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.