TIM stages operatic Javanese dance drama 'Dewabrata'<\/p>\n
By Sal Murgiyanto<\/p>\n
TAIPEI (JP): Jakarta dance-goers are in for a real treat.
\nHighly respected Javanese choreographer Retno Maruti will present
\nher latest composition Dewabrata, an operatic Javanese dance
\ndrama, at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), on
\nJune 28 and 29.<\/p>\n
Maruti is famous for her thoughtful, finely detailed and
\nelegant works. A faculty member of the Jakarta Institute for the
\nArts, she is not only skilled in dance but also in Javanese
\nsinging. This is the reason for her molding the dance drama in
\nthe Javanese operatic form langendriyan of the lesser court of
\nMangkunagaran, Surakarta.<\/p>\n
Daughter of a shadow puppeteer, Maruti learned from her father
\nnot only various episodes of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but
\nalso to creatively reinterpret and recreate literary works into a
\ndance form. She believes a choreographer should create a work to
\nentertain and send a message. Maruti is aware that her Jakarta
\naudience is composed of traditional and modern Javanese, as well
\nas non-Javanese.<\/p>\n
\"I must not just repeat traditional Javanese values and norms,
\nwhich are often criticized as feudalistic, colonial, elitist and
\nlimited to Javanese, but send a message relevant to the
\nmulticultural Indonesian and to myself,\" she says.<\/p>\n
In 1994 for the Indonesian Dance Festival in Jakarta, Maruti
\nchoreographed The Death of Abimanyu, an episode of the
\nBharatayudha using two groups of Bedoyo dancers (a total of 18
\nwomen) and classical Javanese singing and musical compositions.
\nMaruti molded the tragic story into a non-narrative, lyrical
\nchoreography. In the 45-minute work Maruti maintained the
\ncontemplative calmness of the Bedoyo.<\/p>\n
In her earlier work, Ciptoning, Maruti reinterpreted the
\npopular wayang lakon Arjuna Wiwaha to speak up on women's
\nemancipation. Traditionally, the focus of this play is Arjuna,
\nthe handsome hero of the Pandhava. The God Guru, Shiva, disturbed
\nArjuna's deep meditation to ask for his assistance to kill the
\nogre king Niwatakawaca, who threatened to destroy the abode of
\ngods if his wish to marry the nymph Supraba was rejected. With
\nSupraba's help, Arjuna heroically completed the task. As the
\nprize, Arjuna was then wedded to the nymph and crowned as the
\nking of males, if only briefly.<\/p>\n
In Ciptoning, Maruti added a scene in which Subadra, Arjuna's
\nwife, comes during Arjuna's meditation. In a very delicate voice,
\nshe reprimands Arjuna for irresponsibility for leaving her with
\ntheir newborn son Abimanyu, and not informing her when he would
\nreturn. There was another intriguing scene. Arjuna killed
\nNiwatakawaca with a magic arrow given by the God Indra.<\/p>\n
In her choreography, Maruti did not use the customary arrow,
\ninstead employing Supraba as a human arrow. This symbol argues
\nthat not men alone, but women too could accomplish an important
\ntask.<\/p>\n
Unlike Ciptoning's use of prosaic dialog, Dewabrata employs
\nsung lyrics, which Maruti wrote herself for the four acts.<\/p>\n
Story<\/p>\n
Dewabrata is another name of the sage Bisma -- son of Santanu
\nfrom the Goddess of Ganges -- while he was crown prince of
\nAstina.<\/p>\n
The complicated story begins when young Dewabrata is sent by
\nhis father to ask Princess Durgandini's hand as his father's
\nbride. The princess is willing only if Dewabrata makes a promise
\nthat in the future her son, not Dewabrata, will be king of
\nAstina. Paying deep respects to his beloved father, Dewabrata
\nagrees to the princess' wish. But the princess pushes him
\nfurther. \"Son, you have given your agreement. But what about your
\nfuture wife?\" Deeply perplexed and humiliated, Dewabrata
\ndetermines to leave the palace, live as a sage and practice
\ncelibacy.<\/p>\n
In acts two and three, there are other daunting tests for the
\nmore mature, handsome, skillful and enlightened Dewabrata. He is
\nsent by his father to search for brides for his two adult half-
\nbrothers. He goes to the kingdom of Kasi to participate in a
\ndueling contest for three beautiful princesses of Kasi named
\nAmba, Ambika and Ambalika. Dewabrata accomplishes the task.<\/p>\n
He then tells the three princesses that they will marry his
\ntwo half-brothers, future rulers of Astina, instead of himself.
