Gandrung

The Gandrung Dance is a traditional dance originating from Banyuwangi. The word “gandrung” refers to the fascination of the agrarian community of Blambangan (Banyuwangi) with Dewi Sri, the Rice Goddess who brings prosperity to the people.

Originally, the Gandrung Dance was performed as a ritual offering to Dewi Sri, serving as an expression of gratitude during harvest time. Over time, the Gandrung Dance is now frequently performed for weddings, sea offering ceremonies (petik laut), circumcisions, Indonesian Independence Day, and various other official and unofficial events.

In performance, this dance is accompanied by traditional music known as Gamelan Osing and is performed as a pair between a female dancer (gandrung dancer) and a male partner (pemaju), known as “Paju Gandrung”.