Holiday Ayo - Gambir Anom Dance is Indonesian traditional dance that originates from Surakarta City, Central Java Province. It is a classic dance that has existed since the era of Islamic Mataram Kingdom.

Gambir Anom Dance tells the story of Irawan, one of the sons of Arjuna in the story of Mahabharata. He joined the battle at the side of Pandawa during the Kurukshetra war.

As cited from Kompas.com, Gambir Anom Dance describes Irawan when he was falling in love. It can be seen from the movements of the dance.

Gambir Anom Dance is usually performed by male dancers, who dance with graceful, elegant movements that are usually done by female dancers. There are some pantomime movements in this dance, from confused expression, loving expression, movements of dressing up, and many others. There are a lot of complex hands and feet movements.

As cited from Tribunnewswiki.com, there are various types of movement in Gambir Anom Dance. Jengkeng is a sitting position with the left leg being opened as wide as the shoulder. Sembahan is a movement that conveys a greeting to the audience. Menthang is a movement in which you stretch out your hands to the side.

Ulap-ulap is moving your fingers on top of your head. Kebyok is a movement of throwing the dancing shawl around so it is wrapped around one’s arm. Debeg is a movement of tapping one’s feet. Srisig is a small running while on tiptoe.

As time goes by, Gambir Anom Dance is also performed by female dancers today. It is usually performed in Keraton to welcome an important guest, or during other important events. Other than as a form of entertainment, this dance is also a message or advice for a man in love.

The costumes for Gambir Anom Dance are pretty much similar to the costumes for any dance that tells the story from wayang puppet theater. They wear black clothes, crowns or headpieces, shawls that are wrapped around the waist, and other accessories such as necklaces and bracelets.