Ramayana ballet show goes on before tiny audiences<\/p>\n
Text and photos by Lucia Idayanie<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Despite the fire burning in his body, he does
\nnot step back. Hanoman, the sacred white monkey, is undaunted as
\nhe courageously fights his enemy.<\/p>\n
Thus ends the second act of the Ramayana Ballet, which is
\nregularly staged at the open theater of the Prambanan Temple,
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The Ramayana ballet is presented alternately in the Yogyakarta
\nand Surakarta dance styles by the five dance troupes of Cahyo
\nGumelar, Wisan Murti, Sekarpuri, Goa Wijaya and the Rorojonggrang
\nFoundation led by Yogyakarta Governor Sri Paku Alam VIII.<\/p>\n
The two-hour ballet comprises four episodes and is a colossal
\nwork. The first act relates the disappearance of Shinta, the wife
\nof Rama, who is kidnapped by the giant Rahwana. Rama's bird,
\nJatayu, tries to foil the kidnapping but is killed by Rahwana. In
\nthe second episode, Rama sends Hanoman to find Shinta.<\/p>\n
The third narrates the death of Kumbakarna, Rahwana's younger
\nbrother who is at Shinta's side. In the last episode Shinta burns
\nherself in the sacred fire to prove that she is pure. She feels
\ncompelled to do so after Rama suspects she has given herself to
\nRahwana.<\/p>\n
The lively presentation of the Ramayana ballet is further
\nenhanced by a computerized lighting arrangement against the
\nbackdrop of the grandiose Prambanan Temple.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, very few of the 1,000 seats are filled during
\nmost performances. \"Last May only 20 to 30 percent of the seats
\nwere occupied, mainly by foreign tourists,\" said Billy, marketing
\nstaff of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko.
\nTicket prices seem to have been attuned to foreign visitors,
\nranging Rp 35,000, Rp 25,000 and Rp 20,000, to Rp 15,000, Rp
\n10,000 and Rp 7,500. These are rather costly for domestic
\ntourists. Students pay a special price of Rp 4,000 each if they
\ncome in a group of at least 30 members.<\/p>\n
Performances in the open arena were formerly scheduled only
\nfor dates of the full moon. The Rorojonggrang Foundation, which
\nis in charge of the Ramayana ballet, has now introduced daily
\nshows for the tourist season from May to October. The open arena
\noffers the complete ballet, while the closed arena presents
\ndifferent acts only. Each of the four episodes are shown on
\nFriday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening from 7:30 p.m. to
\n9:30 p.m. Full presentations take place on other days, said
\nBilly.<\/p>\n
The small number of visitors is a cause of worry and last year
\nthe situation was even worse. \"Revenues were barely enough to
\ncover production costs,\" Billy said. \"We often had to provide
\nadditional money. With the new schedule of more frequent shows we
\nhope to increase the number of visitors. Another main objective
\nis to extend the stay of foreign tourists.\"<\/p>\n
The Rorojonggrang Foundation has tried to promote the ballet
\nby providing roundtrip transportation for just Rp 2,500 from
\nYogyakarta to Prambanan, a distance of 15 kms each way. \"It is
\nour endeavor to give some facility to visitors needing transport,
\nespecially foreign tourists who do not travel in group,\" said
\nBilly.<\/p>\n
The organizers once kept ticket boxes in several hotels in
\nYogyakarta, but the system did not work. Now, tickets are only
\nsold by travel agencies and at the ticket windows just before the
\nshow.<\/p>\n
Billy says one reason for the lack of spectators is that
\nnearly all hotels organize Ramayana dances, albeit in short
\nduration, during dinner hours.<\/p>\n
Hobby<\/p>\n
The dancers of the five dance groups are only pursuing their
\nhobby so the poor ticket receipts do not affect them financially.<\/p>\n
This was confirmed by Suyadi, 61, leader of the Sekarpuri
\ndance group and also chief of government affairs at Taman Martani
\nvillage, Kalasan, Yogyakarta. It is of interest to know that this
\ngroup also gets earnings from extra performances outside their
\nroutine stage work. Their fee for a performance on the open stage
\nis Rp 7.5 million. A performance in the closed theater costs Rp
\n2.5 million.<\/p>\n
The dancers are aged between 25 and 50 years. They all have
\nmain jobs, some as dance instructors, elementary school teachers,
\nstudents, civil servants, lecturers and housewives. Many of their
\nchildren fill the roles of small monkeys and Shinta courtiers.<\/p>\n
Tukiman, 43, who has one of the leading roles in Ramayana, has
\nfour children who participate in the ballet. This elementary
\nschool teacher of Manisrenggo, Klaten, Central Java, joined the
\nRamayana ballet troupe in 1962. He started filling the role of a
\nmonkey, later he became a giant and now dances the role of
\nJatayu, the bird who is killed by Rahwana after trying to free
\nShinta.<\/p>\n
Tukiman's son, Benjamin, 10, has followed in his father's
\nfootsteps and plays the role of a small monkey. \"I dance not in
\nsearch of money,\" Tukiman said.<\/p>\n
Tukiman sees his fee as extra income. His children save the
\nmoney to meet expenses for school. \"They never ask for money from
\nme anymore,\" said Tukiman, who added that he has danced with 10
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Timbul Haryono, who holds a Ph.D. in archeology and is a
\nlecturer at Gadjah Mada University, is also active in the
\nRamayana ballet. \"Once I was also a dancer, but now in the
\nSekarpuri group I am an emcee and a gamelan player,\" said Timbul
\nwho teaches at the School of Letters and Culture at the
\nuniversity. He joined the Ramayana ballet in 1981. His dance
\nlegacy looks to continue as his two children are now members of
\nthe group.<\/p>",
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