Reog

History

The dance depicts Klono Sewandono, the king of Ponorogo, on his journey to Kediri to seek the hand of Princess Songgo Langit, during which he was attacked by a mythical lion called Singo Barong, which has a peacock on its head. Historians trace Reog Ponorogo's origin as a satire on the incompetence of Majapahit rulers at the empire's end, reflecting Ponorogo's liberty and opposition to centralist Majapahit rule. The lion represents the king of Majapahit, the peafowl the queen, suggesting the king was incompetent and controlled by his queen; the horsemen symbolize the Majapahit cavalry that lost their manliness.

Ki Ageng Kutu, angered by corrupt behavior, left the kingdom and founded a martial arts college. He used Reog performances to convey political messages, with the Singo Barong mask symbolizing Kertabhumi and the peacock feathers representing Chinese influence. Jathilan dancers symbolized Majapahit power, while the red clown mask represented Ki Ageng Kutu, who supported the heavy mask with his teeth. The popularity of Ki Ageng Kutu's Reog led to an attack on his college by Bhre Kertabhumi; the rebellion was overcome, and teaching about warok was prohibited, but disciples continued secretly.

Performance

Reog is a traditional dance that serves as the main identity for Ponorogo Regency. A Reog National Festival is held annually alongside the anniversary of Ponorogo regency and the Grebeg Suro celebration, and the dance is staged nightly on the full moon in Paseban, Ponorogo town square. The performance tells the story of a prince proposing to a princess, specifically a mythical battle between the King of Ponorogo and the magical lion-like Singo Barong.

The Singo Barong mask, made from tiger or leopard skin with a large fan of real peacock feathers, weighs 30–40 kg and is carried by a dancer (warok) using only his teeth. The warok may also carry an adolescent boy or girl on his head, holding up to 100 kg total. The mask spans over 2.5 m and is recognized as the world's largest mask. Leading figures include Klono Sewandono (the king in regal attire and mask), Bujang Ganong (rough men in red masks performing acrobatics and trances), Jathil (youthful men on woven bamboo horses, now often female), and Warok (the Singo Barong dancer, a local hero with spiritual and physical strength).

The performance usually consists of three sets of dances, the first being an opening dance by Bujang Ganong in black costumes with intimidating moustaches.

Controversy

A dance called Barongan in Malaysia closely resembles Indonesia's Reog Ponorogo, but includes Islamic elements. Disagreement flared after Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture website showed a Singo Barong mask labeled "Malaysia," claiming it as a heritage of Muslim Javanese communities in Muar, Johor. The two countries, with overlapping ethnic and religious histories, have long disputed Reog's origins. In Jakarta, thousands of Reog performers protested outside the Malaysian Embassy. To calm tensions, Malaysia stopped promoting Barongan, which hastened its decline, while still supporting other ethnic traditions like the Portuguese-Eurasian San Pedro festival.