Puppet show held to relieve stress
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.