Sisingaan

Origin 
Sisingaan is a typical artistic Sundanese (West Java) 2-4 dolls featuring a lion that was carried by his players while dancing. Above the lion doll who carried it usually sits a child who will be circumcised, or a community leader. There are several versions about the origins of art that grew among the people of West Java. The first version says that sisingaan been around since the '70s. At that time in West Java platform in collaborative art displayed TMII sisingaan lion or a shape is still simple. And, from appearances in West Java platform that further the arts sisingaan be known by the public until today.
The second version says that sisingaan art created around the year 1840 by the artists who come from areas Ciherang, about 5 km from the town of Subang. At that time, Subang regency had been a "property" of the Dutch and the British by establishing a P & T Lands. This causes as if Subang into double government area, because it is politically controlled by the Dutch, but the economy is under the influence of employers P & T Lands. As a result, the people of Subang become very miserable. Given these circumstances, the arts sisingaan born as a form of popular resistance against the occupiers of both nations. And, to assert that art is a form of resistance sisingaan, then used two stuffed lions are a symbol of the Dutch and the British state. Therefore, to this day in every game sisingaan always displayed at least two lion doll.

In subsequent developments, arts sisingaan not only spread to other areas in Subang regency, but also to other districts in West Java, such as Regency Bandung, Purwakarta and Sumedang. Apart from spreading into some areas, this art is also experiencing growth, both in the form of a lion doll perfection, arrangement of dance, costume players, as well as waditra and songs played.

Players 
The players are generally sisingaan adult males who are members of a group consisting of: 8 people penggotong stuffed lion (1 doll carried by 4 people), a leader of the group, some people waditra players, and one or two people jajangkungan (players who use wood for walking along the 3-4 meters). These players are the ones who have special skills, both in dancing and playing waditra. Specific skills that need to be owned by each player, because in a show that is collective sisingaan need a solid team for all motion dance that is played while carrying a puppet lion can tune with the music played by the nayaga.

Venue and Equipment Gaming 
Sisingaan art is generally shown in the afternoon with around the village when there is circumcision ceremony, welcomed the guests glorious, the village chief's inauguration, independence day celebrations and so forth. The duration of a staging sisingaan usually takes a long time, depending on the area or whether the village will be surrounded.

Equipment used in the game sisingaan are: (1) two or four stretcher lion doll. Frame and stretcher head dolls lions are made of wood and bamboo are wrapped with cloth and given a seat on its back. Meanwhile, for the hairs that exist in the head and tail made of yarn and raffia. For the record, earlier this lion-shaped stretcher made of wood with feathers from the rafters and fireworks are usually made at the time would hold impromptu performances. So, before sisingaan not permanent, but only used once and then discarded, (2) a set waditra consisting of: two large drums (drum drum ovarian and children), a trumpet, three percussion (bonang), a kentrung (kulanter ), a small gong, and a kecrek., and (3) fashion players consisting of: pants shucks / pangsi, iket barangbang semplak, clothing and footwear tarumpah taqwa or salompak.

Performing sisingaan 
Sisingaan show begins with the words of welcome by the group leader. After the group leader gives a speech, then the child will be circumcised or community leaders who will be paraded welcome to climb the lion puppet. Furthermore, the instrument accompaniment sounded with songs of rhythmic dynamic as a sign of the start of the show. Then, a number of players 8 people will begin to carry two dolls lions (one doll carried by 4 people).

After the puppet lion penggotong ready, then the leader will start giving the cue for them to start doing the dance movements in unison and together. The doll was immediately penggotong do acrobatic movements are quite thrilling. Dance movements are usually played by a puppet lion penggotong are: igeul ngayun glempang, plug / horse-riding, mincid, padungdung, gugulingan, bangkaret, put up, kicking two, step back, Kael, ewag, jeblang, depok, Solor , sesenggehan, genying, turn taktak, nanggeuy lions, lift jungjung, ngolecer, symbol, pasagi Tilu, literacy cau, nincak rancatan, and kakapalan.

Meanwhile, the songs played by the interpreter kawih to accompany the dances are usually drawn from the arts Tap Tilu, Doger, and Kliningan, such as: dried, Song, Titipatipa, Gondang, Kasreng, Gurudugan, Mapay Roko, Flower gadung, Kangsring, Flower Beureum, Fruit Kawung, Gondang, Tenggong Petit, Sesenggehan, Badudud, Tunggul Kawing, Side battered, Sireum Beureum, and the song Interlude (Siyur, Tepang Sono, Awet Rajet, Salira Fiber, Honey and Poison, Mr. Wonderful, Goyang Dombret, Warudoyong etc. .)

Performing this sisingaan carried it around the village or villages, until finally returning to its original place. And, with the arrival of the dancers in her place, then the show was over.

Cultural Values 
Art as an expression of the human soul, of course, contains an aesthetic value, including traditional arts sisingaan a grown-developed by the community Ciherang, Subang regency. However, if examined in depth sisingaan contains not only the aesthetic value alone, but there are other values ​​that in turn can be used as reference in daily life for the community of supporters. The values ​​that include teamwork, cohesiveness, order, perseverance dam. The value of cooperation can be seen from the togetherness in preserving the cultural heritage of its predecessors. Value of compactness and order is reflected in a staging that can run smoothly. The value of hard work and diligence is reflected in the mastery of dance movements.