Dalang Jemblung

Jemblung is a speech art in the form of dialogue which is performed by four players by sitting at a table served with rice cone, snacks and drinks, while telling stories like a kethoprak that presents stories of chronicles, legends or folklore and occasionally interspersed with the sound of gamelan music played by mouth or oral while eating dishes that are on the table. The word Jemblung itself is derived from two Javanese words into a new word formation "jenjem-jenjeme wong gemblung " (a sense of joy felt by a madman). Jemblung art is classified as a rare art but it is still maintained and developing.

Dalang Jemblung is a typical Banyumas speech theater, not accompanied by traditional musical instruments but performed by the players with their own voice (vocals) acting as accompaniment "music". The puppeteer Jemblung plays as a character in a story, but also as a "musical instrument" for men and as a "waranggana" (pesinden, singer) for women. One of the players becomes the mastermind and also plays as a character in the story.

The form of staging the Dalang Jemblung is very simple and is done inside the house. The four players (usually three men and a woman) sat around, in the middle there was a short little table with only one piece of equipment namely "kudhi" a kind of knife typical of Banyumas. The Kudhi function here ia as an equipment to assist the performance as an embodiment of weapons when there is a war scene, as well as "cempala" in the performance of Wayang Kulit or as "keprak". The players use tradisional Banyumas cloth namely belangkon or iket, Surjan or Beskap, batik cloth and wear "slippers" (sandals).

The mastermind behind jemblung is the most "pure" and the simplest speech theater, which all expressions are carried out with the most essential expression media, and that is the sound. With the ability to produce such voices the players can describe the atmosphere of the story, the events behind the story, furthermore they can describe the various of characters that are played.

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Wayang Kulit Gagrag Banyumasan

Wayang Kulit Gagrag Banyumasan is one of the puppetry styles in Java, better known as Pakeliran. Pakeliran includes many elements such as wayang plays (presentation of story lines and their meanings), sabet (all movements of puppets), catur/speech (narration and conversation), karawitan (gendhing of the rest and stage properties).

Gagrag Banyumasan Pakeliran, has a strong populist nuance as the character of its people, that is honest and open. Gagrag Banyumasan is different from other regional populist styles which are mostly extinct and affected by Keraton puppetry styles.

Gagrag Banyumasan Pedalangan has gained influence and has an order or standard from the Surakarta and Yogyakarta puppetry arts, but Banyumasan gagrag has its own characteristics with the appearance of Bawor characterizations, Kembang Lepang and Gendhing Banyumasan songs. The art of Gagrag Banyumasan puppetry was then standardized and preserved by the Banyumas puppet expert in the Ganasidi Society Gathering which was held in Kawedanan Bukateja on April 21, 1979.

The development of Banyumasan puppetry cannot be separated from the influence of Hinduism, with the establishment of Hindu Mataram with Ramayana notes until the existence of Gathutkacasraya notes by Mpu Panuluh and Wayang Purwa, just like the development of other puppetry arts in the country.

The Gagrag Banyumasan Pakeliran was also strongly influenced by Gagrag Mataram (Surakarta and Yogyakarta), especially through the southern coastal area, and later came to be known as the Banyumas Paganiran pedagogue or Gagrag Kidul Gunung. Its influence can be known until the range of 1920, and continues to grow through the mastermind of the Gombong breed, namely Ki Cerma to Ki Dalang Menganti.

Meanwhile, the Banyumas front area, from Purbalingga and then along the Serayu River, heading to the West has its own setting and is known as Gagrag Lor Gunung, as it develops through the puppeteer of the Misugihan including Ki Dalang Tutur, and continues to grow until the Ki Dalang Sugih era.

The distinctive feature of Gagrag Banyumasan puppets is that the narrative further clarifies the role of the small people expressed in figures of punakawan such as Bawor Dadi Ratu, Petruk Krama and others. In addition, wayang Gagrag Banyumasan emphasizes the role of young people in solving cases and problems. The story of "Srikandi Mbarang Lengger" which is a canal of the "Srenggini Takon Rama" is one concrete example that the role of youth is like Antasena and Wisanggeni to be very central.

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Ebeg

Ebeg is a form of Banyumas regional dance that uses horse dolls made of woven bamboo (ebeg) and its head is given fibers as hair. The Ebeg dance in the Banyumas area depicts war soldiers who are riding horses. Usually in Ebeg performances, complited with an attractions of Barongan, penthul & cépét.

It is estimated that Ebeg dance has existed since the 9th century, when humans began to embrace the animism and dynamism creeds. One of the evidences that supports Ebeg to be an old art line is the existence of forms in trance (possessed) or wuru. Forms like this mostly to be the characteristic of any art that was born in the days of animism and dynamism.

In addition, Ebeg is considered as a truly original art and culture from Banyumasan Java since there is absolutely no influence from other cultures. Unlike the Wayang which is an appreciation of Indian Hindu culture with a variety of figures.

Ebeg did not tell a particular character at all and was not influenced by certain religions, both Hindu and Islamic. Even in its songs it tells a lot about the life of traditional society, sometimes containing rhymes, living discourses and tells about the art of Ebeg itself. The songs sung in the Ebeg performances almost entirely use the Banyumasan Javanese language.

A similar form of art that can even be said to be the same as Ebeg also developed in other areas, especially in Central Java and Yogyakarta, with the name of Jathilan, Kuda Lumping or Kuda Kepang.

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Lengger Banyumas

The lengger or lenggeran dance is an old Banyumasan art. The word lengger comes from Javanese words "diarani leng jebule jengger" (Men who dress up as women). This is because at the earlier days that Lengger were perfomed, all the dancer were performed by men who dress up as women. Nowdays, the lengger dance is no longer performed by men but by women.

The number of lengger dancers is usually between 2 to 4 people, they must dress up in such a way that looks very attractive, hair in a bun, neck to upper chest are usually open, sampur or shawl is usually worn on the shoulder, wearing cloth/jarit and stagen.  This lengger dance costume is now experiencing a lot of changes, some dancers use more closed costumes, so that the neck and shoulders are not visible anymore, even these dancers also wear long sleeves.

Lengger dancers dance to the rhythm of traditional Banyumasan music called Calung. The dancers follow the dynamic and lively rhythm of Calung's music which is dominated by hip movements so it looks very adorable.

Calung gamelan equipment consists of the barung xylophone, successor xylophone, dhendhem, kenong,  gong and Kendhang.

During the performances, Calung was accompanied by a vocalist that better known as Sinden. A calung group requires a minimum of 7 members, consisting of gamelan musicians and dancers / lenggers.

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