Analisis Semiotika Roland Barthes Tentang Denotasi, Konotasi, dan Mitos dalam Perjumpaan Tari Putri Jawa (Tari Beksan Telaga Angsa) dengan Unsur Swan Lake

Abstract

Beksan Telaga Angsa blends the aesthetics of classical Javanese dance with choreographic elements of the ballet Swan Lake, yet studies examining how the encounter between these two traditions shapes layers of symbolic meaning remain limited. This study interprets the denotative, connotative, and mythical meanings of the dance using Roland Barthes' semiotics. This descriptive qualitative research gathered data through direct observation of the performance at Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki, in July 2025, and indirect interviews with Bathara Saverigadi Dewandoro, the choreographer and key informant. The data were analyzed following Barthes' two orders of signification, from identifying denotative signs and connotative meanings to constructing myth. Three main findings emerged. First, at the denotative level, the dance presents the figure of a swan through movement, costume, and supporting properties. Second, at the connotative level, the soft, flowing movement quality and predominantly white costumes are interpreted by the researcher as elegance and purity. Third, at the level of myth, the combination of ballet port de bras patterns with the Javanese ngithing hand position is read as a narrative of fidelity and tradition preservation negotiated with Western movement idioms. This study contributes to the semiotic study of performing arts by showing how the cross-cultural reinterpretation of classical dance generates new meanings that connect cultural heritage and modernity.