After a month-long trip visiting several institut kesenian (IKJ, ISBI, and various ISI) in 2008, the Darmasiswa scholarship brought me back to Java in 2010. By daily challenges and wonderful moments at the Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta—mostly in the jurusan Seni Tari (Dance Department)—fascination with the peoples across the archipelago and their performing arts had only just begun. The neighborhoods—and their warungs—did the rest.
Tari Kandagan, ISI Yogyakarta (2011, ujian akhir semester)
Legong Keraton, with ibu Komang Rai (Batuan)
During my years at ISI Yogyakarta, I frequently escaped to Bali (specially if Gunung Merapi erupted), where I learnt a bit of legong and other Balinese dances. This took place over the following years (from 2012 to 2015) at Sanggar Seni Satriya Lelana in Batuan, Bali. The strange beauty, unreal in its mechanics, of the movements in Balinese dance astounded me, forever and ever. Secular in nature, Legong Keraton is among the most popular dramatic pieces, inspired by the chronicles of the 19th-century Balinese court and the Ramayana. In the first part, a maid (the condong), performs an intricate choreography using two fans, which are presented in a second part to the masters (the Legong).
With Komang Rai Sariadi at Sanggar Seni Satriya Lelana, Batuan (Bali)
Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático (RESAD), Madrid.
Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático (ESAD), Valencia.
Bhangra Spain, Madrid.
Topeng Losari (Masked Dance from Losari)
With Nur Anani Topeng Losari at Sanggar Purwa Kencana, Cirebon (Java)
And if I adore the aesthetics of Balinese dance movements, I can’t say any less of those in Javanese and Sundanese dances. Spending time learning topeng Losari with Mbak Nani has been one of the craziest experiences ever, which reminded me that searching for new aesthetics is a never-ending, gracious task. Topeng Losari is one among many traditions in Indonesia where mysticism predominates over religion. Sacred masks, lacking eye holes, are worshipped before performers take the stage, believed to transmit their energy to the dancer. The dancer, in turn, does not need sight, as the essence lies in connecting three dimensions: gods, body, and earth. Whether there are spectators is of minimal relevance. The makeup, entirely out of place.
