Langen Mataya Bedhayan Gandrungmanis Performance, a Re-Actualization of Dance Based on an Ancient Manuscript
JAKARTA-JAYA NEWS.COM – The Langen Mataya Bedhayan Gandrungmanis performance, a re-actualization of dance based on an ancient manuscript, will take place in the Multipurpose Room, 4th Floor, National Library of Indonesia Building on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, on Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM WIB, with choreographer Naufal Anggito Yudhistira and musicians from the Sekar Widya Makara Karawitan Student Activity Unit (UKM) of the University of Indonesia.
The performance, titled Langen Mataya Bedhayan Gandrungmanis, is a performance that embodies the spirit of revitalizing and exploring classical Javanese dance in the Surakarta style.
This performance will feature the Bedhaya Gandrungmanis dance, based on Naufal Anggito Yudhistira’s dissertation research at the University of Indonesia (UI) on the extinct Bedhaya Gandrungmanis.
The Bedhaya Gandrungmanis dance was first created at the initiative of Prince Adipati Hangabehi and revived when he was already enthroned as King Sunan Pakubuwana VIII at the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace.
This dance has since become extinct and was last traced in 1973 in a simplified form.
Bedhaya Gandrungmanis itself tells the story of Panji Jayakusuma, popularly known as Panji Mbedhah Bali.
This dance focuses on the incident when Panji Asmarabangun disguised himself as a knight named Klana Jayakusuma and served the Ngurawan Kingdom.
Klana Jayakusuma was sent by King Ngurawan to wage war to conquer Bali.
A battle was inevitable between the Ngurawan troops led by Klana Jayakusuma and the Balinese forces.
The story ends with a battle between Klana Jayakusuma and the Balinese king, King Jayalengkara.
Prince Jayalengkara was defeated and transformed into Dewi Sekartaji, the long-lost lover of Panji Asmarabangun.
The two lovers, who had been separated, were finally reunited after a long separation.
Dance Reconstruction from Various Ancient Manuscripts
This performance, a reconstruction of the Bedhaya Gandrungmanis dance, is based on various ancient manuscripts from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries, as well as oral tradition.
This performance will involve various young dancers and musicians in an effort to reintroduce the treasures of classical Javanese art to the younger generation.
This performance is based on the desire to revive the lost treasures of classical art, promote ancient manuscripts as objects of cultural advancement, and also introduce the Panji story as a UNESCO cultural heritage. (***)
Contributor: Lasman Simanjuntak
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