Remembering glorious 'Dongeng Dari Dirah'<\/p>\n
By Gotot Prakosa<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Exactly 26 years ago choreographer Sardono W.
\nKusumo's dance drama Dongeng Dari Dirah (A Tale from Dirah) was
\nperformed for the first time. The debut was so successful that it
\nwas later performed in many places in Europe.<\/p>\n
This year, between Nov. 16 and Nov. 26, those who took part in
\nthis successful performance gather at Taman Ismail Marzuki arts
\ncenter in Central Jakarta for a series of activities, ranging
\nfrom a fine art exhibition, dance and musical performances as
\nwell as film screening.<\/p>\n
Some dancers from the debut performance of Dongeng Dari Dirah,
\nsuch as Nyoman Pugra, I Pasek Tempo, I Made Grindem and Ida Ayu
\nwho were dance gurus from Bali, have died.<\/p>\n
Children who took part in the premiere of this drama 26 years
\nago are now adults. Two of them, Ketut Rina and Badung, are
\nfamous dancers who often perform abroad. Two others have made a
\nname for themselves on a domestic or international level: Netra,
\nwho is a member of the Peter Brook theatrical group in Europe,
\nand Soegeng, who is also a painter. Others, such as I Wayan
\nSadra, Al Suwardi, Pande Made Sukerta, Sentot Sudiarto, Danarto
\nand Hajar Satoto are quite prominent in music, dancing and fine
\narts circles.<\/p>\n
The reunion of the first cast of Dongeng Dari Dirah will also
\nbe highlighted by the screening of a film adaption of the drama
\nby Robert Chappel.<\/p>\n
In Chappel's hands, the original performance of over two hours
\nhas been put on celluloid and has a duration of 45 minutes. The
\nfilm, set in Bali and in areas around Sukuh Temple and Ceto
\nTemple in Central Java, is as suggestive as the live dance
\nperformance itself.<\/p>\n
The film begins with Dirah villagers working in the rice
\nfields. Then a dance instructor says: \"Two forces, good and evil,
\nwill always coexist. Sometimes they collaborate and at other
\ntimes they fight each other. Eternity, however, supersedes good
\nand evil just like the eternal water that comes into being when
\nthese two forces are in balance.\" This prologue marks the
\nbeginning of the Cak dance with its mantras and seemingly magical
\nchants.<\/p>\n
When night comes, the evil Dirah widow appears accompanied by
\ndevils who killed village guards attempting to drive them away.
\nThe whole village becomes quiet as everybody, young and old,
\nrushes home. And then the Dirah widow threatens to destroy the
\nwhole village.<\/p>\n
When a new day arrives, the evil power is gone. Those left
\nbehind are the devil dancers and the witch dancer, groaning and
\ncrying in spasms. Some are fast asleep. However, the whole
\nvillage is still quiet. Doors and windows are shut fast.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in the house of the Dirah widow, her daughter is
\nrestless. Despite her extraordinary beauty, she cannot get a
\nboyfriend. No young man dares to befriend her because her mother
\nis a witch. When the girl cries and tells her mother she can no
\nlonger stand being lonely, the Dirah widow promises to bring her
\na young man.<\/p>\n
She brings a dead young man back to life and asks him to dance
\nto her house. The live corpse dances and starts to seduce the
\ngirl, but when the corpse is at the point of consummating his
\ndesire, the girl becomes disgusted and runs away from the
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
The girl meets the dance instructor and asks him why she has
\nto make love with a live corpse. He tells her that in real life
\ntoo many husbands and wives make love mechanically, as though
\nthey were the living dead. Then the dance instructor asks the
\ngirl to dance and bite him on the chest and shoulders. The two
\nare soon engaged in lovemaking.<\/p>\n
When the evening comes, the Dirah widow sees them and becomes
\nangry. In her rage she gives birth to a baby, which she eats.
\nThen she turns into Rangda, a giant monster, with one intention:
\nto kill all the villagers.<\/p>",
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