Bagong dances on to rhythm of love
Bagong dances on to rhythm of love
Bona Beding, Contributor, Jakarta
The maestro isn't as light on his feet as he was say ten, or even five years ago, but his love for the arts is stronger than ever.
Bagong Kussudiardjo is a seasoned choreographer who has kept Javanese dance alive by bringing to it a contemporary edge.
Born in Yogyakarta on Oct. 9, 1928, the maestro's home is welcoming. He lives with his wife -- his second marriage after his first wife passed away in 1997 -- in Kembaran village in Kasihan, Bantul regency. There he has founded his own dance and arts company -- the vast and famous Padepokan Seni Bagong Kussudiardjo.
Once, dancers came from across the country and overseas to learn from Bagong. He generously shared his secrets and dancers blossomed under his tutorage. Soon his company was invited to perform at hundreds of venues.
All that is a distant memory; nowadays there are only a few students. Bagong doesn't hold the stage, but one of his children who has taken over the company. Every so often, though, he slips into a class to again work his magic, and teach the students that dance is alive.
A retired civil servant and the father of seven -- Ida Manu Tranggana, Elia Gupita, Rondang Ciptasari, Otok Bima Sidharta, Butet Kertaredjasa, Purbosari Ayuwangi and Djaduk Ferianto -- Bagong also likes to paint.
His subjects are anything that he considers "esthetically beautiful or useful". And he is not concerned about what people think.
Bagong also has two galleries where hundreds of canvasses are hung -- testimony to his productivity and zest for art.
He has been a true artist, never wavering from his belief that art is the highest form of expression, and that art improves the quality of one's life.
It hasn't always been easy.
"Relying on the arts for one's livelihood, particularly the traditional arts, is near to impossible. I made the decision a long time ago not to worry about how rich I was, but to concern myself with enriching the arts -- keeping the traditional arts alive, and developing the arts here as a cultural contribution," said Bagong.
In 2003, he was awarded by PermataBank for his long dedication to the arts and Yogyakarta-based Kedaulatan Rakyat daily also.
Bagong never completed his education at the Indonesian Dance Academy (ASRI). He dropped out mainly due to the high demands of performing, as he had continued to dance outside the academy while studying.
He was popular nonetheless, and was given many chances to study dance abroad. He was granted a scholarship by the Rockefeller Foundation to join the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York. He also studied at Jacob's Pillow University of Dance in Santineketan in India.
His experiences in Europe and Asia have enriched his creative ability so that his choreography is earthy yet at all times elegant.
He also studied traditional painting techniques at Kyoto University in Japan.
Knowing and understanding Bagong is to trace his long associations with people from all walks of life. His close acquaintances include artists, intellectuals, scientists, and politicians.
"My associations and fondness of reading -- any kind of book -- has helped me to go beyond classical dance patterns," said Bagong, who swims twice a week to maintain his fitness.
Bagong's story is one that is best expressed through his poem Lampu Cinta (The light of love): What will I win? The light of love illuminates its surroundings with a reddish glow, penetrating into loneliness, I run while I dance even it's meaningless. That's the love of a dancer.