Jaranan Kidal is a Kuda Lumping dance performance from Kidal Village, Tumpang District, Malang Regency, which is performed by a group of men in even numbers. When dancing it, accompanied by gamelan music, the players who ride flat horses usually experience a trance. This act of possession makes some people think that Jaranan Kidal is too dangerous, inefficient, time consuming, and expensive. As a result, Jaranan Kidal became isolated and less known to the younger generation.
Chairman of the Jaranan Kidal Anusopati Candi Rejo Arts Group, Warsono Aji, said, “The Jaranan Kidal displayed today has undergone many changes. In the past, Jaranan Kidal was a very mystical and magical tradition, but now it has become popular entertainment. In the past, the attraction started from 9 pm to 6 am, so it took three hours for one person to be in a trance. Now it’s only half an hour.”
Apart from that, according to Warsono, Jaranan Kidal artists also tend to adapt to market preferences by following trends, such as adding dangdut koplo songs instead of just using gamelan and angklung instruments. Even though this massive change has caused this art to move out of its traditional form, on the other hand, this tradition still continues and is popular with the public.
Dr. Syahrial, S.S., M.Hum, lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities (FIB) Universitas Indonesia (UI), said that the existence of regional arts must be maintained because art is the identity of a nation. “If we no longer have distinctive traditions, we will lose confidence in dealing with other nations. We cannot easily and confidently say that ‘I am Indonesian’. Tradition and identity are the underlying foundations of that belief. If these traditions are lost, it will be difficult to express Indonesia’s identity clearly,” he said.
In an effort to ensure that Jaranan Kidal can continue to exist, the UI Community Care Team (Kepmas) carried out community service activities in Kidal Village. The main aim was to introduce Jaranan Kidal performing arts widely. This activity, which took place on 27th–30th of September 2023, also provided education to the public so they can utilize the Jaranan Kidal performing arts as a tourism icon in Tumpang District, Malang Regency.
The UI Kepmas team consists of a student from FIB, Dyra Daniera, and three students from the Faculty of Computer Science, namely Indira Arifia Rahmah, Wahyu Aji Aruma Sekar Puri, and Aulia Rizqi Hidayatunnisa. The four team members were led by a student from FIB Master of Literature Program, Kholifatu Nurlaili Mahardhika, and supervised by, Dr. Syahrial.
According to Kholifatu, Kidal Village was chosen as the target for community service because it has a long history and is located at the location of the Majapahit and Singasari Kingdoms, which left behind the legacy of the Kidal Temple – now a Cultural Heritage. To explore the history of Kidal Village and the condition of the Jaranan Kidal arts, the Kepmas Team discussed with art practitioners, Kidal Village officials, and the caretaker of Kidal Temple. They also documented the Jaranan Kidal performance presented by the Anusopati Candi Rejo Arts Group to be broadcasted and promoted widely as well as included in a number of documentary film festivals.
The service activities carried out by the UI Kepmas Team received a good response from the residents of Kidal Village. Kidal Village Secretary, Yani Bianto, said, “We, from the Village Government, would like to express our gratitude for the arrival of friends from the Universitas Indonesia who want to find out about art in our village and also about the Kidal Temple in our village. We hope that Kidal Temple and Jaranan Kidal art will become more widely known, not only by the local community but also throughout Indonesia.”
