Ramayana Ballet, Drama in Typical Javanese Dance

Ramayana ballet is an art show beautiful, amazing and difficult to compare. This performance is able to unite various Javanese arts such as dance, drama and music on one stage and one momentum to present the Ramayana story, legendary epic written by Valmiki in Sanskrit.

The story of Ramayana is sung on this show is similar to that engraved on Prambanan temple. As many told, the Ramayana story carved on the most beautiful Hindu temple similar to the story in oral tradition in India. The road is long and thrilling story was summarized in four plays or round, abduction of Sinta, Anoman mission to Lanka, Ravana Kumbhakarna or death, and the meeting re-Rama Sinta.

All the stories presented in a series of dance movements performed by the lovely dancers accompanied by gamelan music. You are invited to actually dissolve in the story and look at every movement of the dancers to know the storyline. There's no spoken dialogue of the dancers, the only speakers are sinden describing the way the story through the songs in the Java language with a distinctive voice.

The story begins when King Janaka held a contest to determine the companion Dewi Shinta (daughter) who eventually won by Rama Wijaya. Continuing with the adventures of Rama, Shinta and Rama's brother Lakshmana in the Forest named Dandaka. In the forest they met that Ravana who want to have because it is considered as an incarnation Shinta Dewi Widowati, a woman who has long sought.

To attract the attention of Shinta, Ravana change of his followers named Marica to Deer. The effort was successful because it attracted and asked Rama Shinta chase. Laksama Rama after a long search had not come back while Shinta abandoned and given a magic circle for protection in the form of Ravana could kidnap. Protection failed because after Ravana kidnapped Shinta successfully transform themselves into Durna character.

At the end of the story, Shinta been won back from Ravana by Hanuman, the figure of the agile and powerful ape. But when brought back, Rama Shinta just do not believe anymore and consider it has been tainted. To prove the holiness, Shinta asked to burn herself. Purity Shinta proved his body was not burned, but she became more beautiful. Finally, Rama accepted her as his wife.

You will not be disappointed if this excellent performance because not only dance and music are prepared. Lighting is set in such a way that not only the light that dumb, but is able to describe certain events in the story. So did the makeup on each dancer, not only beautify but also able to describe the character of the man who played so the audience can easily recognize even though there was no dialogue.

You also see not only dance but also interesting acts such as fireball game and agility acrobat. A captivating game fireball could be found which had an original type Hanuman burned alive just managed to burn Ravana's kingdom Alengkadiraja. While the stunt could be found when Hanuman fought with the followers of Ravana. Games flame when Shinta would burn himself is also interesting to watch.

In Yogyakarta, there are two places to watch the Ramayana ballet. First, in Purawisata Yogyakarta is located at Jalan Brig Katamso, east of Sultan Palace. In the place that had a record-breaking Indonesian Record Museum (MURI) in 2002 after a staged ballet every day without ever absent for 25 years, you will get a dinner package at once to see ballet. Places to watch the other is in Prambanan Temple, the place of the original Ramayana story carved on temple reliefs.