Gandrung Dance

Gandrung dance is one type of dance that originated from Banyuwangi, East Java. Gadrung word can be interpreted as an "enchanted". the term means infatuated enthralled Banyuwangi community against "Dewi Sri" which brought prosperity to the people in the form of a abundant rice harvest.

According to historical records, the first time infatuated danced by men who dressed as women and, according to Scholte (1927), the main instrument that accompanies the dance "gandrung Lanang" This is the drums. At that time, the violin has been used. However, "gandrung Lanang" This gradually from Banyuwangi disappeared around the 1890s, allegedly because Islam prohibits any activity that dress up like women. However, Gandrung Dance new male totally disappeared in 1914.

According to some sources, born gandrung Dance to entertain the forest loggers, accompanied the ceremony asked for survivors, with regard to a haunted forest clearing.

Dance traditions infatuated by "Semi" and then followed by his sisters using gandrung first name as her stage name. The art continues to grow then across Banyuwangi and the iconic local specialties. At first devoted only be danced by the descendants infatuated dancers before, but since the 1970's started a lot of young girls who are not descendants of the study devoted to this dance and make it as a source of livelihood in addition to the increasingly desperate to maintain its existence since the end of the century -20.

Dancers clothes gandrung also have differences with other Javanese dances. it can be seen from the use of headgear or a crown called "Omprok" made of tanned buffalo leather and given a colored ornaments and red and gold ornaments given Antasena figures, human-headed son of Bima but bodied giant snakes and cover the entire hair gandrung dancers. 

Dance gandrung still survive today and become an icon of the city of Banyuwangi with the title "City of Gandrung". Along with the development of dance gandrung now always used in traditional ceremonies Banyuwangi community, such as weddings, circumcisions, even welcoming important guests or other important events.