask used is given by means of a rope at the level parallel to the ear, across the back of the head. Sometimes, the mask on the inside parallel to the mouth is given a cloth or skin to be bitten or under the tongue is not bitten, like an unprofessional mask wearer. During dialogues, professional mask wearers do not need to take off their masks, and sometimes they just hold them (Joko Santoso, Interview, December 4, 2010;in Suharji 2018:154). Around the 2000s, mask performances happened to be very rare; even in one year, there were only once or twice centred on the Jengglong Joyo Foundation Debegan Mojosongo under the care of Ki Joko Santosa as the successor to Dalang Ki Gondo Tukasno (Pramutama et al., 2011: 46). The Sekartaji Mask Ballet in Surakarta had become popular in the early days of the New Order (in the 1972's) when art life was centred at the Central Java Arts Center (Pusat Kesenian Jawa Tengah / PKJT) Sasonomulyo. Traditional art activities developed and were influenced by the palace tradition. Many dance works, including ballet, were created in the Sasonomulyo Surakarta palace environment. The Sekartaji Mask Ballet is one of the dances inspired by writing named Serat Panji, which is often performed around Surakarta. The problem now is: what are the forms and elements of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet performance in Surakarta? Thus, the purpose of the study was to explore and identify the form and structure of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet performance in Surakarta.

Method
The research methodology is all the steps taken to explore the Sekartaji Mask Ballet. The research employs an art anthropological approach. Data in the form of the quality of the performance-making includes the composition of the choreography, supporting elements and various performance factors. Observation, interviews, and documentation collected data. The data analysis technique involves the analysis of form, structure, and function. The main data sources in qualitative research on the Sekartaji Mask Ballet are verbal expressions and actions, and the rest are additional data such as photo documentation and dance recordings. The data can be divided into data types in the form of an anthology of various movements of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet, supporting music, photos and simple documentation about the condition of the community supporting the performance. Observation is looking deeply into the object of the research. Observation of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet was carried out in two ways: first, direct observation of the source, and second, indirect observation through recordings made for research purposes. Direct observation researchers observed the performance of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet and participated. At the time of observation, the recording was also carried out. The purpose of the recording is to prevent any missing data after the performance. Indirect observations can be made through recordings during the performance or those that have been recorded beforehand. Interviews were conducted in two ways, namely free and programmed interviews. Free interviews were conducted with several informants and resource persons to obtain general data. Free interviews have been conducted since the researcher entered the field. The interview covered the history of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet performance, the artist's history, the concept of art, and the artist's artistic expression. During the interview, notes-taking and audio-visual recordings were also carried out. Programmed interviews were conducted to dig up data that were really needed in the research. For the programmed interview, the researcher has prepared a list of questions covering the preparation of the stage, the dramatic structure of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet, elements of dance, and supporting performances. Documentation using audio-visual equipment includes the form of performances, performance equipment and the social environment that supports the performance. The research of Sekartaji Mask Ballet is searching for the relationship between dance performances, artists, and the supporting community's cultural life. The research of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet requires valid data. The more valid the data used in a study, the more convincing the research results will be. Data validity is a guarantee for the stability of conclusions and interpretation of meaning as a result of research (Lazer et al. 2021). To obtain valid data in the study, triangulation techniques were applied. According to Nielsen, triangulation is a technique of checking the validity of data that utilizes something other than the data itself for checking purposes or as a comparison against the data (Nielsen et al. 2020). The triangulation technique used in the research is the triangulation of data sources and triangulation of methods. Triangulation of data sources is a technique to explore several different data sources in order to get the same data so that the level of truth is tested. This study uses an interactive process as a technique to analyze the data. The data collected through interviews were compared to the data that was the result of observation. Furthermore, the data will be reviewed using the three components of analysis, namely data reduction, reform of data presentation, and conclusion drawing or verification. The three components are described as follows; (1) Data reduction is the first component in the analysis. The data are in the form of the Sekartaji Mask Ballet performance, the supporting and inhibiting factors and their functions that have been collected, selected, simplified, and abstracted; (2) Data reform, is an assembly of information organization and description incomplete form; (3) Conclusion, which is the third component, is an action taken when sufficient data has been collected.

