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Classical dance enchants with a twist
In the spellbinding presence of two seasoned Javanese classical dancers, Retno Maruti and Wahyu Santoso Prabowo, time stood still
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In the spellbinding presence of two seasoned Javanese classical dancers, Retno Maruti and Wahyu Santoso Prabowo, time stood still.
The two were the very embodiment of subtleness, grace and devotion to the art. The perfect turn of the head, the certain angle at which the foot tipped up and the strong, upright torso - all combined to remind the audience packed into the Salihara black box theater last weekend of the elements that lie at the foundation of the art of Javanese classical dance.
Presenting moves choreographed by Sunarno and Wahyu Santoso Prabowo, Retno and Wahyu, known as mimi lan mintuno (an inseparable pair, because they have collaborated since the 1970s), played a husband and a wife in time of war. Damarwulan, the husband, tries to convince his wife, Anjasmara, to let him go fight the Blambangan kingdom commander Menakjinggo under the order of the queen of Majapahit, Kencana Wungu.
Damarwulan's efforts to persuade were felt in the way he reached out for her forehead and her arms, without actually touching them. His wife's concern was clear in the way she turned her back to him and in the tilt of her head. Her wavering heart was shown by her stepping toward him, only to turn away again.
The piece, titled "Enggar Enggar", was part of Lelangen Beksan by Padne*wara, a dance company that Retno founded in 1976. Lelangen featured three other examples of Javanese dance: "Beksan Noworetno", "Bondo Boyo" and "Kumolo Bumi". "Noworetno" and "Kumolo" are the works of Rury Nostalgia, Retno's daughter and Padne*wara's dance instructor.
In the first piece performed, "Noworetno", nine female dancers presented a bedhaya, a style of Javanese classical dance. The second, "Bondo Boyo", a work composed by Pura Mangkunegaran, the Surakarta Sultanate, featured four male dancers who depicted brave and adept soldiers toting shields and foils.
The show reached its captivating peak with the third performance - Retno and Wahyu's "Enggar Enggar" - but the fourth, "Kumolo Bumi", merits special appreciation because of its fresh approach to traditional dance.
Kumolo tells the story of two warrior princesses, Adaninggar from China and Kelaswara from Kelan Kingdom. They are in the Puser Bumi kingdom for different reasons: Adininggar to dedicate herself to King Jayengrana and Kelaswara to avenge her father, whom the king had killed.
They both end up falling in love with the king and wind up in a fight.
The choreography employed the movements of classical dance blended with dancing vocabularies outside classical conventions. Some resembled a kung fu style while others suggested Sundanese jaipongan. Some movements - such as opening the arms wide - moved well away from the traditionally restrained ones.
The costumes were not the classic Surakartan with kemben (long cloth draped around the torso and baring one's shoulders) and dodot (batik cloth fixed tightly around one's lower body). Rather, the nine dancers, including Rury Nostalgia and Hanny Herlina, wore modified kebaya with a red wraparound skirt. They also carried large red fans, which were used as a kind of weapon. Included in the music was a violin, alongside the complete sound of a gamelan set and traditional singers.
Where "Enggar Enggar" offered a solid performance by two seasoned artists, "Kumolo" evoked freshness. Both received hearty applause from the full house.
Retno, born in Surakarta on March 8, 1947, has dedicated herself to the preservation and growth of Javanese classical dance. She and her husband, Sentot Sudiharto, founded Padne*wara, which stages regular productions, taking national and international stages. In 2006, her collaboration with Balinese dancer-cum-choreographer Ayu Bulantrisna Djelantik received critical acclaim. In 2005, the Jakarta Academy awarded her a Lifetime Achievement for her work.
Rury Nostalgia has danced classical dance since the age of four. She is a dancer and choreographer in Padne*wara and among her compositions are number of compositions Bedah Madiun (2000), Kelaswara Tanding (2002) and Roro Mendut (2003).
