Dance Mask

Mask dance is a traditional dance that developed in Cirebon, West Java. Called Mask Dance for dancers covered her face with a mask while dancing. This dance is usually played by one or several beautiful dancer, a sinden, and ten men who play the accompaniment of musical instruments, including fiddle, kecrek, kulanter, knocked, drums, gongs, and Bendhe. Mask Dance Movement played by the dancers in each show varies, depending on the theme that will be displayed.
At first, Mask Dance was created by the famous sultan of Cirebon, Sunan Gunung Jati ie. When Sunan Gunung Jati power in Cirebon, there was an attack by Prince Welang from Falkirk. Prince is very powerful because it has a sword named Curug Sewu. Seeing the miracle of the prince, Sunan Gunung Jati could not match it although it has been assisted by Sunan Kalijaga and Prince Candrabuana. Finally the Sultan of Cirebon Prince decided to fight his supernatural powers by way of diplomacy Welang art. Starting from a decision that was formed dance groups, with Nyi Mas Gandasari as dancers. After the art was known, eventually falling in love with Prince Welang dancers, and handed sword Curug Sewu it as a sign of his love. Along with that sword, Prince Welang eventually lose spiritual power, and then give in to Sunan Gunung Jati. Prince and even then promised to be a faithful follower Tigaraksa marked the turn of the name of a Prince Prince Welang Graksan.
Over time, then even this dance more commonly known by the name of Mask Dance are still growing until now. Privileges Mask Dance Gentle hand movements by the dancers are beautiful, which is accompanied by the dominance of the music of fiddle and drums are characteristic of staging Mask Dance. In addition, various kinds of clothing worn (toka-toka, Apok, kebaya, sinjang, and ampreng) are colored yellow, green, and red the add beautiful dance that was delivered. This dance begins with the formation of bent, this formation represents the homage to the audience and also a sign that the dance would begin. After that, the dancers moved stepped foot back and forth accompanied by arm span and a smile to the audience by shaking her hips while wearing a white mask, this mask symbolizes that the show has already begun preliminary. After circling move his body, then the dancers turned toward my back to the audience sammbil replace the white mask with a blue mask. A similar process when the dancer switch dilakukkan red mask.
Uniquely, along with the change of the mask, the music that go with it also will be increasingly hard. Top of the loudest music happened when a red mask worn by dancers. These movements are a form of dance in staging the opening Mask Dance. Examples of other mask dance performances, art that combines dance, music and drama is the story of Queen Mask Dance Wungu Kencana, a queen who refused to love King Minakjingga. In this dance, one dancer's role as Queen Kencana Wungu by wearing a blue mask, color it describes the character of the queen is agile and graceful. While other dancers, acting as King Minakjingga by wearing a red mask that describes the character of the hot-tempered King Minakjingga (temperamental) and impatient. In the story of the Queen's Golden Wungu, it appears that mempu Mask Dance symbolizes a variety of character, in this case: personality, wisdom, leadership, love, anger, and other aspects of life. Various symbols were found on the mask is used, the strains of music and movement retinue of dancers who portray the characters in the position he played was the theme of the story. In addition to the entertainment media, this dance has also been used as a medium of communication message of Islam in Cirebon in former times, in addition to various other art media, namely Gamelan, Angklung, wayang kulit, jointly and severally, Brai, reog, and berokan.