Performance Form
The form in the presentation is the structure. The study of form and structure, in this case, is one of the efforts to obtain a complete picture of the dance performance. As SD Humardani stated, form is a physical manifestation that can be captured by the senses, such as motion, accompaniment, makeup, clothing, and other types of equipment, all of which are dance mediums to express content. The content is the will or karep, the purpose of which is expressed in physical form (Sunarto 2020). The form can be observed through performances and observations of the choreography. The content can be captured based on observations of the performance. Form, in an abstract way, can mean arrangement, articulation, a result of the overall unity of the relationship, or rather a way all aspects that can be assembled. The Sekartaji Mask Ballet dance as an art form has several elements, including the plot of the play storyline, characterizations, dance moves, clothing, musical accompaniment, and other supports. Based on the understanding of form as an abstract, it means a relationship between elements with one another to become a unified whole and comprehensive as well as a form of performance that can be seen. The form of dance works, including group dances, cannot be separated from the elements that support the performance. Kamtoni explains that the form referred to in the performance includes interrelated elements such as motion, floor patterns, themes, accompaniment, as well as the place and time of the performance (Kamtoni and Prihatini 2020).

The Variety of Sekartaji Mask Performances in Surakarta
The story of Panji Asmarabangun has various kinds; the work on the Panji tale depends on the artist and the work on the play. Many versions and arrangements are shown to the public. Some examples are related to the history of the splitting of Kediri palace into three, namely Penjalu led by Lembu Amijaya whose daughter is Galuh Candrakirana, Daha or Jenggala palace led by Lembu Amiluhur where Panji Asmarabangun is also known as Panji Inukertapati. The other one is Urawam, led by Lembu Amisena. These three figures are the descendants of the first Kameswara.

1) Plot Storyline
The essence of the story is a king from the Bantarangin kingdom named Kelana Sewandana, who is in love with Dewi Galuh Candrakirana. Prabu Kelana Sewandana in the story of Panji Asmarabangun is in love with Galuh Candra Kirana, a princess from Kediri kingdom. Prabu Kelana Sewandana proposed Galuh Candra Kirana, but Galuh was leaving the kingdom because Panji Inukertapati also left Kediri to avoid the bad attitude of Prabu Kelana Sewandana. To just fool Prabu Kelana Sewandana Patih, the Regent ordered to ask Prabu Kelana Sewandana to return to Bantar Angin. Due to a misinterpretation, there was a conflict between Bantar Angin and Kediri, and then Prabu Kelana Sewandana was furious and then destroyed the Kingdom. To deceive Prabu Kelana's wrath, the proposal is accepted if he can provide a wedding complement in the form of art that has never existed in the world. After the return of Prabu Kelana Sewandanan to Bantar Angin, he made art that had never existed before. Art in the form of reog was created. Since the paraga (personnel) was lacking, Prabu Kelana changed his form to Singobarong. The patih and his civil servants turned into Bujang Ganong, Dadak Merak (Sulton, Wulansari, and Utami 2020). In the ballet, the plot of the play is divided into five scenes; (1) the first scene of Prabu Kelana falling in love; (2) the second scene on which Dewi Sekartaji is sad; (3) The third scene of Raden Panji Asmarabangun disguises; (4) the fourth scene of Prabu Kelana in disguise; (5) The fifth scene of Raden Panji 's meeting with Dewi Sekartaji. The sequence of scenes can be observed in the dramatic structure of the play. Figure  1 is the dramatic structure of the play.

