Dancer Kompiang's great love is teaching<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): I Gusti Kompiang Raka is one of the country's
\nforemost choreographers and musicians. But nothing makes him
\nhappier than passing on his skills to the next generation.<\/p>\n
He loves teaching young people to master and appreciate
\ntraditional dances because "children play crucial roles in
\npreserving our rich traditions. They are capable of naturally
\nabsorbing traditional values faster than older people."<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, most Indonesian children, particularly those
\nliving in big cities, have been widely exposed to mass culture.<\/p>\n
"Don't blame our young people if they adore Western super-
\nheroes or glittering Hollywood stars. It is our own fault because
\nwe rarely introduce them to our rich heritage," he said.<\/p>\n
Enticing urban youths to delve into the world of Indonesian
\ntraditions was really a difficult job for Kompiang.<\/p>\n
Thirty years ago he established a dance group, Saraswati,
\nnamed after the Hindu goddess of wisdom and knowledge, to attract
\nJakarta children to learn Balinese dancing.<\/p>\n
"Only a few children came, but it did not discourage me at
\nall. I felt so lucky to have any pupils in the capital," he said.<\/p>\n
But his enthusiasm soon turned to anxiety. "How could I teach
\nBalinese dances which are closely related to Hindu philosophy to
\nchildren from different cultural and religious backgrounds?"<\/p>\n
Kompiang's dilemma was that the Balinese regard music and
\ndancing as divine creations. Many Balinese dances were originally
\ncomposed for religious purposes. As time went on, however, more
\ndances were performed outside temple rituals.<\/p>\n
"Dances were eventually created just to entertain people and
\nto display dancers' talents," Kompiang said.<\/p>\n
Together with seven colleagues, Kompiang is now intensively
\ntraining more than 200 students registered with the Saraswati
\ndance group.<\/p>\n
"I carefully selected dances outside compositions created for
\nritual needs," he said,<\/p>\n
Like music, he added, dancing requires a certain standard of
\ntechnical perfection. It needs years of special physical training
\nand practice before a student becomes truly accomplished.<\/p>\n
"In Balinese dances, music and body motions become one. An
\nexcellent performer does not depend only on his\/her skill, but
\nalso personality, emotional intensity and the expressiveness of
\nhis features," he said.<\/p>\n
In Bali, a regular dancer may develop into a takshu (master),
\nwhen he\/she reaches the highest level of emotional and religious
\nvigor and personal radiance when performing a dance.<\/p>\n
"Takshu dancers present their shows to their Creator rather
\nthan amusing the audience," Kompiang said,<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, his main objective is to endow his students with
\ntechnical skills which include sequences of each dance, basic
\nsteps and movements and the history and philosophy of each dance.<\/p>\n
Skills<\/p>\n
"Through arts, children can learn self-discipline, social
\nskills, patience and endurance, all of which are important to
\ntheir mental and physical development," he said.<\/p>\n
Like other big cities, Jakarta offers no conducive atmosphere
\nfor artistic teaching, especially for school-age children.<\/p>\n
"We face so many obstacles in attracting young people to learn
\ndance, music, fine arts, and other forms of artistic activity,"
\nsaid Kompiang, a member of the management board of Gedung
\nKesenian Jakarta, the Jakarta Playhouse.<\/p>\n
In the globalization era, children are now required to
\nmaster science and technology. School curricula focus more on
\nthese subjects, while arts ware overlooked, Kompiang said.<\/p>\n
"Most students have to stay at school longer than we used to.
\nAfter school programs are mostly filled with additional classes
\naimed at sharpening their academic skills.<\/p>\n
"With so much school and homework, our children have no time
\nto participate in art and leisure activities," Kompiang said.<\/p>\n
A study by American scholars, however, reveals that art
\nactivities can boost children's academic skills and sharpen their
\nemotional intelligence, qualities urgently needed in their adult
\nlives.<\/p>\n
Childhood<\/p>\n
"I was very fortunate to spend my childhood in a small
\nBalinese village where arts and tradition guided people's lives,"
\nKompiang reminisced.<\/p>\n
Born in Singapadu 48 years ago, little Kompiang learned to
\ndance and play gamelan when he was five years old. He was trained
\nby his father and other famous gamelan and dance masters
\nincluding Made Keretek, father of renowned Balinese artist and
\nscholar I Made Bandem.<\/p>\n
"At that time, I didn't known that they were distinguished
\nartists. I just played the instruments and had fun with other
\nkids," he recalled.<\/p>\n
He grew into a gifted artist and formed a music group.
\nThey performed in villages across the island before he arrived in
\nJakarta in the early l960s.<\/p>\n
"I often spent the night at TIM (Taman Ismail Marzuki arts
\ncenter) or at friends' houses after performing gamelan and
\ndance," he said of his early days in the capital.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, he grabbed all opportunities that came his way. He
\neventually stepped into the world of modern music when he
\ncollaborated with Guruh Sukarnoputra, Keenan Nasution and other
\ncomposers to make an experimental record called Guruh Gypsy which
\ncompounds Western elements with Balinese gamelan.<\/p>\n
Kompiang also forged his own unique traditional music with
\nother genres. In association with contemporary composer Trisutji
\nKamal, whose works are rich in Islamic nuances, Kompiang produced
\ndistinguished sounds.<\/p>\n
Kompiang, Trisutji, Iswargia Sudarno and other musicians are
\nnow widely known on the international music scene. Their concerts
\nare held in prestigious cultural centers in New York, Paris,
\nLondon, Rome, Athens, Cairo and Tokyo, among others.<\/p>\n
His wide musical interests also brought him to collaborate
\nwith rock music. Kompiang helped local rocker Achmad Albar and
\nhis music group Gong 2000 produce an East-meets-West music
\nproject blending traditional and rock elements.<\/p>\n
Jazz musicians from Australia and the United States also
\ninvited Kompiang to a joint concert. His most recent project was
\na religious music recording with teenage pop idol Dewa Budjana.<\/p>\n
"My collaborations with these artists have enriched my life
\nbecause I have an inadequate academic background and experience
\nof modern music."<\/p>\n
Despite his accomplishments, Kompiang prefers to dedicate most
\nof his time to teaching Balinese dance.<\/p>\n
"My greatest satisfaction is gained from seeing my students
\nmaster Balinese dance techniques and watching them perform."<\/p>\n
Jakarta dance lovers can enjoy the fruits of Kompiang's
\ntireless efforts when dozens of his students present Cupu Manik
\nAstigina and other works at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Phone
\n3441892, 3808283) today at 3:30 p.m.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dancer-kompiangs-great-love-is-teaching-1447893297",
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