PONOROGO REOG TROUPE CAPTIVATES SPECTATORS IN LEBANON

Jakarta, June 30 (ANTARA) - A traditional Reog troupe from Ponogoro, East Java, captivated the audience when it made its debut during the Beekaa Trade Expo in Ballbeck city, 85 km north of Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday.

The Reog dancers whose performance was combined with magical exercises drew frequent applause during the festival participated in by around 48 art groups, an e-mailed release from the Indonesian embassy in Beirut sent to Antara in Jakarta said on Tuesday.
It was reported that their attraction was also covered by local print media and LBC TV station. The applause was also given at the time the dancers joined the parade.

In addition to Reog performance, the Indonesian stand in the expo also displayed manufactured products, furniture, handicrafts, food products, drinks and textiles.

Indonesian ambassador to Lebanon Bagas Hapsoro said the Indonesian products displayed in the festival were mostly those already marketed in Lebanon.
According to him, Indonesia's participation in the festival constituted a realization of Beelback-Yogyakarta sister city program.

Baalbeck Mayor Bassam Raad last year visited Yogyakarta together with a Baalbeck art team and made their show in that city.

Ponorogo is most well known for the reog mask dance, which is said to have been created by one of the kings of Kediri in the 12th century. The performance reenacts a legendary battle between Pujangga Anom, a minister from the court of Ponorogo, and Singa Barong, guardian spirit of the forest of Lodoyo. The former had aroused the anger of Singa Barong when he stole 150 tigers from the forest, apparently to be offered as a dowry for a princess of Kediri, whom the king of Ponorogo wished to marry.

A typical reog troupe usually consists of the principal character : Singa Barong, wearing an enormous tiger head and peacock feather mask, and his adversary Pujangga Anom. They are accompanied by one or more masked clowns/acrobats, as well as a number of hobby horse dancers, who are said to represent the troops of Pujangga Anom