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New dance explores ancient tale
It is the most popular and enduring inter-ethnic love story known to Balinese
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It is the most popular and enduring inter-ethnic love story known to Balinese.
The king of Panarajon, the ancient kingdom which lay somewhere near the idyllic modern tourist destination of Kintamani, falls for the daughter of a wealthy Chinese merchant and, despite their tragic end, both are elevated to the status of divine deities upon their demise. Sacred effigies of the lovers are still found at major religious ceremonies in villages across Bali.
Their role in modern day Bali is still quite similar to the one they assumed in the island's ancient past; as the benevolent protectors of their people from bad things, including, but not only, evil spirits, plagues, and natural disasters.
The effigies, tall dolls known locally as Barong Landung, are not their only legacy. The existence of a Chinese temple inside the compound of one of Bali's oldest Hindu temples, the use of Chinese coins in Hindu rituals and the generally friendly relationship between the two ethnic communities have all been attributed to this love story.
"The story is also one of the most obvious examples of the open, tolerant nature of Balinese culture. That the local, indigenous culture could live harmoniously with a new culture is an important lesson we could draw from this story," I Made Bandem said.
Bandem, one of the most respected scholars in Bali, is the brains behind a new dance interpretation of the ancient story.
"We have the story as part of our sacred mythology and it is mainly *performed' in a temple or religious setting. We need a new dance to keep the story alive among the younger Balinese and, most importantly, teach them about tolerance and multiculturalism," he said.
The dance was choreographed by Swasthi Wijaya and the Kebyar musical accompaniment was composed by I Nyoman Windha.
It took the three of them one month to create the dance and the process didn't take place in Bali but in Montpellier, in the south of France, when Makaradhwaja, Bandem's performing arts troupe, was touring the region in early 2008.
The dance premiered at a temple festival in Bandem's home village, Singapadu, in Gianyar, and was well-received by locals.
The second performance was held in Singapadu in early January, a few weeks before the celebration of the Chinese New Year, or Imlek, when Bandem, who now teaches the Balinese arts at the College of Holy Cross in The United States of America, threw a Christmas-cum- New-Year-cum-Imlek party for his friends.
On that afternoon, the dance was performed before a more discerning audience, which included noted dancer Bulantrisna Djelantik, President of Holy Cross Michael C. McFarland, and Jan De Bont, the director of blockbuster movies Die Hard and Lethal Weapon 3, who is interested in the island and its culture for possibly using for a sequel to 1991's adrenaline pumping hit movie Point Break.
Before this audience, the ancient legend once again unfolded. In subtle gestures and meaningful expression, the dance tells the sorrow of King Jayapangus and his Chinese queen, the beautiful Kang Ching Wie, upon learning that their union has failed to give the kingdom an heir.
The King then goes to Batur, the site of the island's largest lake and the throne of Bhatari Batur, the island's most powerful female deities, to meditate and seek divine blessing. Instead, he falls in love with Dewi Danu, the daughter of Bhatari Batur. The story grows violent when Kang Ching Wie discovers her husband's affair and confronts Dewi Danu.
This angers Bhatari Batur, who later kills the king and his queen with the blazing ray of her third eye. She later instructs the locals to construct the tall effigies and build a Chinese temple to honor the couple. She also elevates Kang Ching Wie to the status of Ratu Subandar, the divine deity for traders and merchants.
The audience offered warm applause when the dance ended.
For the Balinese, however, it is more than just a story. The Chinese temple in Balingkang and the Panarajon Hindu temple in Kintamani are proof to them that love knows no boundaries; religious or ethnic.
Moreover, the Barong Landung effigies assure them that the love of their deities continues through the ages. Today, the spirit of Jayapangus and Kang Ching Wie still roam the island, protecting the people they love so their love isn't lost to the advances of time.
