by Nick George
I’m happy to present a mini-doc I shot in 2014 about the last Jaipong club in Jatinegara, Jakarta. I expect to return in the near-future to continue filming and researching.
If you’re unfamiliar with the style, Jaipong (or Jaipongan) is a relatively recent Sundanese music and dance tradition that evolved from a mix of Ketuk Tilu music and Pencak Silat martial arts. There’s a unique relationship between the Kendang (drummer), Ronngeng (female dancers), and the male dancers. I won’t go into that so much at this point since this episode focuses on the club in particular (check out the book Erotic Triangles by Henry Spiller), but if you look closely, you’ll notice the male dancer (Bajidor) begins to command the Kendang player with his free-form Pencak Silat movements, creating a truly fascinating dynamic of live performance.
