By: Wilis Rengganiasih Endah Ekowati, M.A.*
Central Java is well-known for its sophisticated arts and cultures, especially those coming from the courts of Kasunanan Surakarta and Kasultanan Yogyakarta as the principal courts. Bedhaya, a genre of dances of Central Java, is believed to be the oldest dance and acclaimed to be the privilege of the courts. The history of its conception tells that all the bedhaya and (the later genre) srimpi dances have their ancestor in the most sacred bedhayas: Bedhaya Semang in Kasultanan Yogyakarta and Bedhaya Ketawang in Kasultanan Surakarta. Some literatures record these sacred dances originating in the New Mataram era with its Islamic tradition, and the Panembahan Senapati or Sultan Agung as the founder. But there are other records suggesting that the history of the bedhayas can be traced back to the older period of Hindu kingdoms, though the form of the dances are no longer available.
