Balinese arts celebrated at group's anniversary
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.