Puppet show held to relieve stress

Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

The Oct. 12 attack in Kuta left many people in Bali with physical and mental wounds, especially those directly affected by the tragedy and the people who closely worked to help ease their suffering, such as medical staff and volunteers.

Numerous efforts have been made to help these people, and earlier this week a contemporary wayang (puppet) performance was held to provide a bit of therapeutic healing for those affected by the tragedy.

Held jointly by the Ibu Pertiwi Foundation and the Denpasar Institute of the Arts (STSI), the performance, titled Dasa Nama Kerta, which literally means 10 elements, was put on to draw positive energy to Bali and its people.

I Made Sidia, the moving force behind the show, was quoted as saying by Nusa daily that art, including traditional arts such as puppet shows, worked to relieve stress.

"Art is able to nurture people's conscience and to really 'soften' their hearts. It also functions as a forceful energy that brightens feelings and eliminates negative effects," said Sidia, who was the puppet master and a lecturer at STSI.

He explained that the title Dasa Nama Kerta was based on the 10 elements that create a peaceful world. These elements include earth, water, fire, wind, air, humans and their Creator. All of the 10 elements must be in proper order and must be taken care of.

"We are now living in a chaotic world where there is an imbalance between humans, nature and God," he said.

In the performance, the 10 elements were not in their proper places. As a result, all of the negative aspects emerged and affected humans.

"These negative aspects were reflected in human's greed, anger, pride, arrogance," the puppet master said. The world was chaos until three gods -- Vishnu, Brahma and Iswara -- arrived. The three gods were sent by Sang Hyang Bayu, according to the story.

The performance was rich in wisdom and urged viewers to listen to their inner consciences. Unlike traditional leather puppet performances, which usually use a white screen illuminated by a kerosene lamp to reflect the puppets, this contemporary show utilized high-tech equipment.

For instance, a computer was used to project the puppets onto the wide screen. The traditional gamelan orchestra that usually accompanies such performances was enriched with a large variety of sounds produced by modern musical instruments, including a keyboard and acoustic piano.

Intended for the general public, the performance also used Bahasa Indonesia instead of high Balinese language, or Kawi.

It is hoped the 30-minute show helped those who are in pain to forget their suffering, at least for a little while.