Kompiang teaches love of dance

JAKARTA (JP): Mysticism, according to Balinese choreographer I.G. Kompiang Raka, comes from the belly of religious dancing. Any other kind would be its commercialization.

"Dance-dramas, as some call it nowadays," Kompiang said.

And mysticism will be in the air when 95 children dancers of Saraswati Dance School perform Kompiang's creations at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta on April 26.

Celebrating the school's 30th anniversary and the Year of Arts and Culture 1998, the children will stage three primary Balinese dances and four minor ones, taken from Ramayana, Hindu's second- longest epic after Mahabharata.

Kompiang said art should be taught at a very young age.

"Art should be started with children... that is the only way love for art will grow into a more creative nation," he said.

According to Kompiang, the dance, The Fragment Of Cupu Manik Astagina, tells a story unheard of even by most Hindus.

"Hindus know of the Monkey God Hanoman and his troop. But few know exactly how Sugriwa and Subali (monkey soldiers belonging to Hanoman's troop) became monkeys," Kompiang said.

"The story is fascinating and tells of sibling rivalry."

The performance opens with a dance portraying Dewi Indradi's affair with Batara Surya, the Sun God.

The affair ends with Batara Surya handing the Cupu Manik Astagina, a gift equivalent to Aladdin's magic lamp, to Dewi Indradi, following her marriage to another.

She gives birth to Anjani, her only daughter, Sugriwa and Subali. To the disappointment of both brothers, Dewi Indradi hands over the Cupu Manik Astagina to Anjani. Sugriwa and Subali complain to their father, who eventually decides to throw away the gift.

He advises his children to forget about the gift because it would only bring rivalry among siblings. Being stubborn, the three children run after the Cupu Manik Astagina, which rolls away and breaks in two. One piece rolls into heaven's pond, Telaga Nirwana, while the other rolls into a pond on earth, Telaga Sudhamala.

The children have no access to heaven. They are not aware that upon entering Telaga Sudhamala, excess hair would start growing on their bodies and they would turn into monkeys.

Performances will be accompanied by live Javanese singing and music.

Mecanda is a dance about children's games. It is about learning how to harmonize playing, dancing and singing.

"What is special about this performance is the expression of feelings... fear, anger leading to fights," Kompiang said.

Janger Merah Putih is a happy dance.

"The dance is about formation of different, intricate patterns," he said.

Other dances included are Cendrawasih and Manu Rawa (birds of paradise), and Danur Darah, which tells of female soldiers preparing for war.

The show will start at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are Rp 20,000 and Rp 15,000. The ticket box at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Tel. 3808283 and 3441892) is open from Tuesday to Saturday. (ylt)