Ancient `Gambuh' dance revives in modern Bali

By Kunang Helmi-Picard

PARIS, France (JP): "...there will come a moment, during a temple feast or a cremation, of which ...gamboeh is a recognized accessory, when one will become aware of a strange wailing of flutes and rebab, the clash of cymbals and clamor of strident voices rising above the gay contention of several gamelans and the tinkle of the pedanda's bell...

"...in a palm-covered space a little removed from the procession of holy images and offerings one will find a thin fringe of audience gathered round a number of bearded and moustached personages in flower-laden crowns above flowing locks, exuberantly gesticulating."

Judging from this eloquent quotation from Dance and Drama in Bali, when Beryl de Zoete and Walter Spies compiled the seminal work in 1938, the Gambuh dance was valued for having retained the purity of its archaic form despite its obvious decline in importance.

Indeed experts compare its historical and aesthetical role to that of Noh in Japan and Kathakali in India.

However, modernization is now threatening this unique dance and theater form with obsolescence.

Several weeks ago the Indonesian weekly Tempo focused on the overwhelming problems experienced by dedicated Topeng Cirebon mask dancers in their efforts to keep the West Javanese dance tradition alive amidst crushing financial difficulties and the evident disinterest of contemporary society.

Fortunately for enthusiasts of Gambuh, considered to be the source of all dance forms on Bali, the ethnomusicologist Alan Feinstein, representing the Ford Foundation, agreed last year to a three-year grant with the explicit aim of reviving this ancient tradition.

The long and complicated formulation of the project was carried out largely through the unfailing dedication of Cristina Formaggia, an Italian dancer who has studied the Gambuh is under I Made Djimat for over ten years in Batuan.

Under the auspices of the Yayasan Wianta, a working committee of experts and artists was set up including Ni Alit Arini, Ni Nyoman Candri, Made Bandem and A.A. Djelantik.

The committee focused on efforts to train young successors to the aging dancers and musicians while documenting any knowledge of this unique theater form.

The Gambuh project, based in the pura desa adat or village temple of Batuan will be celebrating its first anniversary in three months.

At the official presentation to the Governor of Bali in Batuan on a full moon-lit night last December, committee member Formaggia reminded the audience of the importance of this form of total theater, not only for Bali, but also for the international theater world.

The project, she said, focuses "on refreshing the interest of the younger generation,"..."making them realize that the intrinsic value of the Gambuh represents the pinnacle of dance and voice technique."

Costumes, increasingly expensive, are provided for among other associated costs.

Apart from regular rehearsals under the supervision of local artists, including the consummate interpreter of this most exacting of dance theater forms, I Made Djimat, the Faculty of Literature of the Udayana University, the Academy of Dance of Denpasar and the Institute of Hindu Studies have been entrusted with the dual purpose of collecting data on Gambuh and providing students with the fruits of their practice and research.

The Australian scholar Adrian Vickers is contributing his expertise on the subject.

Roots

Though Gambuh is known to have existed for four centuries, experts estimate that its roots lie in the pre-Islamic kingdoms of Java.

After the invasion of Bali by the Javanese warriors of the Majapahit Empire in 1343, the cream of Javanese court culture mingled with Balinese village culture producing this dramatic form of dance relating the dynastical struggles of the Singasari, Daha and Kahuripan kingdoms of East Java.

Up until its apogee in the late 19th century, and early in this century, the troupes were all male, pre-adolescent boys playing the female roles.

Principally inspired by themes from the Malat, an old Javanese romance-cycle, the narrative revolves around the life and deeds of the mythical hero, Prince Panji, whose quest for union with the eternal feminine represents the mythical union of male and female, a recasting of the ancient sun and moon principle found elsewhere in Asia.

After the instrumental overture by the gamelan gambuh followed by the pure, and strikingly energetic, dance of the Condong (maid) of the Putri (princess), Panji's formal quest begins where dance is mingled with pantomime and dialog sung in a stylized manner.

The movement and song of the refined and "sweet" characters contrasts with that of the coarse and strong ones.

The comic routines performed by the pair of Panji's ministers and his servant Semar, together with the battle scenes, provide the only counterpoint to the serious narrative plot.

Instant

Semar also enables the audience to understand the plot by translating for the antagonists.

The highly refined style of this ritual dance coupled with its generally slow narrative and stately choreographic rhythm is now being threatened by the demands of "instant packaging" and excessive abbreviation.

Although there are four main styles of Gambuh in Bali - Batuan Pedungan, Padang Aji and Anturan, it is mostly performed by troupes from Batuan.

Besides encouraging performances to continue within the framework of religious ceremonies, the organizers of the project also want to establish paying performances for foreigners on the night of each full moon, in order to introduce them to the classic Balinese repertoire.

The Gambuh project's troupe in Batuan is now stepping up preparations to present their offering to the Gods of the fable island during this week's Balinese Hindu celebrations, Galungan and Kuningan.