One of IUP students/alumni, Matheus Raoul Supriyadi, did a research in the field of Cultural Psychology. The research is titled “The Psychological Aspects within The Yogyakartan Bedhaya: An Exploratory Study on Royal Court Dancers”. Raoul and his supervisor, Satwika Rahapsari, S.Psi, M.A., R-DMT, succeeded to publish their research in a reputable international journal ranked Q1. This is certainly a very remarkable and enormous achievement.
The culture of Yogyakarta is quite distinctive and unique which is capable of connecting with moral and spiritual components. In Yogyakarta, dance performances have a special stance in the royal arts. Nowadays, the society is able to watch and enjoy dance performances, including court dances regardless of their social status. Yet, several genres of dance performances are still considered sacred. One of the genres is the Bedhaya. The research mainly tells us about their exploration of Bedhaya dancers in the Yogyakarta royal court from a cultural psychology perspective to ultimately identify what psychological aspects are involved in the formation of their experiences. The aim of this study is to explore and examine the impression of dancers throughout the process of learning and performing the Bedhaya. After being exposed to various information and knowledge about the Bedhaya, they also want to identify the psychological aspects that can be acquired from the process of art performance. They interviewed several Bedhaya dancers from various generations to collect the data. From this research, they are able to generate five themes of the essence of Bedhaya dancers’ experience.
This study highlights the importance of our local culture that some people may not know. The psychological aspects are included within the movements of the dance, especially on how the dancers deliver the performance towards the audiences. The synergy of the dancers can reflect on various aspects including their social awareness, self-control, and confidence. Through this exploration, it gives us insight about Bedhaya dancers, not only from their performances but also their whole process and experiences of becoming Bedhaya dancers. By understanding the experience of Bedhaya dancers, we are able to see the cultural and spiritual aspects of our local culture. It also uncovered the local values that are embedded within Yogyakartan dance. As a reflective note, it is hoped that this research could be beneficial as a starting point for the study of indigenous psychology, which emphasizes the rich world of Yogyakartan dance traditions.
Source:
Supriyadi, M. R., & Rahapsari, S. (2022). The psychological aspects within the
Yogyakartan Bedhaya: An exploratory study on royal court dancers. Culture & Psychology, 0(0), 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067×221147684