Balinese arts celebrated at group's anniversary

JAKARTA (JP): The opening of the Balinese Saraswati dance festival on Tuesday provided the packed house at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta with a dynamic array of traditional performances that have been given new life with stylistic, musical and choreographic fusions over time.

The weeklong festival is being held to commemorate 33 years of activity for the group, LKB Saraswati, which was established on April 3, 1968, by a group of Balinese living in Jakarta. It was established as a nonprofit organization which aimed to bring together dancers, choreographers and others interested in Balinese music and dance, and has committed itself to producing creative and innovative performances.

The festival also pays honor to the 100th birthday anniversary of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, on June 6.

Tuesday's performance included a number of traditional Balinese welcoming dances, such as Lambang Sari and Pendet; a short dance about the life of a fishing community, Nelayan; a vibrant dance to celebrate the harvesting season, Janger Reformasi; a performance of the famous Kecak dance by a group of women; and two dynamic musical numbers by the gamelan orchestra, Tabuh Genta Suara Revolusi Indonesia (GESURI) and Tabuh Gambang Suling.

Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, one of Sukarno's daughters, provided an introductory and welcoming speech before the performance. She spoke of the limitless love her father displayed for the Indonesian homeland and read a poem of his fascination for Balinese art, a poem which sang praise to the unique beauty, power and grace of Balinese women.

She also pointed out that the Balinese dance being performed that evening was not simply a set of traditional performances, but also a dynamic fusion stemming from influences over time, whether this came from interactions with outside performers and artists or creative adaptations and experiments within the Balinese artistic community itself.

A praiseworthy example of such fusions was seen in the opening performance, Lambang Sari. Choreographed by Guruh Soekarnoputra, Sukarno's youngest son, this piece incorporated a musical background of gamelan with synchronized techno beats and rhythms. The costumes, music and choreography blended surprisingly well, giving substance to his sister's praise of the variety and experimentation that have been taking place over the past few decades.

This flashy opening number was followed by a more traditionally oriented set of performances which came to a climax with the female kecak dance, Bung Karno's favorite. Dramatic lighting enhanced the mystical atmosphere of this dance which depicted a fight between a prince and a demon over the beautiful Dewi Sita, while the monkey king, Hanoman, watched on and mediated events with interventions.

The remarkably tight, lively and synchronized sounds of the gamelan orchestra provided a suitable ending to the opening night's performances. (Dion Hallpike)

Evening performances by LKB Saraswati will continue until April 15 at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Pasar Baru (tel. 380-8283 or 344-1892). Tickets prices range from Rp 20,000 to Rp 25,000.