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Ritual of hope
The Jakarta Post | Sun, 05/24/2009 11:31 AM | Photo
The middle-aged man moves his body to the sound of the upbeat gamelan orchestra. He approaches a female dancer and skillfully slips an envelope to the latter’s hand, whispering: “hopefully my wife will have a safe labor tomorrow”. He is not the only one who shared his wish with one of the dancers. Most men share their hopes — good harvest, healthy progeny or better luck — when dancing with performers, slipping envelopes filled with thousands of rupiah banknotes.
The dancer, Nurlaela, wears a Javanese traditional strapless top or kemben tightly wrapped around her chest with a batik sarong underneath, a traditional outfit for a tayub dancer. She dances almost all night once the tayub saparan begins, usually before dusk.
Tayub Saparan is a 200-year-old tradition for villagers living on the southern side of Mount Sumbing. Originally, it is a thanksgiving gathering organized by villagers who had a plentiful harvest. People still believe if they whisper their burdens and hopes to the dancers, they will soon find solutions to whatever problems they are facing. Dancers — and also singers usually called ledhek – are considered as a medium to communicate with ancestors.
— Text and photos by Tarko Sudiarno
What's On
- Festival of India
10/29/2009 12/15/2009 Balai Kartini & Umar Ismail Hall, Jakarta
- Imagemakers of the Future: Photography exhibition
10/10/2009 11/30/2009 Alila Ubud Desa Melinggih Kelod Payangan, Gianyar 80572, Bali - Timeless Change
11/05/2009 12/07/2009 Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Hotel Jimbaran, Bali. - Choreography of Colours; Sardono W. Kusumo's first solo painting exhibition
11/12/2009 12/12/2009 vivi yip art room Annexe Ciputra World Marketing Gallery Jalan Prof Satrio Kav 11, Casablanca