Didik Nini Thowok blends different cultures on stage<\/p>\n
Israr Ardiansyah, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Blending elements of Javanese and Japanese culture in dance
\nmay seem almost inconceivable, but noted dancer Didik Nini Thowok
\nhas succeeded in creating a synergy between the two.<\/p>\n
Titled Kala Kina Kini, which in Javanese means \"from past to
\npresent\", the show by the Didik Nini Thowok Foundation held on
\nMonday evening at Purna Budaya Art Center in Yogyakarta drew an
\nenthusiastic audience.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of tickets at prices ranging from Rp 15,000 (US$1.3)
\nto Rp 50,000 were sold out. The audience gave a standing ovation
\nafter watching four separate compositions in the 90-minute show.<\/p>\n
Five female dancers in contemporary costumes performed the
\nKipas dance. Resembling the Japanese traditional dance Nihon
\nBuyo, the dancers waved ogi (Japanese traditional fans) to
\nillustrate the different seasons in Japan. The Javanese elements
\nin the dance were the musical accompaniment and batik dress worn
\nas a kimono by performer Richard Emmert.<\/p>\n
For the show, Didik developed one of his trademark comedy
\ndances Dwimuka (Two Faces) -- where he usually dances with two
\nmasks: one on his face and the other on the other side -- into
\nPanca-Muka (Five Faces). Here, he transformed into five different
\nwomen in only minutes.<\/p>\n
The only comical dance in the show prompted the silent
\naudience to burst into laughter when he ended the dance piece by
\nyelling out \"Yuk ... mang! (Come on ... mang)\" before leaving the
\nstage in his loosely fitting costume. The scene parodied RCTI's
\npopular Saturday midnight program Angin Malam (Night Breeze)
\nfeaturing mysterious alluring dancer Putri Malam (Lady of the
\nNight).<\/p>\n
The peak of the performance was Bedhaya-Hagoromo, a medley of
\ntraditional Javanese palace dances Bedhaya and popular Japanese
\nplays of the classical mask drama Noh repertory: Hagoromo.<\/p>\n
Hagoromo, meaning feathered robe, tells of an angel who comes
\ndown to earth to bathe and a fisherman who steals her robe. She
\nbegs him to return her robe. He finally returns the robe, on one
\ncondition: she has to dance for him.<\/p>\n
The Bedhaya dance, which was performed by nine males as female
\nimpersonators, merged into Hagoromo when the nine suddenly turned
\ntheir backs to don Japanese masks. The traditional Javanese music
\nharmonized with Japanese vocals sung by Richard Emmert.<\/p>\n
Didik performed the dance as an angel who flew back to heaven
\nwith the chorus describing how she flew over the pine woods of
\nMio, the peaks of Mount Fuji before fading away into the clouds.<\/p>\n
Richard Emmert, an American who has been living in Japan for
\n31 years and is one of the country's most respected Noh drama
\nartists could not disguise his satisfaction.<\/p>\n
\"It's an interesting challenge to mix the Javanese Bedhaya
\nwith the Japanese Noh since they have a different energy. I'm
\nvery happy with the success of Didik's performance,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"He has been popular as a dancer performing comic
\ncharacterizations but it (the performance) has shown that he's a
\ngood and serious dancer too. I'm proud to have a student named
\nDidik Nini Thowok,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Didik learned Noh drama from experts in Japan, including
\nEmmert, during a Japan Foundation fellowship program he joined
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, renowned ethnomusicologist Alex Dea, who supported
\nthe show, said that his biggest challenge was to provide a smooth
\nand harmonious melody for the performance. \"The challenge is: how
\nto give a suitable accompaniment for this show,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Vincent Lelay, one of the International Mask Festival's
\ncommittee, said Didik had made a huge contribution to the
\npromotion of Indonesian traditional masks through his
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
\"It's a pity only a few sponsors wanted to participate in this
\ncultural event,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kala Kina Kini has proven that Didik Nini Thowok, born as
\nDidik Hadiprayitno, could be a serious dancer.<\/p>\n
Jakartans would have been the first to watch the show if the
\nscheduled performance in October was not canceled due to security
\nreasons. They will have to wait until March next year to watch
\nthe harmonious blend of Javanese and Japanese culture on stage.<\/p>",
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