Follow NJ and Raine as they delve into the world of kuda kepang, and learn more about how this art form is performed.

The different costumes of ‘Barong’, known as ‘Javanese loch ness monsters’

Never in my life did I think I would eat glass. 

I remember watching “My Strange Addiction” years ago and seeing the episode about the woman who was obsessed with eating all kinds of glass, and I remembered the absolute astonishment I felt watching that video. And yet here I was, one of the chiefs of one of the kuda kepang performing groups, Hafiz, holding out a piece of glass asking Raine and myself to eat it unconcernedly as if it was just another day for him.

The grainy texture reminded me of sand, my teeth crushing the piece down into granulated bits with some of it getting caught in between the crevices. But I did not feel any pain or any cuts in my mouth.

“See? Nothing, right? Go ahead, eat, eat,” Hafiz told us as he fed a piece of glass to one of the dancers who was performing, the performer eating it with horse-like chewing.

To Hafiz, this was nothing short of just another day of performing kuda kepang, and this was just one of the many elements that make up this fascinating art form.

In this episode of Cultural Kaleidoscope, we uncover the art of kuda kepang, with its various components of getting into trances, getting whipped, walking on glass, and more.

Kuda kepang is a traditional Javanese dance that originated in Indonesia, and has since been customised in several parts of Indonesia such as Surabaya and Bali. Kuda kepang is performed during weddings, births, circumcisions, functions, deaths or house dedications. In this art form, performers dance with wooden horses attached to them whilst in a state of trance. The performers take on the characters of various Javanese and Balinese mythological legends derived from their colourful folklore. 

The performers will start off dancing with their wooden crafted horses, mimicking the movements and characteristics of horses. There are different kinds of horses for these performances, and they are distinguished based on the colours of their horse. During the performance, they are fed various kinds of ingredients according to the character of their horses. Certain horses who are known to be more adventurous and daring will eat items such as glass that have been cut up into little pieces, whereas some of the women performers will eat marigold flowers to help them attain flawless skin. 

One of the performers in costume and dancing

After the horse dancing is finished, the performers will then adorn themselves in costumes that have been made for each specific character. They will dance with intricate movements, each of the characters having their own flourish that correlates with their character. Throughout this performance, they are in a trance of their character. Every movement and mannerism is based off of the character they are playing. In this semi-state of consciousness they are in, they are unable to talk. However, they are still able to identify people that they know outside of character, and are able to communicate with gestures.

The performers are assigned each character based on their own personalities. If a person is known to have a bold or intrepid personality, they will take on the characters who are similar. If a person is more soft-spoken or gentle, they will take on the tender characters. 

Performer getting whipped from the side

Throughout the performance, the dancers are whipped with various kinds of whips either from the front or their backs.

Each whip is decorated by the whippers, each with their own colours, ropes, and designs. Whipping helps the performers balance the state of trance that they are in.

One of the children playing a ‘gamelan’, a traditional Javanese instrument

Throughout the entire performance, there are performers who will be playing various kinds of Indonesian instruments. 

The main type of instruments that are played are called ‘gamelan’, which is a traditional Indonesian ensemble of percussive instruments. One of the instruments include the ‘saron demung’, which are several metal plates that are placed on a resonating frame and hit with a mallet. Another one of the instruments is called the ‘kendang’, a traditional Javanese two-headed drum. 

These instruments can be played in either the Javanese or Balinese style. The Javanese style of playing is known to be slower, while the Balinese style plays faster rhythms. The performers will dance according to the style that is being played. When the Javanese style is being played, their dancing is slow and relaxed. When the Balinese style is being played, their movements become more erratic and lively.

Costumes of ‘Rangda’, the demon witch

In the next episode of cultural kaleidoscope, follow Raine and I as we uncover kuda kepang and learn more about this enthralling traditional art form.

Watch our full video on YouTube below: