Ni Nyoman Tjandri works her ways as puppet master

Tri Vivi Suryani, Contributor, Gianyar

Ni Nyoman Tjandri was once an accomplished classical Balinese dancer before she landed on the puppetry stage as one of the few female puppet masters in Indonesia.

Tjandri never dreamed of becoming a dalang, or puppet master. By the time she was seven years old, Tjandri had already mastered numerous Balinese dances, including the two most difficult ones -- the baris and legong Keraton (palace) dances.

Born to an artist father from Banjar Mukti in Singapadu, Gianyar, Tjandri was familiar with and fond of all forms of the Balinese performing arts, especially the arja, a Balinese traditional drama that incorporates music and dance.

Her late father, I Made Kredek, was an arja player and a mask master. He was also renowned for his mastery of the ancient Javanese language of Kawi. Kredek was also an employee of state- owned Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI). Little Tjandri was very happy when her father took her to the studio to watch various arts performances there.

The talented Tjandri gradually developed superb dance and vocal techniques through profound interaction with her father and fellow artistes.

Her active childhood and teenage years as a skilled dancer and arja player were suddenly halted when her beloved father died in l979.

"I was deeply saddened because he was not only a father but also a teacher to me," Tjandri remembered. However, she further realized she had to continue her father's artistic endeavors.

Tjandri later decided to learn the Kawi language to continue her father's efforts to master Balinese literature. She went to the well-known dalang I Nyoman Ganjreng. Instead of giving Kawi lessons, Nyoman Ganjreng gave the girl four puppet figures, including a giant figure and Arjuna, one of the Pandawa brothers from the famous Mahabharata epic.

"I was very surprised when I received these leather puppets," Tjandri remembered. The puppet master, she said, told her she had to master the Kawi language through wayang stories, mostly derived from Ancient Indian and East Javanese epics and legends.

It was in l979 when Tjandri decided to learn the art of the dalang seriously and intensively. In quite a short time Tjandri had already mastered how to perform wayang parwa, which takes its stories from the Mahabharata and wayang arja from the Panji legend.

Wayang refers to a puppet, which is usually made of leather or wood. All wayang performances present a story, which is told by a dalang. Therefore, a dalang must master at least 100 stories from the above sources (the Mahabharata and Panji). Moreover, he or she must be able to enliven each of the characters portrayed with distinctive vocal sounds.

"My husband was in the Army so he strongly applied military- style discipline during my training days as a puppet master," said Tjandri.

Tjandri remembered how her husband, I Ketut Kecor, forced her to get up very early in the morning and perform vocal exercises.

Within only three months, Tjandri made an important decision in her life. She performed her maiden puppet show presenting the story, Matinya Pandu, the Death of Pandu, an episode of the Mahabharata in Merajan Agung, Singapadu, Gianyar. She dedicated the show to her late father.

The audience warmly applauded her mastery with the puppets.

"I could not imagine how happy my father would have been if he were still alive," Tjandri said.

Faithfully, she pursued her artistic expression through puppetry.

Despite her relative success, Tjandri also found many obstacles as a female dalang.

"One of the most difficult things for a female dalang was to sit cross-legged for hours while clutching a wooden hammer in the toes of my right foot with which I regularly strike a puppet box to stress a plot of the story," Tjandri explained.

Being a dalang, one must have plenty of physical stamina and a thorough knowledge of both the Ancient Kawi language and high and low Balinese language, as well as its literature.

Other practical problems face a female dalang. "A Wayang performance is considered sacred and therefore a dalang should be physically and spiritually clean," she said. She added that when she was menstruating, she could not perform any wayang shows.

Tjandri is now enjoying the fruit of her hard work. She is frequently invited to perform, both on local and overseas stages. In l983, she mesmerized the American public when she was in a wayang performance in New York City. She also performed before the King of Thailand in Bangkok in l996. "I am so concerned that there is very little interest among young women to pursue a career as a dalang," she said.

Her three daughters have chosen to become dancers. The youngest, Ni Nyoman Somowati, is now teaching Balinese dance in Germany.

"At least my daughters have shown a strong willingness to preserve Balinese culture," Tjandri said.

Tjandri is also happy to pass on her dance skills to numerous foreign students. "In my position, I feel so enthusiastic showing our rich culture to my foreign students," she explained. Many of them came from countries as far afield as Italy, Germany, the United States and Japan.

Next April, Tjandri will be in a wayang performance in Paris.