Javanese Traditional Dance:

The Javanese dance performance is really extravagant and beautiful art show of high class quality. The beautiful dance, the elegant performers, the colorful dresses, the magical gamelan music, the pendopo stage create a perfect combination of uncomparable art performance. The dance movements of Mataram Kingdom I in the 8^th to 10^th century, might be the same as the ones carved on the Borobudur and Prambanan temples.
For those who understand the philosophical meaning of the dance, it should easily feel the boundary of mystical Javanese life

As told in the article of Wayang Wong or Orang, the Javanese traditional dance or Wayang Wong has been flourished during the reign of King Airlangga & King Hayam Wuruk of Majapahit Kingdom. The topic was about the Jenggala Kingdom. The traditional dance which actually has been introduced in the seven or eight century of Mataram Kingdom I, was mainly purposed for ritual ceremonies. Latter on, it developed also as a dance for a show and entertainment.
 
Since this early period the dance had been devided to be: court and people’s dance. A traditional dance was performed among other to mark the transfer of a certain area by a King to certain influential man, as a gift by the king to appreciate his good services. As a result thereof, this area became "Daerah Perdikan" was freed from tax payment. It could be traced that the dancers or the dance group received some pieces of gold as their reward. There were also professional dancers, men and women alike to entertain the public.
The traditional dance which later on adapted the stories of Ramayana and Mahabaratha visualized the character of human beings, reflected in the movement, gamelan accompaniment, dresses, accessories, make up, the stage etc.
Classical Court Dance

The famous court dances which are available up to present date are Bedoyo and Srimpi.

Bedoyo is sacred court dance performed by nine girls-dancers. All the performers must be in the holy state, physically and souly, this is a mythological dance depicting the meeting between Panembahan Senopati, the first ruler of the Mataram Kingdom II with Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, the powerful and beautiful goddess-the Queen of South Sea. The gamelan accompaniment reflecting the voices of sea wind and other natural voices.

For those who has learned in depth mysticism, during the dance performance, a tenth "invisible" dancer appears. It is said that she is a very beautiful princess, dancing impressively elegant. Some said that Bedoyo dance is sacred, as it is symbolizing a meditator’s highest achievement during samedi (medititation) by closing 9 human orifices & deflating all bad desires. 

Srimpi

This dance is also a sacred dance performed by four girls-dancers. Sri means a king or queen, Impi means desire, wish. The wish to live in honor and peace. The Srimpi dance originally performed in the Pendopo (open hall) of Javanese mansion with four main pillars in the middle. It is believed when Srimpi dance is performed correctly, it should give magical power. The dance has a very soft movement depicting a good moral behavior. The dancers have the same dresses and make up, wish that people not to be jealous one to another. The life of mankind should be in accordance with the nature consisting of fire, water, wind and soil. 

Petilan
This dance describing a part of a story e.g the fight between two warriors e.g Srikandi against Larasati. In the Petilan dance it could describe a fight between two warriors or movements of adoration between two lovers. In fact the movements are almost the same, only the topic is different. Probably the movement in love or in a fight, sometimes is slow and the other times flares up. (source: Joglosemar)

Bedhaya

The bedhaya (also written as bedoyo, beḍaya, and various other transliterations) is a sacred ritualized dance of Java, Indonesia, associated with the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Along with the serimpi, the bedhaya epitomized the elegant (alus) character of the royal court, and the dance became an important symbol of the ruler's power.

The bedhaya has different forms in the two court cities, the bedhaya Ketawang in Surakarta (Solo), and the bedhaya Semang in Yogyakarta, the latter of which is no longer performed. The Solonese dance continues to be performed once per year, on the second day of the Javanese month of Ruwah (during May in the Gregorian calendar), to commemorate the ascension of the current Susuhunan (prince) of Surakarta. Nine females, relatives or wives of the Susuhunan, perform the dance before a private audience. An invitation to anyone outside of the inner circle of the court is a considerable honor.

 

Bedhaya History

 

Some kind of female dance known as bedhaya existed on Java at least as early as the Majapahit Empire. Indeed, some of the steps of the modern dance are said to be as old as the third century. However, the modern form is traditionally dated to the court of Sultan Agung of Mataram (reigned 1613–1645). Unfortunately there is almost no historical evidence to back up the claims made about the advances in the arts in Sultan Agung's courts, and the existence of the dance is not clearly documented until the late 18th century.


There are many myths which explain the origin of the dance, which generally have either an account of a meeting with an Indic deity (Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, or the Buddha), or the meeting of Kangjeng Ratu Kidul, the Goddess of the South Sea, meeting with a founder of the Mataram dynasty, either Sultan Ageng or his grandfather, Senapati. In the former, the nine dancers were the creation of a deity, who were brought to life, and offered the dance to their maker in gratitude. In the latter, the dance was created when Kangjeng Ratu Kidul fell in love with the sultan, and danced the bedhaya for him; the nine dancers in the modern dance represent the spirit of the goddess.

 

Since the decline in the power of the royal courts, other, more accessible forms of bedhaya have become popular, not as religious ritual, but as artistic performance. These do not require the royal presence, and may be performed on stage for an admission fee. They frequently recount stories used in wayang. (Wikipedia)