Between Erotic and Sensual
Representation of Ronggeng in Indonesian Film
Yulianeta Yulianeta
Department of Indonesia Language Education and Literature, Faculty of Language Education and Literature, Universitas
Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229 Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Representation, Ronggeng, Indonesian film, Sang Penari.
Abstract: Ronggeng or Tayub is an art that has developed since long time in Indonesia. This art lives in Indonesian
society as traditional performance which more flourishes in the villages. This show presents a woman both
as a dancer and as a singer (sinden). Women as a ronggeng dancer in this art have always been viewed as
erotic and sensual women. This fact shows that woman as a ronggeng has always been associated with a
negative image. Over time, this negative image is not only presented in oral and written narrative, but also
in modern art like films. Hence, this study tried to see how ronggeng image is represented in Indonesian
films. This study used film titled Sang Penari (2011) adapted from Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk as a corpus to
examine how the depiction of ronggeng is represented in a film beside in written or oral tradition. The
method used in this research is descriptive analysis method, as a representation of Stuart Halls’ theory. This
theory is used to see how the image of Ronggeng represented in this film. This study results indicates that
Sang Penari film is still represented ronggeng with sensual and erotic image, yet negative image of
ronggeng as a prostitute is no longer presented in this film; ronggeng is depicted as an art which represented
the commonality (Wong cilik) which is receded then.
1 INTRODUCTION
Ronggeng is a popular art in Indonesian society.
This is a traditional art in form of dances growing
well in agrarian society. Ronggeng usually becomes
a medium for farmers to hold a ritual of gratitude for
the harvest gained. Time to time, this art is not only
utilized for sacred rituals, but also develops to be a
profane art (Spiller, 2010; Yulianeta, 2013).
Besides being well-known as ronggeng, this art
is also called gandrung, lengger, taledhek, tandak,
and so forth. Ronggeng Melayu is developing in
Sumatra, Ronggeng Betawi is spreading in Jakarta,
in Subang and Sumedang West Java people call it
Bangreng. In Banyuwangi, Bali, and Lombok, its
famous name is Gandrung. Lengger is another name
for it in Purwokerto, Wonosobo, and Magelang.
While the name taledhek, ledhek, joged, ronggeng,
and tandak are used to call female dancers in a
ronggeng show or tayub in several regions of
Central Java and East Java, people in West Java call
them sindhen or ronggeng. This art spreads almost
in all regions of Java Island (Raffles, 1965).
There are, at least, several words referring to
ronggeng word, one of them comes from Javanese
language, which means tandak or female dancers
accompanied by gamelan (Javanese traditional
orchestra). Referring to the definition, women
become the key of the art. In the Ensiklopedi Tari
Indonesia Seri P-T (1986), ronggeng is classified
into couple entertainment dances done by a woman
and a man. On its shows, a female ronggeng dancer
usually ask a male dancer by throwing her shawl to
the man to go up to the stage and dance together
with her. Once the dance is finished, the male dancer
should give her money.
Since women become the core of the dance and
men are the main party to enjoy it, the negative
image of ronggeng dancers appears. As highlighted
by Soeharto (1999) and Sooi-Beng (2005) that in a
society, a ronggeng life is identical with prostitutes
who frequently sell themselves to the men who
desire them. Although not all people think the same,
but people appraisal towards ronggeng particularly
female dancers decreases.
It is an unavoidable thing that the negative image
of ronggeng is possibly affected by the fact that
most of ronggeng dancers possess plump bodies. To
be a ronggeng dancer, a woman should have been
dancing at the age of eight (usually called lengger)
Yulianeta, Y.
Between Erotic and Sensual - Representation of Ronggeng in Indonesian Film.
DOI: 10.5220/0007175307970801
In Proceedings of the Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference
on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017) - Literacy, Culture, and Technology in Language Pedagogy and Use, pages 797-801
ISBN: 978-989-758-332-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All r ights reserved
797

(Geertz 1976; Koentjaraningrat, 1989). The
requirements of changing a lengger into a ronggeng
are frequently connected to a belief of indhang
presence, a spirit possessing a ronggeng dancer. The
myth of a ronggeng dancer perfect beauty after
being possessed by indhang indicates how a
ronggeng dancer image is, that they should not only
be plump but also beautiful. This is the reason why
the procession to be a ronggeng dancer is considered
very sacred.
This image is then depicted in a variety of
literary works either spoken or written, or visual
(films). Pratista (2008) mention that films can be
defined as a tool to convey various messages to
people through a story medium. Films are not only
visual media offering entertainment. More than it,
films are media to transfer ideas to audiences. Films
are described as mass communication media as well.
Like literary works, films are expressed as cultural
documents representing society culture per se.
One of the films concerning on ronggeng
phenomenon is Sang Penari. The film adapted from
a novel entitled Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk by Ahmad
Tohari seems to be interesting for it re-appears a
ronggeng representation which up until now is
surrounded by negative image in our society,
particularly Javanese. Therefore, the present
research is intended to analyze how a ronggeng
image is depicted in Sang Penari the film.
