Makna Simbolik Kultur Kolonial dalam Seni Tradisional Dolalak : Analisis Deskriptif terhadap Isi Pesan dari simbol-simbol Kamunikasi Nonverbal dalam Tari Tradisional Dolalak.

DEWANTI, Adventia Maharani Bkakti, Widodo Agus Setianto

2012 | Skripsi | Ilmu Komunikasi

ABSTRACT Arts are mostly appreciated by their aesthetics. In fact, beyond that, arts represent the traditional communication media to convey the messages through communication symbols contained in them. In line with Geertz’s outlook that views culture on an interpretive basis, culture is indeed seen as a text to be interpreted for its meaning. Dolalak is an Indonesian traditional folk dance from Purworejo regency that is both complex and unique in nature. It is complex because of it being resulted from a blend of cultures, and it is unique because it includes a colonial culture. In the Dutch colonial era, cultures are restricted in terms of their expression through the enactment of a cultural segregation system. Dutch culture is positioned as the highest whilst indigenous culture as the lowest. Take a dress code, for example; it is only the privileged native elites who are allowed to dress in Dutch clothing style. However, Dolalak as a traditional folk dance is apparently contained colonial cultural symbols, particularly the style of movement and the costume. The embedding of Dutch colonial symbol in Dolalak surely does not just happen. Rather, there apparently is a process behind it, an intended use of these symbols, and of course there are the symbolic meanings that need to be uncovered. The current study employed a qualitative approach, and is descriptive analytic in nature. The data in this study was analyzed on a descriptive analytic basis, where the data and information obtained from the fieldworks that are relevant to the problem studied were categorized, described and interpreted qualitatively. The results are as follows: (1) Dolalak was born out of a range of visual experiences that interact with each other in the mind of its creator, and these include classical dance, pencak silat, Islamic tradition, Javanese belief system, and colonial culture. (2) The existence of colonial cultural symbol in Dolalak can be interpreted as having two meanings. The first is the one of the creator’s five visual experience sources. This relates with the cultural discrimination in the colonial era. Thus, embedding symbols of colonial culture on traditional dance art become synonymous with efforts to break the walls of culture discrimination down. This also symbolizes the aspiration of a colonized nation to be in an equal position to the colonizing nation. The second could mean as a protection for Dolalak. Indirectly, the embedding of colonial culture symbol into Dolalak was apparently gave it a protective shield, thus the Dutch colonial government was letting it to exist. This is because the Dutch government viewed the use of colonial culture symbol as partiality in favor of them. The author provides the following suggestions: (1) Purworejo Regencial Government and the citizens are expected to preserve the Dolalak traditional dance and (2) Innovation and improvement of Dolalak traditional dance should not obscure its original meaning.

Kata Kunci : Kesenian Tradisional