Jaranan : : the horse dance and trance in East Java / / Victoria M. Clara van Groenendael ; translated by Maria J.L. van Yperen.

• Author: Groenendael, Victoria M. Clara van.
• Year of Publication: 2008
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde ; 252; Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 252.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (307 p.)
• Notes: Includes transcription of the CD recording (p. [257]- 271).
• Other title: Preliminary Material /; CHAPTER I The horse dance (jaranan) /; CHAPTER II The horse dance under the Orde Baru /; CHAPTER III Samboyo Putro and other genres of horse dance groups /; CHAPTER IV Performances by horse dance groups /; CHAPTER V Rituals surrounding horse dance performances /; CHAPTER VI The trance /; CHAPTER VII The significance of the horse dance legend /; CHAPTER VIII Pak Dhalang’s verbal contribution in Pulihrejo /; CHAPTER IX The character of the opening dances in Pulihrejo /; CHAPTER X The element of play in the performance in Pulihrejo /; CHAPTER XI Conclusion /; Appendix: Transcription of the CD recording /; Bibliography /; Index /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (p. [273]-284) and index.
• ISBN: 9004253874
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: Victoria M. Clara van Groenendael ; translated by Maria J.L. van Yperen.

The dramatic genre of the horse dance ( jaranan ) is part of an age-old Javanese tradition displaying wide local and regional variations. A striking feature of the performances of the majority of horse dance groups is the appearance of trance dancers. These are used as a means of establishing contact with the spirits of the ancestors, who continue to play an important part in the lives of their descendants as moral beacons in the solution of problems and the fulfillment of wishes. As a consequence of the modernization of society in almost every aspect of life, vigorously propagated as it was by the Suharto regime in the period 1966-1998, the trance in horse dancing has been strongly discouraged as an anachronism. This has prompted a search for new ways of preserving this dramatic genre for future generations. The way the administration of Kediri and a number of local horse dance companies set about solving this problem constitutes a dominant theme of this book. To bring the phenomenon of the horse dance in Java into sharper focus, a brief account is given of its history, as well as a description of the great variety of horse dance groups of and a range of aspects of this genre.