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Padneçwara's 'Ciptoning' revives old-fashioned charm, wit of 'wayang orang'
The Padneçwara dance company brought back the old-fashioned grace and wit of Javanese theater wayang orang in its Ciptoning performance at the Jakarta Playhouse (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta) on Friday, coinciding with the dance troupeâs anniversary
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The Padneçwara dance company brought back the old-fashioned grace and wit of Javanese theater wayang orang in its Ciptoning performance at the Jakarta Playhouse (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta) on Friday, coinciding with the dance troupe's anniversary.
The troupe, founded 39 years ago by dance-maestro couple Retno Maruti and Sentot Sudiharto, presents the story of a broken promise that leads to chaos in the heavens.
The dance troupe, which has played a significant role in preserving the classical dances of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, took a leap with Ciptoning by performing it both in song and dialogue.
The performance opens with the Serimpi Sangupati, a graceful dance created by King Pakubuwono IV during his rule from 1788 and 1820.
Four women clad in jewel-green dresses, representing the four cardinal points, dance in circular motions. The dancers elegantly wave their long flowing scarves to slow-tempo gamelan music. The gamelan rhythm ascends as the dancers take pistols from their hips to mimic shooting.
Ciptoning tells the story of Batara Indra, who grants the wish of ogre king Niwatakawaca to marry Bathari Supraba ' the most beautiful goddess in Suralaya heaven.
The gods are agitated by the decision as it violates the heaven's stipulation that goddesses belong to gods and ogresses to ogres. Angered by the gods' rejection of his wish, the ogre king and his minions attack Suralaya, provoking a great war in the heavens.
Amid the desperation of the gods, Arjuna of the five Pandawa comes to the rescue. Arjuna, who uses the name Begawan Ciptoning in his hermit life, fulfills the task given by Batara Guru, or Lord Shiva, to bring down the ogre king with the help of Bathari Supraba.
Bathari Supraba comes to the ogre king, pretending that she accepts his wedding proposal.
'Iya prabu punden ulun, sabdane hyang giripati, tetep dadya jatukrama [Oh my adored king, at the behest of Lord Shiva, you are my soul mate]' Supraba says as she approaches the one-eyed ogre.
With her beauty and courage, Supraba catches the ogre king off guard, paving the way for Arjuna to defeat him and restore the peace of heaven.
Retno explains that through Ciptoning, she wants to test the waters on the use of dialogue in Padneçwara performances.
'I want to see the audience's response. Telling a story though song easily catches the audience's attention. Now, with the use of dialogue, I want to discover whether it bores them or not,' she said after Friday's performance.
The dialogue, in fact, gives room for the performers to explore their humorous side. For example, in one scene, a god's aide is admiring the beauty of the goddesses, one by one.
'And there is Syahrini,' the aide said, referring to an Indonesian singer known for her over-the-top demeanor.
As the audience laughed, the aide corrected his statement: 'Oh ['¦] no. That is not her .'
The battle scene is also captivating. The choreography showcases the swift movements of classical Javanese dance, while at the same time depicting the bravery of the gods and the savagery of the ogres.
The beauty is seen in the fight of Arjuna against a hunter, who turns out to be Bathara Guru. They fight fiercely using keris daggers decorated with strings of jasmine garlands. As the keris push against each other, the jasmine buds burst in the air, creating a scenic explosion.
The costumes of the performers were a mixture of Yogyakarta and Surakarta traditions, said Krefianto Darmawan, who plays one of the gods, Batara Bayu.
'In Yogyakarta, my character's moustache is drawn on with makeup instead of using a fake one like I do here. And the keris' scabbard is different. I use a keris scabbard with a rounded tip, instead of the traditional one with a pointed tip,' Krefianto, who often performs at the Yogyakarta Palace, said.
The costumes of the gods are loosely based on Yogyakarta style, while the dresses of the goddesses refer to Surakarta tradition.
Rury Nostalgia, who plays the stunning goddess Bathari Supraba, said the Javanese dialogue in the act posed a challenge to some performers from different cultures.
'We have a performer hailing from Makassar [South Sulawesi] and also Sundanese performers. Some of them are living in Jakarta. For them, this is a new thing,' she said, referring to some Padneçwara members who have separate jobs.
'Previously, they have memorized Javanese songs. Yes, learning dialogue is indeed harder than memorizing songs. However, they have coped with this challenge,' Rury, Retno's daughter added.
Ciptoning has been a significant moment for Rury as she revives Bathari Supraba, a character that was played by her mother in the 1980s.
'I cannot outshine or be on a par with her. But at least, I have tried to deliver a performance with a quality that is not far below that of my mother,' she humbly said.
' Photos by JP/Jerry Adiguna
