Sampan tries to preserve traditional arts

Sampan tries to preserve traditional arts

By I. Christianto

JAKARTA (JP): Torn between idealism and the reality of life,
choreographer Sampan Hismanto chose the latter in trying to
preserve one of Indonesia's traditional performing arts.

Sampan believes his commitment to preserving a segment of the
country's cultural heritage is worth his while, even though he
has to tailor some of the traditional performances for commercial
purposes. He is still left with the disquieting feeling he has
betrayed his own idealistic belief whereby the arts are to be
enjoyed and appreciated, not commercialized.

Sampan has undertaken concerted efforts to ensure the success
of his work and that the traditional shows will go on.

"I began to present some forms of traditional dances in 1951
when Jakarta and the Jakartans had not yet comprehended other
artistic performances, except for the Ronggeng Betawi which was
usually performed at the Jatinegara railway station in East
Jakarta," Sampan told The Jakarta Post.

Now, as the prospects for traditional arts look gloomier than
ever, Sampan continues to organize traditional plays before a
limited audience at Sampan Bujana Sentra, his own restaurant on
Jl. Cik Di Tiro, Central Jakarta.

"I had some guilty feelings when I decided to set up Sampan
Bujana Sentra," he remembered. "I had to betray my idealism as I
commercialized traditional performances as part of a package tour
for foreign visitors.

"I renovated my house and converted it into a small but
exclusive restaurant where diners can watch traditional dances
while enjoying our Indonesian food."

He said he faced many obstacles in introducing and developing
the performances in Jakarta during the 1950s. "The worst thing
was when I did not have any audience at all. People chose to
watch movies instead.

"So I tried to establish my foothold in the local
entertainment world by encouraging people to watch traditional
dances," Sampan said, adding that he established a traditional
art group and taught Javanese dances and karawitan, gamelan music
and songs.

As he taught several children of government officials, he was
allowed use of a hall at the Siliwangi (army) housing complex
near what was then the Lapangan Banteng bus station in Central
Jakarta.

"Then I also set up other groups in Kemayoran Gempol, also in
Central Jakarta, and many other places (in the city)."

He recounted how he roamed kampongs and also elite districts
to encourage young people to learn traditional dances and music.

In 1954, his tireless efforts bore fruit. "I was very glad
that traditional art groups were flourishing," Sampan said.

"Then I set up wayang orang and ketoprak near the Ikada field
in Gambir, Central Jakarta, where many children from different
backgrounds joined in."

That same year he also established several dancing troupes
featuring renowned traditional dancers like I Wayan Suparta from
Bali, Soubi Bustami from West Sumatra and Kamsi from West Java.

"I also formed and taught art groups at the offices of the
National Police, Air Force, Navy and Army," Sampan said.

Along with other artists and scholars throughout Indonesia,
Sampan established the Indonesian Art Association.

"In 1956, I was given a golden opportunity to hold the first
Wayang Orang, a traditional Javanese play. I was also invited to
perform at the Presidential Palace on August 17 to mark the
country's Independence Day."

Sampan described 1965 as "the happiest year" in his life
because he drew thousands of young people to study the dances and
heightened their love of traditional arts.

Heyday

It was during his heyday that he gained an opportunity to
perform at the capital's Istora Senayan stadium. "Imagine,
traditional performances at the sports stadium in the early
1960's."

Sampan said the lives of the artists and the development of
the country's art flourished at that time. Every performance was
sure to bring a profit. The windfall boosted the lives of the
professional artists, not just in meeting their daily needs but
also in providing them with decent housing. Some of them could
even afford to buy cars.

Sampan concentrated his activities in the Indonesian
Association of Young Artists, a group of professionals which he
set up in 1961, after handing over running of the rest of the
groups to others.

"This group is a professional one. I made a series of overseas
tours starting in 1962. I had an objective to promote traditional
Indonesian arts when traveling abroad."

But the fortunes of traditional arts went downhill.

Sampan was dismayed to find the many art groups he had
painstakingly established were barely surviving in the 1970s.

"I don't know why. For instance, there were at least 12 groups
of Wayang Orang in Jakarta, but now there is just Wayang Orang
Bharata in Kalilio. I was one of the founders of the group, which
used to play at Rex Cinema in Senen."

Sampan said the government had never paid serious attention to
problems regarding the country's traditional arts. He vowed to
never tire in striving to impart knowledge of traditional arts to
the younger generation.

"These groups just work by themselves," he says. "The
government doesn't care whether they succeed or fail."

He urges parents to encourage their children to study
traditional arts so they can share the pride of Indonesia's
national heritage.

He is bolstered by the unswerving determination of several
young followers. "I am very grateful to them for this," Sampan
said.

Scholars and artists should research why the country's
traditional performing arts have declined amid national
development.

"It's really hard to believe that the government is not
willing to provide us a place for performing or rehearsing. We
don't have enough money to rent halls even at the city's youth
centers," he said.

Sampan, who looks much younger than his 72 years, still
struggles to achieve his goals and to see that his dreams may one
day come true.

"This is God's gift, perhaps, to keep me looking fresh in
struggling for my country's art existence," he joked.

He quickly added that he has planned a series of wayang orang
festivals following his success in 1991 and 1993 when he
organized similar events in Surakarta and Surabaya.

"I set up the Wayang Orang Indonesia organization for holding
the event. I plan the fifth festival in Yogyakarta in July 1998."

"I hope the next cabinet ministers will want launch a special
campaign (for reviving the traditional art performances)," he
said. This would allow the government to be more resistant to the
intrusion of negative foreign cultural influences on the lives of
Indonesian youngsters, he added.