Cultural Transformation Processes in the Current Development of Yogyakarta-Style Classical Dance

Abstract

Yogyakarta-Style Classical Dance plays an important role in the part of human-life values, both seen from the religious function and from the social function. From a comprehensive perspective, it is shown that the preservation related to the development of this type of dance occurs because each generation has its own soul of the era that encourages cultural creativity. Eventually, Yogyakarta-style classical dance transform both internally and externally. The interplay among different traditions may result in something new that constitutes an additional repertoire in addition to the existing traditions. This paper discusses how such transformational processes apply in Yogyakarta-Style Classical Dance and what happens to the dance that belongs to the Palace of Yogyakarta and how their current development is. The processes of cultural transformation that have occurred to Yogyakarta-Style Classical Dance (in conjunction with the performing arts) also lead to shifts in the functions of the performing arts in the environment of Yogyakarta Palace that initially tended to be sacred, with the advancement of the society’s mindset, the functions get eroded and change into the profane ones or into a performance that the general public can learn.