West Java is also called Parahyangan, the Land of the Gods, and Sunda or Priangan. It refers to the area encompassing the former kingdoms of Banten in the west and Cirebon in the northeast, as well as the north coast and the mountains of West Java.

Traders and seafarers from what is now Indonesia probably traveled as far as India, China, the east coast of Africa, and into the Pacific for centuries before the common era. We know that beginning around two thousand years ago, West Java was a center for trade with other parts of Asia. It is believed that Sunda was one of the first regions on Java to trade with India. By the year 400 of the common era, a Hindu kingdom, Tarumanegara, existed in West Java.

Tarumanegara was destroyed in the 7th century by the Sumatran kingdom of Sriwijaya. By then, however, the effect of Indian influence was already seen in West Java, in dance forms, in the Ramayana and Mahabharata stories that formed the basis of the dance dramas, and in the elements of the martial arts, which became known as pencak silat. Both folk and classical dances reflect the influence of pencak silat in their movements.

Jaipongan is a modern choreographed dance form growing out of traditional Sundanese culture. It was created by a single individual and has a philosophical underpinning. It was created in a historic moment in response to a specific situation. The creator of jaipongan is Dr. Gugum Gumbira Tiransondjaja. He combined ketuk tilu, the folk drumming and dance style of West Java, with silat movements and traditional accompanying music, and added his own special spark. Dr. Gumbrira spoke to Harsanari on November 30, 2011 at his home and studio in Bandung. In response to our question, What would you like us to know about jaipongan, he gave these thoughts: