Study Examines Sacred Javanese Dance as Nonverbal Communication in Kediri

Research by Riza Mahardika, M.Med.Kom, explores how the Tari Gambyongan Tayub, performed at the Suro ritual in Doko village, East Java, carries meaning through movement, music and ritual rules.

KEDIRI, Indonesia, 21 October 2026 - A qualitative study by communication researcher Riza Mahardika, M.Med.Kom, examines how a traditional dance performed in Doko village, Kediri, East Java, functions as a form of nonverbal communication. The paper, "Pengaruh Tarian Tradisional dari sebuah Karya Seni Tari 'Gambyongan Tayub' bagi Profil masyarakat Doko Kediri", looks at the Tari Gambyongan Tayub, also known as Gambyong Doko.

The dance is part of the Suro ritual held at the petilasan, or memorial site, of Prabu Anom in Doko. In local tradition, Prabu Anom is described as a descendant of Sri Aji Jayabaya, a king of the Kediri kingdom.

The study applies symbolic interaction theory, which holds that people create and interpret meaning through symbols. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, observation and documentation, with research carried out at Sanggar Ande-ande Lumut in Kras, Kediri Regency.

According to the paper, the dance was created by Nur Setyani, S.Sn., an artist from Sanggar Ande-ande Lumut and a teacher at SMPN 1 Kras. The idea came from seeing that the dance offered at the ritual had not yet been arranged in a structured way.

The resulting work keeps the established rules of Gambyong dance while blending in the ethnic culture of Kediri. It is usually performed by an odd number of dancers, either five or seven.

The dance is accompanied by three established gendhing, or traditional gamelan pieces, each with its own philosophy:

• Ketawang Gunung Sari (Puspowarno): think positively and do good to people and to nature
• Ladrang Eling-eling: remember the contributions of the ancestors
• Ladrang Sekar Gadung: maintain communication with God by praying for the ancestors

The music is played on a Javanese gamelan set in the slendro scale, by 15 musicians and two sindhen singers. The sung texts, the paper notes, carry a message that people should live according to their dignity and remember where they came from and where they will end.

Drawing on a video recording made at the petilasan of Prabu Anom on 1 November 2016, the study identifies 22 types of movement. These adopt both Surakarta and East Javanese styles, which the dance trainer described in a 2020 interview as matching the cultural setting of Kediri Regency.

The performance follows a three-part structure:

• Maju Beksan: the opening, as dancers enter the performance area
• Beksan: the core section, containing the main movements
• Mundur Beksan: the closing of the performance

The paper also records the rules that surround the dance. Dancers must be in a state of ritual purity, and no movement may turn the dancer's back towards the grave of Prabu Anom.

Local belief holds that this rule matters greatly. Residents recount that after it was once broken, many villagers died in succession over 40 days, an event the community regards as a calamity.

From this, the study draws a moral message: people should always act with care and respect local etiquette wherever they are. It echoes the Javanese saying "Seje Desa Mawa Cara, Beda Negara Mawa Tata", meaning that each village and each country has its own ways.

"Traditional dance is a way of communicating without words," said Riza Mahardika, M.Med.Kom, communication researcher. "In the Gambyongan Tayub, every movement, every gendhing and every ritual rule carries a message for the people of Doko about harmony, peace, respect for one another and remembering their ancestors."

The paper finds that the dance carries values of harmony, peace and mutual respect, because it combines both aesthetics and ethics.

Notes to editors

About the research: "Pengaruh Tarian Tradisional dari sebuah Karya Seni Tari 'Gambyongan Tayub' bagi Profil masyarakat Doko Kediri" is a qualitative study, written in Indonesian, by Riza MD, M.Med.Kom. It draws on interviews conducted in 2020, observation and documentation, including a 2016 recording of the ritual performance.

About Riza Mahardika: Riza Mahardika, M.Med.Kom, is a communication researcher and digital strategist, and the founder of RizaHub (https://rizahub.com).