Indonesia
FISIP-FCS Berbakti Desa (FBD) Jantra Universitas Brawijaya (UB) is one of the student community service programs. In this program, UB collaborates two faculties, namely the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), with a total of 82 community service groups in different service locations.
Participants from FBD Jantra in Mentaraman Village consisted of two groups, group 49 and group 50, each of which had 20 members. This activity was held from Tuesday (6/25/2024) to Monday (8/5/2024) in Mentaraman Village, Donomulyo District, Malang Regency.
This program began with a pre-survey to Mentaraman Village on Monday (03/11/24). The pre-survey was held to conduct social mapping and to know the problems in the community.
At the village hall, the village secretary, Budiono, welcomed the students. When asked about cultural heritage, Budiono explained that Mentaraman Village has a Kuda Lumping art that has long been inactive.
“Many factors have caused this, such as COVID-19, the younger generation trying their luck in overseas lands, and the absence of coaches or trainers willing to teach the art,” he said.
The art of Kuda Lumping is a traditional art originating from East Java and Central Java. Kuda Lumping is a dance created by the ancestors, where dancers ride accessories in the form of jaran kepang. This art has many derivatives or dance variants, which are still part of the same root, such as Warok Dance, Jaranan, Campur Sari, and Reog.
After talking with Budiono, they realized that revitalization was needed to revive and renew the declining tradition. This process aims to improve the quality, functionality, and relevance of Kuda Lumping so that it can continue to be inherited by the younger generation.
With the considerations above, group 49 carried the theme “Cultural Empowerment” in revitalizing Kuda Lumping art in Mentaraman Village. The students hoped this effort would encourage the village youth and the wider community to preserve their cultural wealth.
Three days after the arrival of students in Mentaraman Village, Group 49 conducted in-depth observations and social mapping with local residents. These observations provided information about influential figures in the field of culture and arts, particularly about the Kuda Lumping community.
It was discovered that many Kuda Lumping trainers are still active, including Santoso, who is familiarly called Cak So. Cak So is the second generation and son of Sukri, the first generation to teach Kuda Lumping in the village. In addition to Cak So, they also had the opportunity to chat with Sidiq, the head of the Mentaraman Village Kuda Lumping Arts community.
Group 49 carries 15 work programs with an extension icon that connects their group’s theme, philosophy, and logo, namely Kuda Lumping. The program’s initial design, Kuda Lumping Revitalization, was revised because the observation results showed that this art was still active and existed in the community.
Students then participated in Kuda Lumping training and popularized it to increase community awareness in preserving village cultural wealth. In addition, they offered a work program to expand the introduction of Kuda Lumping community activities through digitalization by making a documentary film that will be promoted on social media.
Group 49 also had the privilege of participating in Mentaraman Village’s annual big event, Bersih Desa, by performing Warok Dances. The event included various other activities, such as an MSME bazaar, a mass walk, cultural performances, and traditional arts.
Before their performance at the Bersih Desa event, male students, including Daffa, Ony, Waliyal, Alfan, and Fayyadh, practiced the Warok Dance with Cak So and members of Turunggo Budoyo. This practice takes place every Saturday night from 9 pm to 11 pm.
As a token of appreciation to all parties involved, the students gave a plaque to the Kuda Lumping Arts community. This plaque serves as a memento and a symbol of strengthening the relationship between Mentaraman Village and Brawijaya University. [trans.acl/ed.vidya/PR FCS]