Dolalak in the Wind of Change

Kompas/Regina Rukmorini

Students from Negeri Kaliharjo elementary school in Kaligesing district, Purworejo, Central Java, rehearse a Dolalak dance performance. Dolalak was created decades ago during Dutch colonial rule and inspired by the dance performed at military barracks’. The dance used to be performed by men but now it is also performed by women.

The dolalak dance, which was inspired by the merriment of Dutch soldiers in the Colonial era, serves as entertainment and a medium for life lessons for the people of Purworejo. As time went by, the dolalak has changed, as have its lyrics, and the accompanying songs and costumes have become increasingly profane.

The do-la-la musical notes are joyful and spirited. The rhythmic lyrics are entertaining, both when spoken and sung.

Dolalak, a traditional art form in Purworejo regency, Central Java, is inspired by these musical notes. Its name reinforces its sense of rhythm. What was originally mere entertainment has grown to become a tradition.

It is said that the dance was born out of the joy in the do-la-la musical notes, which was often sung to accompany Dutch soldiers’ dances in their barracks in Purworejo regency, hundreds of years ago.

Three locals in Sejiwan hamlet, Loano district, namely Duryat, Renodimejo and Rejo Taruno, often heard the Dutch soldiers’ rhythmic music. They were inspired to turn it into a dance. In 1915, the dolalak dance was created. It then spread from Loano district to the surrounding regions. Currently, there are around 60 dolalak groups spread throughout Purworejo regency.

Misran, 59, or Meran, as he is often called, from Kaliharjo village in Kaligesing district, Purworejo regency, said he felt the spirit and joy of dolalak since he started to learn the dance as a 27-year-old.

“The moment I hear the music, my whole body shakes and moves and it is difficult for me to stop,” said the Budi Santosa dolalak group member.

Amid the lack of entertainment in Meran’s youth, dolalak gained fame fast. He said he loved performing the dance, as he loved being watched and applauded by the audience.

Meran and his troupe’s love of the dance has seen them perform in other cities. They were willing to travel on foot amid poor road conditions while carrying traditional percussions, such as the kendang, the rebana and the bedug.

“At the time, sometimes we were paid with lunch and a pack of cigarettes,” Meran said, laughing. In his youth, the village had no local transportation and Budi Santosa had no car.

Passion

Meran said the joy he felt when dancing the dolalak was indescribable. It was an overwhelming sensation that made him feel as if in a trance while dancing.

This artistic passion also reflects in the artists’ initiative to make their own costumes. The dolalak costume comprises a shirt, knee-long pants, a shawl and Dutch-soldier-like headgear. Dancers also wear sunglasses. According to Meran, he used to wear headgear made from coconut shell.

The shorts the dancers wear are usually their everyday shorts. However, if they do not have any shorts at hand, they can also wear trousers.

Due to the costumes being self-made and their simplistic nature, members of a dance crew can wear differing clothes in a performance.

Changing dolalak

Budi Santosa senior dancer and former head Jono Prawirodiharjo, 54, said the unique moves in the dolalak dance included the kirig (shaking your back) and ngetol (moving your butt). The dance used to involve only males.

In its evolution, the dancers’ costumes, which used to resemble Dutch military uniforms, have begun to incorporate more local elements. Shorts were used as dance costumes as locals, many of whom are farmers, have many of them. Shawls are used as accessories. Sunglasses are used to add to dancers’ self-confidence.

As time went by, many things about the dance changed. In the 1970s, the first female dolalak dancers emerged. In the 1990s, requests for female dancers increased.

Lately, dolalak with female dancers has been gaining popularity. As female dancers become more common, costumes are changing again, with female dancers often wearing hats with little colorful balls hanging on the sides like earrings.

The pants have become increasingly short. Several groups now use pants that do not go far below the hip.

This new, more vulgar costume has drawn the ire of local clerics, as costumes revealing too much of the dancer’s upper thigh are deemed to be in contradiction of the Islamic teachings found in the lyrics of the dolalak songs.

Banned

Another change concerns the concept of dolalak performances. The dance used to be confined to private spaces; now it is often performed on public stages.

In the 2000s, the accompanying songs that used to be about local ways of life were replaced with popular folk party music, such as dangdut and campursari. These changes eventually drew the rejection of many, including local police.

Critics said the changing concept and songs of dolalak made the audience “hyperactive”, including by hopping on the stage while drunk. Oftentimes, dolalak performances lead to brawls in the audience. This saw the dolalak dance banned for 10 years by local authorities in the early 2000s. This “death” of the dolalak dance lead to the “death” of regeneration of dolalak dancers.

However, since about five years ago, the art form is slowly being revived. True to its old format, the dance is performed by dancers with short shorts and accompanied by dangdut or campursari music. However, the dance is no longer banned by law enforcers, and it can be performed freely in various places.

Locals still enjoy this modified and contemporary version of dolalak. Choreographer Melania Sinaring Putri, 38, said she had created over 10 variants of dolalak since 2007. In line with market demand, dances commonly only show around 50-60 percent of dolalak moves. Sometimes, only between 10 percent and 30 percent of the dance moves are dolalak moves.

Purworejo Tourism and Culture Agency chief Agung Wibowo said the dolalak dance was one of Purworejo’s hallmarks.

Local taste has changed the dolalak and moved it increasingly far from its origins. Therefore, the agency is making efforts to preserve the traditional dolalak. It has created a dolalak dance syllabus to be used by schoolteachers in teaching students about traditional dolalak. Therefore, the younger generation can learn about the pure, original version of dolalak.