Dancing in Cirebonese Topeng

This article examines the Cirebonese topèng tradition, emphasizing the dance component within its ritual and celebratory contexts. It discusses the blurring of boundaries between court and village performers, the role of hereditary artist families, and the adaptive, improvisatory structure of topèng performances. The author also analyzes the diversity of regional styles and the challenges posed by non-standardized terminology in oral transmission, offering insight into how scholarly interest has shaped local conceptualizations of movement, masks, and music.