Topeng dance : a dramatic form of Indonesian dance
Topeng dance Topeng dance is a dramatic form of Indonesian dance in which one or more mask-wearing, ornately-costumed performers interpret traditional narratives concerning fabled kings, heroes and myths, accompanied by gamelan music. The form arose in the 15th century in Bali and Java where it remains prevalent, but it is also found in other Indonesian islands รข€" such as Madura (near East Java). The well-developed topeng technique is now studied in universities of Europe and America. Indonesian masked dance predates Hindu-Buddhist influences. Native Indonesian tribes still perform traditional masked-dances to represent nature, as the Hudoq dance of the Dayak people of Kalimantan, or to represent ancestor spirits. With the arrival of Hinduism in the archipelago, the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics began to be performed in masked-dance. It is believed that the use of masks is related to the cult of the ancestors, which considered dancers the interpreters of the gods. Topeng perf...