![]() Lengger lanang performance in Java | |
Native name | ꧋ꦭꦺꦁꦒꦺꦂꦭꦤꦁ (Javanese) Tari Lengger lanang (Indonesian) |
---|---|
Genre | Folk dance |
Instrument(s) | Gamelan, Gong, Calung |
Inventor | Javanese |
Origin | Central Java (Indonesia) |
Lenger lanang (Javanese: ꧋ꦭꦺꦁꦒꦺꦂꦭꦤꦁ) is a traditional Javanese dance originating from Banyumas, Central Java, Indonesia. This dance has existed for hundreds of years. Lengger lanang is not just an ordinary dance but a tradition of worshiping the Goddess of Fertility (Dewi Sri) to celebrate harvests or village clean ceremonies that have been passed down from generation to generation. Lengger lanang dance is a form of cross-gender culture in Indonesia. This dance is categorized as cross-gender because the performer is a man who appears to be a woman.[1][2]
Lengger dance is a folk art that has existed and developed for a long time in the agrarian society of Banyumas. Previously, Lengger lanang was considered to have magical-religious elements which were originally staged as a form of community gratitude in a ceremony after the harvest. Even so, the Lengger lanang dance is currently often stigmatized by society and is considered to spread LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) values in Indonesia.[3]