2) Characterizations
The next element of the ballet is the character or characterizations. In a drama performance, the characters have prominent natures and behaviours. Characterizations are usually divided into two types, namely protagonists and antagonists. In the Sekartaji Mask Ballet, there are more than two figures who have prominent characters. Among these characters are the antagonist played by Prabu Kelana Sewandana, the protagonist by Panji Inukertapati or Panji Asmarabangun, the Tritagonist represented by Sekartaji with another name Galuh Candra Kirana. In addition to the three figures, other figures are supporters, such as the humorous figures Sabda Palon Naya Genggong. Antagonist supporting characters are, for example, Bujang Ganong. In a ballet that is played by about ten performers, it is possible for characters to appear during the show. Antagonist characters are almost always represented with a violent, rude, dashing, arrogant, deceitful, envious, show-off, and angry characters, appearing with the dominance of masks with red colour, clothing that tends to be much red. The red colour is a transformation of the fire element, which is hot and burns what is nearby, so the red colour reflects the values of brave, angry, and evil characters like the nature of fire. Bapang pattern dance moves tend to be free and rhythmic with a fast laya. In ballet, the antagonist always starts with joy, for example, gandrung (falling in love), kiprahan and gambyongan that end in suffering or failure.
The protagonist is a good character, honest, humble, defender, independent, loyal friend, clever, clever and powerful who carries out the mission of truth and goodness to create a peaceful and prosperous situation. The dominance of white or yellow masks has a flat nature and tends to be monotonous. The colour white is a transformation of the air element. White is a clean colour without stains because white reflects the value of holy and faithful character. Loyalty is a symbol of the highest obedience, so faithful and holy should be given more to God. Yellow is a symbol of joy and chivalry. The yellow colour is a transformation of the water element. The dance moves are alus patterns that tend to be lazy, and the rhythm is slow. The tritagonist is an intermediary character who brings the antagonist to the protagonist. In the Sekartaji mask ballet, the tritagonist character is represented by Galuh Candra Kirana or Sekartaji. As an intermediate character, she has an important factor because she causes the play's events to occur. In the theme of romance, the struggle for female characters becomes the centre of the storyline of the play. The mask of the tritagonist is usually different from that of the antagonist and the protagonist. The Sekartaji mask for the Surakarta style uses green. Green is a cool colour because coolness has an impact on peace. The green colour also symbolizes fertility, where the transformation from fresh green nature is like a thriving plant (Kieven 2020). In the show, Prabu Kelana Sewandana is the antagonist, and Panji Asmarabangun is the protagonist. At the end of the performance of Prabu Kelana Sewandana, where he lost the war against Panji Asmarabangun, there is a value conveyed by the creator, that evil will disappear against good. The central figure in work is Dewi Sekartaji as a tritagonist because all of these are manifestations of the anxiety and hope that are imagined in Sekartaji herself (Interview, Wahyu Santosa Prabowo, 19 December 2013).

3) Dance movement
The movements based on the role-

4) Wardrobe
The wardrobe for the show includes the art of wearing clothes for performance purposes. The outfits worn by the role-playing figures are detailed as follows:  The outfits of of Prabu Kelana Sewandana are: the head part consists of irah-irahan tekes malang gagahan with garuda mungkur on the backside, sumping gombyok, plim, rambut udhal-udhalan. Kalung kace, srempang, klat bahu, poles, sampur gendologiri merah, boro samir, sabuk cinde, epek timang, and keris. The bottom part consists of jarit parang barong besar wiron with the model of cancutan or rapekan, short pants cinde, binggel and uncal badhong. An additional property is a red-colored mask.
 The outfits of Sekartaji are: on the head are irah-irahan gelung with luruh motif, sumping gobyok, suweng, and uren hair. She is wearing a necklace of wulan tumanggal, klat bahu on the upper arm, also a bracelet on the wrist. On her body, there should be kain klitik model samparan, stagen, black-colored mekak, black ilat-ilatan, epek, thothokan, and sampur krepyak. Sekartaji also wears a green-coloured princess mask.
 The outfits of Panji Asmarabangun are: on the head there are irah-irahan tekes with mujur motif, luruh, sumping gombyok, and plim. He also wears two necklaces: penanggalan and ulur, on the upper arm, he wears klat bau, and a bracelet on the lower arm. On the lower part of his body, he wears short pants bludru with beads, jarit lereng or rapek model, cinde belt, epek, kamus timang, and keris, uncal badhong, sampur krepyak. There is also a binggel on the ankle. Panji Asmarabangun also wears a mask in white or yellow colour.

Accompaniment Music
Based on several observations of the performance, the musical accompaniment used in the presentation of the Sekartaji Mask ballet is a set of Javanese Gamelan in pelog barrels. The form of the song to accompany the character Sekartaji during a sad scene uses the song Macapat Maskumambang Laras Pelok Pathet Nem (Table 1), and the song falls on Ketawang Dendha Gedhe Laras Pelok Pathet Nem (Table 2).   .5.5 .5.5 .5.5 .5.5

Conclusion
There is a change in the motion of each performance, even if it is relative to the connecting motion, such as the banyu wave, srisik lumaksana. The protagonists with good alus are among them, srisig miwir sampur forward glebag, sririg backwards miwir sampur, releases sampur glebag right, besut tanjak right, lumaksana bambangan four times, beksan elephants under sampur one and a half, laras mandi sampur, sekaran laras miwir sampur , the trial of kebyok sampur glebagan, boosting the right side of the stomach, besut tanjak, lumaksana laras ridong sampur, kenser, pendulum, sangga nampa, lumaksana, tanjak left and the character of Panji Asmarabangun with Prabu Kelana Sawandana. The princess dance with the princess descends, among which, comes out srisig right,