Joining Traditional Arts Organization in Sanggar Seni Sekar Pandan and Sekar Budaya, Cirebon (Learning Traditional Dance and Music)

Hi fellas,

I'd like to share you my experience joining traditional arts organization in my home city. I was joined two organizations in Cirebon, namely: Sanggar Seni Sekar Pandan and Sanggar Seni Sekar Budaya…

Why do I learn a traditional arts???

Fyi, one of my goal is being a successful person in the International realm. I am willing to introduce and show Indonesian arts and culture to the world. As UNESCO said that 

“Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. They are our touchstones, our points of reference, our identity.”

Learning traditional art is actually  interesting !!!
Let’s start my story.

When I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, my older sister was recommended by my cousin to join a traditional arts organization named Sanggar Seni Sekar Pandan. The organization is located in Kacirebonan palace, Cirebon, West Java. My sister finally joined the organization to learn traditional dance of Cirebon; Tari Topeng Cirebon (Mask Dance). She went there two times in a week. 

After knowing that my sister was enjoying the dance and attending many performances, my mother and father wanted me to also join the organization. I was rejecting my parents’ request. However, after a year, my decision was changed, I decided to see my sister's dancing practice in Kacirebonan palace. Eventually, I also tried to join and register in Sanggar Seni Sekar Pandan (First grade of middle school, around 2008).

In there, I learned historical background about Cirebon mask dance and basic movements during 3 months, I thought that learning basic movements was so hard. Those practices were tiring and boring for me, then I stopped for few weeks....
With many kind of persuasions from my parents, I finally got back and practicing. By the time, I ultimately could enjoy practicing the traditional dance. After I had used with the basic movements, I started learning 5 characters of Cirebon mask dance and coming 2 times in a week to the organization. The first practice process held in weekdays accompanied by the tape recording of Gamelan (Javanese traditional music) instrument, while another practice held in Sunday accompanied by live Gamelan instrument.

Unknown Source, I took it from my facebook account
(Five Characters of Cirebon Mask Dance)

Certainly, I learned the dance character one by one. Those dances are accompanied by different melody and telling different phases of life, such as: Panji (baby), Samba (childhood), Rumyang (teenager), Tumenggung (adult), and Klana Mask Dance (top phase of life with full of glory which tells about an arrogant king). It takes 6 months for mastering one dance. After a dance has been mastered, I surely need to join a dance examination before I learn another character of dance. The examination was not only performing the dance, but also written exam. The content of written exam was testing my knowledge about the historical background of Cirebon mask dance, meaning behind every movement, and lesson that I could get from the dance’s character... I understand that the Sanggar Seni Sekar Pandan did not only intend to make people being able for dancing, it also intended to make the dancer having the historical knowledge behind the dance.

During the dance examination, I was always so nervous to show my performance...

But, well !!!  

I could satisfactorily passed every dance examination with a very good score.

Subsequently, after I mastered all character of dance, I learned other traditional creation dance and joined many performances both in my home city or other cities in DKI Jakarta and West Java. However, I was not satisfied enough, after all, I was interested to learn the traditional music which is accompanying the Cirebon mask dance (Gamelan Cirebon).

Source: my Facebook account taken a long time ago.
Gamelan Performance of Traditional Dance Examination

After the melodies of Cirebon mask dance instrument were mastered, I am not a real traditional dancer anymore 😃 In my opinion, playing Gamelan was more enjoyable rather than dancing. Consequently, I played Gamelan instrument every Sunday and taught several millennial in my organization. Some of them (millennial) were from Sanggar Seni Sekar Budaya (another traditional culture organization on Cirebon).

---a long story short---

I eventually participated in some performances by following both Sanggar Seni Sekar Pandan and Sanggar Seni Sekar Budaya. Now, I am leaving those traditional culture organizations as I go to Malang for continuing my 😁study, but still I attended some Cirebon traditional dance performance in Malang. Hopefully in the future, I could be back to my home city and having such performances with my friends.

One of my Cirebon mask dance performances in Malang

That’s all my story about joining traditional arts organization in my home city. Hope, you guys could enjoy reading my writing.