cirebon cultural tourism Did you know that a dance not only has cultural elements, but can also have mystical and magical elements. Anyone knows yet that one of the traditional dances typical of Cirebon has these elements?
Yep! That’s right sintren is the name
Sintren Dance
Sintren is one of the traditional dances of Cirebon that has mystical and magical elements in each of its movements. Local people believe that this dance is a manifestation of the relationship between the human world and spirits. Where sintren itself has a meaning that refers to the relationship between the dancer and the spirit power that controls it, because “si” which means person and “tren” which means bound. Sintren began as a Javanese ritual but evolved into a public performing art with unique processions and equipment.
This dance begins with a spirit summoning ritual where a charmer or shaman plays music using traditional instruments such as the saron, gong, and drum. Then, the shaman recites a mantra to invite the spirit to enter the dancer’s body. The sintren dancer, usually a pure girl, ties her body with a rope and enters a small bamboo cage. When the spirit summoning ritual is successful, the dancer will come out in a semi-conscious state as if under supernatural control.
Here’s the paragraph with the passive voice removed:
In this dance, dancers wear colorful traditional clothes, including shawls, headscarves, and black glasses to suggest partial unconsciousness, mesmerizing the audience with movements that appear beyond the dancer’s control.
However, sintren dance is closely related to the mythology that developed in the Cirebon society. They believe in a legend where lovers cannot unite because they are hindered by social status. The Sintren dance symbolizes sacrifice and sincere love, uniting two worlds through love and spirituality.
written by: WM