2 RESEARCH METHODS
The present research employed an analytical
descriptive research method by focusing the analysis
on textual analysis of Sang Penari the film. The
representation theory from Stuart Hall was applied
to read how the ronggeng image and dancers were
presented in the film.
Representation is viewed as an accurate
illustration of a reality. Hall (1997) defines
representation as a critical practice in producing
culture. The process is divided into two, which are
‘mental’ and ‘language’ representation. The ‘mental’
representation connects to abstract thing in mind
while ‘language’ representation relates to a process
of constructing meaning. The process is sensed as
how a world is reconstructed socially to and by us in
certain meaning.
Two key words in representation is to understand
it as a language use for expressing or represent
meaning to people. In connection to ronggeng image
representation in Sang Penari the film, the analysis
is focused on meaning of the second key word which
is a language use to represent meaning to people.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Ronggeng Illustration in Sang
Penari the Film
The ronggeng in Sang Penari the film was
illustrated by figuring Surti and Srintil. Surti, played
by Happy Salma, was only appeared in several
scenes in the opening. Surti was narrated to pass
away by a poisonous bongkrek tempeh tragedy
which also killed some villagers of Dukuh Paruk.
Through Surti, Srintil, the character played by Prisia
Nasution, was then interested with ronggeng.
Little Srintil once watched a ronggeng show in
Dukuh Paruk when the ronggeng danced was Surti.
From her interest, Srintil became fond of dancing
and singing. When she was five years old, she had
shown the talent of dancing and singing. Moreover,
Sakarya (Srintil’s grandfather), played by Landung
Simatupang, assured that Srintil talent was not just a
talent, but also possessed by indhang.
Growing to be a beautiful and plump girl, Srintil
was pointed as the Dukuh Paruk ronggeng by the
assistance of a ronggeng shaman named Kartaredja,
played by Slamet Rahardjo, and his wife (Nyai
Kartaredja), played by Dewi Irawan.
Being a ronggeng was Srintil’s dream since she
was little. By being a ronggeng, she did not only
pursuit her dream. More than it, she could devote
herself to Dukur Paruk and Eyang Sacamanggala,
the ancestor believed by people to protect the
village. Besides, she was able to regain her family
dignity which was lost for several years due to the
tragedy of poisonous bongkrek tempeh made by her
parents (Santayib couple) that caused some villagers
losing their lives.
3.2 Eroticism and Sensuality of
Ronggeng
Sensuality refers to the word ‘sense’. This
understanding refers to individuals’ sexual
imagination meaning towards the object they see.
This imagination comes from someone sensory
towards someone else body which at the end
emerging enjoyable experience. Jennifer L. Hillman
in her book “Clinical perspective on elderly
sexuality”, clarifies that the enjoyable experience
will result on pleasure gotten from other people
sexual activities that felt by his/her sense.
Nevertheless, sensuality is not only obtained by
involving other people as the object, but also
through things, pictures, sounds that directly touch
the sense (William, 2005; Satria, 2013).
CONAPLIN and ICOLLITE 2017 - Tenth Conference on Applied Linguistics and the Second English Language Teaching and Technology
Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education
798

While eroticism emphasizes on the aesthetic
shape leading to sexual impulse. The impulse is a
feeling appeared and stimulates someone to make a
sexual activity. The aesthetic shape can be realized
in visualization representing the impulse.
Within a ronggeng soul, body sensuality
becomes a certain pride in attracting people to come
and see her dance. Sensuality is emphasized by
Javanese context that believes in the presence of
indhang spirit. Its presence is trusted to be able to
give more attraction power for a ronggeng dancer,
which cannot be obtained by everybody but a
ronggeng dancer.
The representation appeared in Sang Penari. The
ronggeng of the film was described as a beautiful
woman representing Dukuh Paruk women’s beauty,
had a plump body and white skinned as seen on
Figure 1. Beside the requirement of having a
ronggeng aura or being possessed by ronggeng
indhang, only good looking women could be
ronggeng dancers.
Figure 1: Srintil was crowned as a ronggeng.
Ronggeng is also believed to be depicting
fertility and manliness. No wonder if many ladies in
Dukuh Paruk competed to praise and give
compliments to Srintil only to let their husband sleep
with her. At this point, a ronggeng does not only
benefit her body sensuality as a ronggeng, but also
has been more on eroticism value as a ronggeng.
This can be seen from Srintil’s performance which
was complete with her ronggeng properties, such as
a costume showing her sensuality side and her dance
movements stimulating men sexual desire. Throwing
a shawl to a man audience to dance with her and at
the end sleep with her are categorized into actions to
stimulate sexual desire.
Figure 2: The men of Dukuh Paruk talked about Srintil
becoming a ronggeng.
On the scene as shown in Figure 2, it was
showed how the men were talking about ronggeng
eroticism and sensuality which supposed to be
possessed by Srintil as the ronggeng to be, as written
in the following part.
