Jaran Goyang is one of art branches that have been growing and developing in various districts in Central Java. Those who still have Jaran Goyang art are Magelang Regency, Semarang, Kendal, Pekalongan, Batang, Tegal, Pemalang, Wonosobo and Temanggung. Each district has its own characteristics.
Jaran Goyang art was originally known as jathilan art which was later known as (horse) jaran kepang. Jaran Goyang is becoming a more popular name than the two previous names. The name "Jaran Goyang" is not only known in Central Java, but already nationally.
Jaran Goyang also called jaran kepang or jathilan is a traditional Javanese dance featuring a group of warriors riding a horse. This dance uses horses made of bamboo or other materials that are in woven and cut like a horse shape, decorated with artificial hair from a plastic strap or the like in a bundle or in braids. This horse's woven is decorated with colorful paint and fabrics. Jaran Goyang dance usually only features a horse-riding scene, but some of Jaran Goyang's performances also show attraction of possession, immunity, and magical powers, such as the attraction of eating glass and immunity against the whip's whipping.
Jaran Kepang is part of reog dance performances. Although this dance originated in Java, Indonesia, this dance is also inherited by Javanese settled in North Sumatra and in some areas outside Indonesia such as Malaysia, Suriname, Hong Kong, Japan and America. In Java society is often referred to as jaran kepang. Not a single historical record is able to explain the origin of this dance, only a verbal history passed down from one generation to the next.
It is said, Jaran Goyang dance is a trance dance. There is also a version that says that Jaran Goyang dance depicts the story of a beautiful youth troop Jathil riding a golden-haired white horse, gold-tailed, and has gold wings that help fight the kingdom bantarangin fight troop riders from the kingdom lodaya on the legend series reog century 8
Regardless of its origins and historical value, the Jaran Goyang dance reflects the spirit of heroism and the military aspect of an equestrian or cavalry. This is evident from rhythmic, dynamic, and aggressive movements, through the waving of bamboo, mimicking a movement like a horse in the middle of a war.
Often in Jaran Goyang dance performances, it also displays attractions displaying supernatural powers of magic, such as the attraction of chewing glass, slashing arms with machetes, burning oneself, walking on broken glass, and others. Perhaps, this attraction reflects the supernatural powers that in ancient times developed in the Javanese Kingdom, and is a non-military aspect used against the Dutch troops.
In every performance, Jaran Goyang dance presents 4 dance sessions:
Two times Buto Lawas dance
In the Buto Lawas session, it is usually danced by men only and consists of 4 to 6 dancers. Some young dancers ride bamboo wicker horse and dance to the music. In this section, the dancers of Buto Lawas can experience possession or possessed by a spirits. The audience did not escape the phenomenon of this possession. Many of the local people who witnessed the show became possessed and danced with the dancers. Unconsciously, they continue to dance with energetic movements and look compact with other dancers. To restore the consciousness of the dancers and the possessed audiences, in every performance always present the warok, the one who has the supernatural ability whose presence can be recognized through the all-black striped red dress with a thick mustache. The warok will give the bidders until the awareness of the dancers and the audience again recovered.Senterewe Dance, and Begon Princess dance.
In this session, male and female dancers joined in performing senterewe dance. In the last session, with more relaxed moves, six women performed Begon Putri dance, which was the closing dance of a whole series of Jaran Goyang dance attractions.