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.