“Kiye sus tek omongi, dadi ronggeng kue ora
gampang (tertawa)”
“Iya sus, kalau cuma nari tayub si bisa aja, tapi
kalau ronggeng kudu kena indhang, sama harus
ada kaya kue-kaya kuene (merujuk pada aktivitas
persetubuhan yang dilakukan oleh seorang
ronggeng dengan lelaki yang membayarnya)
(tertawa)”
Nonetheless, the ronggeng image as a prostitute
is considered a bit vague in the film. Srintil was
given a motive to frame her sensuality and eroticism
in order to maintain ronggeng as a sacred people art.
As a ronggeng, Srintil was fully aware that she
belonged to people, collective belongings, who
should prioritize communal needs. The priority
included both giving a chance for a man who gave
her an amount of money to sleep with her in the
ceremony of bukak klambu and after she was
crowned as the ronggeng.
Besides, there is an interesting illustration within
the film adapted from this Tohari novel, namely the
illustration that ronggeng comes into reality
indicating an independent woman image who can
free herself from men shadows. She was financially
settled, meaning that she could fulfil her needs by
herself from saweran (the money given by men after
dancing) she got. Being the ronggeng was likely
having a particular social class above the women of
Dukuh Paruk in general.
However, being an independent ronggeng was
collided with a reality that she did not get a life she
desired. In front of people, as a dancer, entertainer, a
Between Erotic and Sensual - Representation of Ronggeng in Indonesian Film
799

cult figure bringing the spirit of Dukuh Paruk, Srintil
got a noble position. But deep in her heart, privately,
she lost someone she loved. Being a ronggeng meant
that she was close to sexuality issue so that a
ronggeng was identical with a prostitute who could
be approached by those who had got an amount of
money. That was the reason why Rasus, Srintil’s
loved one, left her though Srintil had asked him to
marry her.
3.3 Ronggeng as the People Art
As the people art, the ronggeng presented in Sang
Penari was admired by people of Dukuh Paruk. Even
the absence of a ronggeng after Surti death in the
tempeh tragedy, it was likely the demise of people
lives in Dukuh Paruk. So when Sakarya discovered
Srintil had potential to be a ronggeng, he then
notified Ki Kertaredja that Dukuh Paruk would be
alive again, as seen in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Little Srintil played a role as a ronggeng
accompanied by her boy friends.
This was proved by people fast acceptance of
Srintil as the ronggeng dancer, that for the villagers
she was not only a dancer but also their ideal.
Ronggeng as the people art is also presented
though the faith connecting with animism and
dynamism in which this belief is close with people
lives. In the film, it was showed that people of
Dukuh Paruk were sub-urban people admiring
ronggeng. A woman who could be a ronggeng was
the one who got blessed by Ki Sacamanggala (the
ancestor of Dukuh Paruk). Therefore, there were
some particular ceremonies to hold before Srintil
was decided to be a ronggeng. One of them was
bukak klambu. At the first step, there was a scene in
which the beautiful Srintil who had put on make-up
like a ronggeng and ready to dance, should have
failed dancing since she had not gotten a blessing
from Ki Sacamanggala. The scene was realized by
the absence of Ki Kertaredja as the ronggeng
shaman in Dukuh Paruk. Besides the blessing from
Ki Sacamanggala, indhang from the previous
ronggeng was also crucial in determining whether a
woman could be a ronggeng or not. This was proved
by the presence of keris (Surti sacred property)
symbolizing that someone had been totally blessed
both by Ki Sacamanggala or the late ronggeng
indhang.
The film Sang Penari then focused on the issue
that ronggeng as people art had a close relation with
PKI. At the end of the film, ronggeng became an
illustration of how people, who were blind of
ideological polemic of what happened in the state,
were manipulated by a particular ideology which at
the end completely destroyed them. Ronggeng then
became a profane art which slowly but sure was left
by people. Srintil who had been a cult figure as a
realization of people belief towards a sacred thing,
remained alone as a street dancer ronggeng.
4 CONCLUSIONS
From the discussion, it can be drawn a conclusion
that a ronggeng has particular beauty and sacred
values. The erotic and sensual image of a ronggeng
can be a certain point which makes her accepted by
people. The ronggeng cult figure as a symbol of
fertility and manliness make people openly welcome
the ronggeng, although the sensuality and eroticism
of a ronggeng are frequently identical with negative
image of morality. As an art, ronggeng is collective
possession, thus a ronggeng dancer belongs to a
society. At this level, a ronggeng dancer is the
goddess praised by the belief that a ronggeng brings
beneficence. However, at the individual level, a
ronggeng dancer is still very close to immoral
woman image who let her body be slept by everyone
who can give her big amounts of money. In this
film, ronggeng is also represented as culture of low
level people which still close to animism and
dynamism faith. It is an art which far away from
open mindedness. For those reasons, the art is
utilized for particular political benefits, manipulating
the party intention for the sake of people. At the end,
the ronggeng art in the film leaves its cult, and just
become the profane art which time to time is then
left behind.
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Conference in collaboration with the First International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education
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