Arts Council to stage tribal dance performances

Arts Council to stage tribal dance performances

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Residents of Nabire, a remote town on the northern coast of
Papua, just had their lives devastated by earthquakes.

Some of these people, suffering from grief and loss, headed to
Jakarta by sea for the sake of their love of art and culture.

Though mired in devastation, representatives of the regency
did not withdraw from the upcoming Art'Suku, Kencan Budaya
Nusantara (Cultural Rendezvous of the Archipelago).

Thus, it will be a priceless privilege for Jakartans to be
able to watch traditional dance performances by remote tribal
people who braved difficult traveling conditions to present
aspects of their culture.

Lacking the infrastructure to preserve and research their
culture, many original art forms and rituals are believed to be
on the brink of extinction.

This has happened with the Mentawai tribe, which lives in the
Mentawai islands. These include smaller islands like Siberut,
Sipora, North and South Pagai.

The Mentawai people are animists and art -- either dance,
music or literature -- for them is part of their rituals. They
love to dance in a way that teases nature, imitating gestures and
movements that occur in nature.

A riverine tribe, the Dayak Ngaju live along the Barito,
Kapuas, Kahayan, Katingan and Mentaya rivers. The tribe does not
have a literary culture so it has passed on its culture and
traditions orally. Their art and traditions are mostly symbols of
their deep love (and strong dependence) on nature.

Scheduled for Dec. 17 through Dec. 19 -- the first event of
its kind -- Art'Suku will see three tribal groups, from Nabire,
the Mentawai of West Sumatra and the Dayak Ngaju of Central
Kalimantan, performing traditional dances, songs and music.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, celebrated
choreographer Boi G. Sakti of the Jakarta Arts Council said the
groups would present their dances as originally choreographed, as
the organizers had intentionally not changed what they would
perform before a Jakarta audience.

"We don't know what kind of dances they will perform as we are
here to organize their stage and the properties. We expect
original, artistic and beautiful dances from them so people here
will know how rich their culture is," said Boi, who was
accompanied by fellow council executives Ratna Sarumpaet, Maria
Darmaningsih, Ratna Riantiarno and Agus R. Sarjono.

For this year's Art'Suku -- expected to become a biannual
event -- the council could only accommodate three tribal groups
due to limited funds and a tight schedule for its year-end
programs.

"It's sad to say because we know there are more than 300
different ethnic groups with their particular cultures scattered
throughout the archipelago, while we could only invite three of
them," Boi said.

The government recently accomplished the job of organizing Art
Summit Indonesia 2004 in Jakarta, during which contemporary arts
were very much in focus.

The council therefore likened Art'Suku to the summit, saying
there had yet to be a forum for traditional arts and culture to
be showcased.

Ratna Sarumpaet also expressed concern at how the government
would address and embrace tribes in remote areas throughout the
archipelago.

"It's their job (to preserve and take care of the fate of
remote tribes) and we are here to help -- fellow artists in
solidarity. We don't want to see their rich culture become
extinct just like that, without knowing what it is," Ratna said.

None of the tribal groups had an easy journey to Jakarta; the
Nabire group had to endure a six-day trip by sea while the Dayak
Ngaju and Mentawai people had to travel to their provincial
capitals, a long distance away from their homes, before leaving
for Jakarta.

"Upon their arrival we will hold rituals to give thanks for
their well-being; these will be held on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. The
three tribal groups will each have their own rituals," said
Maria.

"Don't miss this event because it's a rare opportunity to meet
these people. They've come here from afar," she said.

Dance and music performances

* Friday, Dec. 17 -- Mentawai tribe
* Saturday, Dec. 18 -- Dayak Ngaju
* Sunday, Dec. 19 -- Nabire tribe

Venue: Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Central
Jakarta from 8 p.m. through 10 p.m. (tickets available for Rp
25,000 and Rp 10,000)

Workshops and discussions

* Friday, Dec. 17 -- Workshop on weaving and leafcraft of the
Dayak Ngaju and discussion on their dance and music
* Saturday, Dec. 18 -- Workshop on Nabire body painting, dance
and music
* Sunday, Dec. 19 -- Workshop on Mentawai tattoos, dance and
music

Venue: Galeri Cipta 3, TIM from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (free of
charge)

Documentary films

* Dec. 17 through Dec. 19 from 11 a.m. through 11:30 a.m (free of
charge) at Galeri Cipta 3, TIM.