Visitors can enjoy a range of performing arts that
reflect the style and traditions of Indonesia’s
diverse ethnic groups. Whether you like enchanting folk
dances and elegant temple dances or a more lively play,
you are sure to find something to entertain you. The
performing arts are often performed together, for example
the lenong folk theatre in Jakarta and the ludruk transvestite
theatre in East Java include music, dance, slapstick
humour and drama.
Puppet theatre is also very popular and takes on many
different forms. Java is famous for the wayang kulit
shadow play where the characters are represented by
shadows created by flat, intricately carved, painted
leather puppets. In West Java, Wayang Golek, the use
of painted and carved wooden three dimensional puppets
is very popular. The stories of both Wayang Golek and
Wayang Kulit are derived from classical Indian epics,
where as in Central Java, the stories are based on popular
folk legends revolving around the spread of Islam.
Wayang Beber is thought to be the oldest form of the
‘shadow’ play. In this play, the puppeteer
narrates the story accompanied by a gamelan orchestra
while using a scroll to depict the scenes and characters
from the story. Wayang Wong is a contemporary form of
this play performed on a conventional stage with dancers
and actors representing the story’s characters.
Other puppet theatre that is still popular in Indonesia
today includes the Wayang Klitik and Wayang Kruci.
