The Selasa Legen Discussion Forum at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) will present the theme “Sources of Dance Creation: From Keraton to Coast” at its 116th session on Monday (April 28, 2025) at the Kampung Budaya Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM WIB.
The Organizing Committee of Selasa Legen, Suseno S.Pd., M.A., stated that this discussion forum’s theme is being presented to commemorate World Dance Day 2025. According to him, the art of dance in Indonesia possesses a wide variety of creative sources that reflect its society’s social, cultural, and historical dynamics. One way to understand this diversity is by tracing the origins of its creation, starting from the palace environment, which is full of symbolism and structure, to the coastal regions, which are open to cultural acculturation and more fluid expressions.
In Javanese traditional dance, the keraton environment serves as the birthplace of various forms of classical dance that prioritize the aesthetics of refinement, disciplined movements, and strong symbolic meaning. Meanwhile, the coastal regions offer a space for cultural blending, encompassing local elements, cultural influences from outside the area, and religious elements that enrich the artistic value and social significance within the dance works that develop there. Both of these sources significantly contribute to the formation of dance identity as a cultural heritage and an inspiration for new creations in the contemporary era.
The Event Division of Selasa Legen Discussion Forum, Dr. Dhoni Zustiyantoro, announced that the discussion forum will feature speakers Dr. Daryono, a dance practitioner and retired lecturer from ISI Surakarta, and Drs. Bintang Hanggoro Putra M.Hum., a dance practitioner and retired lecturer from the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) UNNES. The discussion forum will be moderated by Dr. Riris Setyo Sundari, a lecturer at PGRI Semarang University and an alumna of the Doctoral Program in Art Education at UNNES.
The discussion forum is open to the public and will be broadcast via the UNNES TV YouTube channel. (DZ/*)
