Topeng Panji
Tari Panji is the most refined dance. The motions used in this dance are very minimal; there is a great deal of stillness, yet the overall feeling is dynamic. The dance is slow, precise and graceful. Even though this dance is the most difficult dance to perform, visually it is the least exciting for audiences. Panji is a character with the innocence and simplicity of a newborn baby, yet he is also wise, self-controlled and humble.
The mask is also very simple in terms of its ornamentation; it is white and very plain, with no hair or other decorations, slanted eyes, closed lips, straight nose, and calm, downward gaze. Because of the plain design of the mask, mask makers believe it is the most difficult mask to make, because it must be made perfectly: errors cannot be camouflaged by decoration. The accompanying music Kembang Sungsang is long and difficult to play.
Pamindo comes from the root word pindo which means second. Thus, mindo means the second act. While Panji is analogized to the innocence and simplicity of a newborn baby, Pamindo represents childhood. The difference between Panji and Pamindo is very big, because Pamindo is not considered refined but strong and more masculine. Pamindo is also referred to as Samba (Kresna’s son in Wayang Purwa or the Mahabharata), because Samba has a similar character. However, the dance itself does not refer to any story; instead, it refers to the sequence of the performance. Therefore, in this case, the sequence is more important than the story it represents.
Rumyang can be seen as a continuation of Pamindo, and the character is a bit more refined and mature. In some locations where this dance is performed, the dancers or mask masters change the masks when they do this dance, whereas in other places, they don’t change the mask at all. However, basically they are all presenting the same dance with the same accompanying music, Rumyang. Except in the Slangit region, most places present Rumyang as the last part of the topeng performance, after the Klana dance.
The character of Tumenggung in many places is referred to as “Patih” or minister (except in Losari where the mask appears more beastlike). The character is mature and strong, that of a high-ranking government official. The costume is quite interesting; the dancer wears a white-collared shirt under the top and a headdress with a rimless cap and white or black sunglasses. This costume follows the artist’s conception of a minister; the sunglasses are what officials often wear.
The Topeng Klana dance is also known as the Rahwana or Menak Jingga dance because it describes the personalities of all three of these characters and each of their stories has the same theme. Klana, Rahwana, and Menak Jingga are all have the character known as Raja Murka or the angry king (each is a raksasa or demon with ugly features and an evil nature). They are each in love with a beautiful princess belonging to one of the following main "good" characters: Panji, Rama, or Damarwulan.