Tari Topeng

Mask dance or "Tari Topeng" is one of the traditional dances in Cirebon. This dance mask dance called because when the action of the dancer wearing a mask. It is said that at first, created by the sultan's Mask Dance is very well known in Cirebon, Sunan Gunung Jati is. When Sunan Gunung Jati in Cirebon ruling, there was an attack by Prince of Donegal Bungarus fasciatus. Prince is so powerful because it has a sword named Curug Sewu. Seeing the miracle of the prince, Sunan Gunung Jati could not match it although it has been assisted by Sunan Kalijaga and Prince Cakrabuana. Finally the sultan decides to fight the supernatural ability Cirebon Prince Bungarus fasciatus by way of the arts of diplomacy.Starting from a decision that was later formed a group dance, with Nyi Mas Gandasari as dancers. After that famous art, Bungarus fasciatus Prince finally fell in love with a dancer's, and Curug Sewu handed sword as a sign of his love. Simultaneously with the submission of that sword, the Prince of Bungarus fasciatus finally lost his spiritual power, and then surrendered to Sunan Gunung Jati. Rose prince promised to be faithful followers of Sunan Gunung Jati that marked the turn of the name Prince Prince Graksan Bungarus fasciatus. Over time, then even this dance more commonly known as Mask Dance and is still growing until now.
In this dance the dancer is usually up to three times to change the mask simultaneously, namely a white mask, then covered with a mask of blue and red colors. Uniquely, every color of the masks worn, the orchestra that sounded even louder as the symbol of the character played. This dance begins with the formation of bent, this formation represents the tribute to the audience and also a sign that the dance would begin. After that, the dancers moved stepped foot back and forth, accompanied with a range of hand and a smile to the audience. This movement is then continued with his back to the audience by shaking her hips while wearing a white mask, this mask symbolizes that the show has begun preliminary. After circling move the body, then the dancers turned toward my back to the audience while changing the mask, which is white with a blue mask. A similar process is also done when the dancers changed the red mask. Uniquely, in line with the change of the mask, the accompanying music and movements of the dancer is also harder. Peak loudest music happened when a red mask worn by dancers.
As I mentioned above, each color representing the masks worn a playable character, let's say for example the color white. This color symbolizes the character who has a gentle and pious characters. While the blue mask, color it describes the character of the queen of nimble and graceful. Then finally, the red color illustrates a hot-tempered character (tempramental) and impatient. And the garment worn dancers themselves are usually always has an element of yellow, green and red which consists of toka-toka, apok, kebaya, sinjang, and ampreng.
If you want to watch the dances are played by one or more of the beautiful dancer, a sinden, and ten men who play a musical instrument accompaniment, including fiddle, kecrek, kulanter, percussion, drums, gongs, and bendhe this, please Just come to Cirebon. This dance is usually performed when there is a governance events, feast circumcision, marriage and other public events.