It's no secret that art has an uncanny ability to touch the soul and permeate culture in unexpected ways. But what if an art that seems mystical and magical can actually be explained by rational physics? This is what happened to one of Indonesia's most mysterious traditional arts, Reog Ponorogo.
Reog Ponorogo is a traditional dance with roots in Indonesia, specifically the Ponorogo region of East Java, Indonesia. The highlight of the performance is a lead dancer wearing a lion's head costume adorned with peacock feathers, called Dhadhak Merak, accompanied by a number of masked dancers and kuda lumping acts.
It has also been officially recognized as Indonesia's National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. Reog Ponorogo has also been submitted to UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage on February 18, 2022.
Although it is often perceived as a mystical performance involving spiritual energy, there are scientific and physical reasons behind this art form. In this harmony of movement, sound, and light, let us break through the curtain of wonder and unravel the mysteries of physics that underpin this mesmerizing art form.
The Dhadhak Merak mask has become one of the distinctive identities in every Reog Ponorogo performance. Dhadhak Merak is known for its large and heavy dimensions, yet the dancers are able to lift it using only their teeth.
The mask weighs between 40 and 50 kilograms. Many believe that the Dhadhak Merak attraction has magical elements and that the dancers may be in a trance. This is certainly possible due to the long-term dedication to intense physical training that is consistently practiced by experienced performers.
In physics, this is a principle known as the "Rigid Body Balance Principle".
A rigid body is an object that is initially at rest and tends to remain at rest. This object has a single point of matter that plays a role in initiating translational motion.
The Dhadhak Merak mask has two distinct designs combined into one form. The head represents the head of a lion (barong), while the upper part is made of peacock feathers. These two parts are designed to balance each other. The head part provides weight at the front, while the peacock "rengkek" part is designed to curve backward.
If only the head part is lifted, the weight still feels heavy, although it is lighter compared to the peacock head. Making the mask into two parts, the head pointing forward and the peacock feathers pointing backward, does not affect the whole because it will eventually generate zero momentum due to the correct balance point.
This dance can also be explained by Newton's laws I, II, III. In short, these laws describe how objects interact and move in a physical environment.
The first law states that objects tend to remain at rest or move at a fixed speed unless a force is applied. The second law relates force to changes in velocity, while the third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
In the Dhadak Merak dance technique, the concept of physics becomes an important foundation that includes aspects of the influence of gravitational forces controlled by the muscles as well as the maintenance of balance from the position of the dancer's stance. This can be analyzed by applying Newton's laws I, II, and III, which help to keep the dancer's center of gravity stable.
To support the Dhadak Merak dance, it uses the concept of lifting heavy weights, which requires proper positioning and great effort. This is also influenced by muscle tension, which results in reduced energy due to heavy effort, while still maintaining the stability of the Dhadak Merak position. The position of the feet as a fulcrum and the proper placement of the center of gravity become the main focus of the Dhadak Merak dancer.
The dancers center the body's center of gravity in the middle, using both feet as a weight-bearing base. While moving, Dhadak Merak dancers must also maintain a strong stance, a technique that aims to gather energy in the thighs to strengthen the legs.
In addition, the pressure exerted by the mask also contributes a force that counteracts the weight of the mask, known as the reaction force. Therefore, when the movements performed by the dancer become faster, it means that the dancer must expend more energy because the effort required is greater. This requires intensive and orderly practice.
While this dance is an integral part of the cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation, there was actually extensive planning involved, even though the concept of physics was not known at the time. It is important to remember that all of these principles evolved naturally within the community, even though they were unaware that this was a form of science embodied in their cultural heritage. An ethno-scientific approach to physics education can provide the community with a deeper understanding of the indigenous science of their culture and transform it into a more complete and deeper science.