\nAmba and Ambalika gladly obey. But the more mature and dignified
\nAmba is upset.<\/p>\n
In Amba's reasoning, Dewabrata has broken his promise to marry
\nthe three princesses if he won the competition. After all, if he
\nis celibate, why did he enter the highly competitive contest? She
\nscolds the handsome prince for being selfish, and tells him about
\nher own vow to marry and serve the man who won the competition,
\nirrespective whether he was a prince, priest or farmer.<\/p>\n
\"I am member of a high respected clan, and like you Lord, I
\ntoo have to keep my promise,\" she tells him. \"I am deeply
\nhumiliated that after putting your life in that competition, you
\ntrash my words and my body to somebody I don't love nor even
\nknow.\"<\/p>\n
Dewabrata trembles and speaks to himself. \"It is easier to
\nfight the two ogres in the competition than arguing with this
\nbeautiful, brilliant, and faithful young princess.\" But no words
\ncome out from his mouth. Instinctively, his hands grabs his bow
\nand arrow. When he manages to overcome half of his reasoning, he
\nfrightens the princess with his arrow, and says \"Woman, you
\nfollow my order or you will die\". To his surprise, Amba isn't
\ndeterred and calmly answers, \"My Lord, to a member of the Kasi
\nclan, death is the other side of life. If I fail to keep my
\npromise in the present life, then I would rather die and
\ncompensate in my next life!\"<\/p>\n
Dewabrata freezes as he loses his dignity, pride and control
\nof his arrow, which darts and kills the woman. \"My Lord, we are
\nvictims of our own words,\" she says. \"Still, I'll keep my
\npromise. When the time comes, in the grand battle between your
\nsplit clan, I will come to meet you as your wedded one!\"<\/p>\n
The final act depicts the grand battle between Kaurava and
\nPandhava, the two feuding brothers of the Bharata clan. Dewabrata
\nis now old and better known as the sage Bisma. Thousands from
\nboth sides have been killed, not only soldiers but also civilians
\nwho do not understand why so many lives have been sacrificed.
\nHoping to reunite the fighting minor clans, Dewabrata comes to
\nthe battlefield on Kaurava's side.<\/p>\n
His blood boils as he sees thousands of wounded soldiers, and
\nmemories of his youth as a highly skilled warrior return. He
\nraises his club and wields it like a fan, killing those who dare
\nto get close. Prince Seta and his two brothers, Pandhava's chief
\nwarriors, are killed. In great distress, the troops withdraw from
\nthe battle field to search for advice from Krishna.<\/p>\n
To everybody's surprise, Krishna orders Srikandhi, Arjuna's
\nwarrior wife, to lead Pandhava's armies. Meeting her uncle Bisma
\nin the battlefield, Srikandhi pays her respects. \"Dear uncle, I
\nam not your match in this battle,\" she says humbly. But if I have
\nto die for my land and my people this is my dharma as a warrior.
\nThis also a way to express my deep love and respect to my husband
\nArjuna.\"<\/p>\n
Bisma is stunned. \"This is the voice I have been waiting to
\nhear for years.\" In a flashback, he sees Amba in Srikandhi and he
\nrealizes that his time has come.<\/p>\n
Acts two and four are prepared by Sentot Sudiharto, Maruti's
\nhusband, and dancers S. Trisapto and Djoko S.S. The show also
\ninvolves two guest artists from Surakarta, Wahyu Sentosa, a
\ndancer whose voice is more than convincing, and B. Subono, the
\ncomposer of some of the music for the work.<\/p>\n
Dr. Sal Murgiyanto is Dean of the Department of Performing
\nArts, Jakarta Institute for the Arts. He is currently a visiting
\nlecturer in the graduate program of the Dance Department,
\nNational Institute of the Arts, Taipei.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tim-stages-operatic-javanese-dance-drama-dewabrata-1447893297",
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