Getting To Know The Indonesian Oriental Circes: History And Its Golden Age

YOGYAKARTA - Are you one of those who knows the Indonesian Oriental Circes that have appeared since the 1960s in Indonesia? Lately, the public is busy talking about the Oriental Circuit Indonesia (OCI) circus regarding the demands of its former workers. Reporting from Antara, a former OCI worker demanded exploitation during his tenure. This was further denied by the Indonesian Safari Park as the party with the same scope of ownership.

This legendary circus group was once part of filling the Indonesian entertainment stage for more than half a century. The name Oriental Circes Indonesia is indeed familiar to the 1980s to 2000s. In its golden age, OCI became the spectacle that people had been waiting for from Sabang to Maluku. With a crew of 70 people, this group travels around at least 15 cities every year.

In each show, no less than 1,500 spectators were present to witness acrobatic attractions,malos, to tense actions from tigers and elephants.

However, that glory slowly fades over time. The official SCI screen falls at the end of 2019. Not only because of the progress of the times and changes in entertainment trends, but also because of ethical pressures, higher operational costs, and recent sad recognition of the former players.

Prior to the 1960s, Hadi Manansang, a street artist who is also a traditional medicine activist, exhibited a simple circus in the form of a flip-over attraction, trident throw, and an act of sticking iron into his chest. He started a dream to form a performance that was bigger than the streets of cities such as Jakarta, Bogor, to Kediri. Then in 1963, Hadi founded the group Bintang Akrobat and Plastic Girls. Three years later, an ORiental Show was officially born into the Indonesian Circes in 1972. The name of the Indonesian Oriental Circes was also known to the public as the pioneer of modern circus shows in Indonesia.

The ORiental Circuit Indonesia stage presents many things: magic, flying trap, juggling, and wild animal attractions. In the 1990s, Indonesian Oriental Circuits even filled the stage abroad 'China, UK, United States. These times became their golden decade. However, since the 2010s, the name OCI has become increasingly rare.

They still appear to fill sporadic performances in cities such as Medan, Surabaya, Solo, and even Pangkal Pinang. However, it was no longer as grand as before that the theme of the show shifted. One of their last efforts, "Hanoman The Dreamer" in North Jakarta in 2016, collaborated with players from Europe.

As times change, many things change. The demands for stopping animal exploitation in performances are getting stronger. On the other hand, the cost of producing OCI is increasingly out of reach. According to the OCI Supervisor, Ing Cuan, the operation of one show can cost hundreds of millions of rupiah. However, tickets are no longer able to cover these costs. In addition, the pressure from animal observer organizations is also one of the factors that makes OCI dim.

Animal demonstrations in circuses are slowly considered unethical. Public and legal pressure makes circus groups have to change or go out of business," said Marison Guciano, director of the Scorpion Wildlife Monitoring Group.

Such are the reviews for getting to know the Indonesian Oriental Circes, the circus that was once victorious and got the stage at that time. Visit VOI.id to get more interesting information.