Sunday carnival marks Bali Arts Festival

Flowers:
BD/Zul Trio Anggono
Denpasar’s Indonesia Arts Institute (ISI) students rehearse the flower sequence of Bali Dwipa Jaya, the island’s official dance that will be performed on the opening night of Bali Arts Festival this Sunday.

A cultural parade involving 15,000 artists marking the initial opening of the 34th Bali Arts Festival is expected to draw thousands of spectators to the Bajra Sandhi Museum in Renon area on Sunday afternoon (June 10).

After having to reschedule the festival’s opening ceremony three times to fit in with the agenda of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the two-hour long cultural parade has finally been confirmed for Sunday.

President Yudhoyono and his entourage will be present at the VIP guest stage witnessing the diverse and colorful parade, which will pass along three kilometers of Denpasar’s main streets.

The two-hour carnival, starting on Sunday at 2 p.m., will feature traditional cultural attractions coming from all Bali’s eight regencies and one mayoralty.

Starting from Jl. Raya Puputan, participants of the cultural parade will walk through Jl. Muhammad Yamin and Jl. Pemuda, ending on Jl. Puputan.

President Yudhoyono and Governor Made Mangku Pastika will ring a traditional wooden cowbell from the Okokan musical instruments from Tabanan to start the cultural parade.

In addition to artists from Bali, the parade will also showcase art and cultural attractions from Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan and Maluku and Batak ethnic groups from North Sumatra.

Hundreds of university and high school students will also take part in this annual fiesta.

Unfortunately, artists from overseas countries such as the United States, India, Malaysia and Japan will not participate in the street carnival.

Students and lecturers from the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Denpasar will be the first art troupe to perform at the parade. They will be performing Adi Mergangga, a blend of Balinese traditional drums and gamelan orchestra. The ISI group will also present a dance theater entitled Siwa Natharaja illustrating Lord Siwa the Destroyer as the highest choreographer and dancer that created the universe through his dance.

Other performances include Jegog ensembles, Gong Gede Saih Pitu and Semara Pegulingan.

Artists from Jembrana, Karangasem, Buleleng and Bangli will follow the march.

The closing session of the carnival will be highlighted with performances from various youth communities, high schools and universities across Bali.

In addition to art performances, the street parade will display the most elaborate and exquisite Balinese traditional bridal costumes; each regency has its own uniqueness.

To enliven the street procession, each regency will display various art attractions on a richly decorated float.

Karangasem regency will decorate its float as a miniature of the Puri Agung Karangasem Royal House.

Gianyar regency is boasting its multi-cultural encounters between Balinese and foreign artists.

Badung regency will display a theater dance telling the stories of the King of Mengwi and Taman Ayun Temple, while Tabanan will display its successful subak traditional farming system.

In the evening, President Yudhoyono will officially open the monthlong festival at the Ardha Chandra open stage at the Arts Center.

The president will strike a kulkul (traditional wooden bell) as the opening mark of the festival.

A number of art performances will highlight the opening night, including the oratorio Purusadha Santa dance drama performance by students of ISI Denpasar.

Bali provincial administration will also feature its official dance entitled Bali Dwipa Jaya (Prosperous Bali).

Bali Arts Festival schedule

Local and foreign spectators will enjoy a number of attractive and diverse cultural performances during the Sunday Cultural Carnival.

1. Traditional musical ensemble performance: Gong Gede Saih Pitu, Semara Pegulingan and Jegog.

2. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika will ring a traditional wooden bell from the Okokan musical ensemble from Tabanan regency at the opening of the parade.

3. Adi Merdangga traditional drum band and Siwa Natharaja dance performed by ISI Denpasar

4. Jembrana performance: Baleganjur, jegog performance and traditional bridal costume parade wearing payas agung (high-end wedding make-up) and traditional tenun cagcag woven cloth

5. Karangasem performance: Traditional bridal costume parade, Baris Jangkang performance, display of miniature Puri Agung Karangasem royal house on a mobile float

6. Art performance from Mataram, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara province: traditional clothes parade, traditional Gendang Beleq music performance.

7. Buleleng performance: Traditional bridal costume from Singaraja parade, Wayang Wong puppet performance and art performance showing interfaith tolerance.

8. Denpasar performances: traditional clothes parade accompanied by Pegambuhan gamelan ensemble, Baris Klasik dance performance and kampong nelayan (fishing village) art performance.

9. Palangkaraya (Central Kalimantan) performance: Matangku Hakangkalu art performance

10. Tabanan performance: Oleg Tambulilingan and Kebyar Trompong dances, Baleganjur gamelan ensemble, bridal costume parade, subak arts performance.

11. Gianyar performances: Gong Beri and Tambur traditional music ensemble, Lelontekan uparengga, Semara pagulingan and Gong Suling music ensemble, Maya Denawa and Betara Indra fragmentary, and puppet, dance, painting and other art performances.

12. Maluku performance: Arumbai arts performance,

13. Badung performances: Sekar Jepun dance, Semara Pagulingan music ensemble, traditional bridal costumes from Badung, Baris Keraras traditional dances, art performance about Taman Ayun temple and the King of Mengwi.

14. Bangli performances: Traditional bridal costumes, Baris Bedil dance, Datonta fragmentary about the King of Trunyan Village

15. Batak community: Batak traditional dance and musical instruments

16. Klungkung: Gong suling, traditional Klungkung bridal costumes using cepuk woven cloth, Baris Pucang Pati dance, Pemedal Agung and Barong Ning Ning Kling art performance.

17. Indonesian Hindu University (UNHI) performances: dance, music and attractions.

18. Indonesian Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) performances: Baleganjur Saih Pitu, Rejang Dewa dance, Baris Gede dance, Topeng Panca dance, Tari Telek dance, art performance about Dewi Saraswati (Saraswati goddess) and Baleganjur.

19. SMA 6 high school Denpasar and Warmadewa University: arts performance about Sri Kesari Warmadewa.

20. Udayana University performance: marching band.

21. Konghucu Bio Youth community: Barongsai lion dance performance.