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Jakarta Post

A dance to remember

In honor of The Jakarta Post's 30 years in the newspaper business, a celebration was held at Theater Jakarta at Taman Ismail Marzuki on Thursday evening, April 25

The Jakarta Post
Sat, April 27, 2013 Published on Apr. 27, 2013 Published on 2013-04-27T15:26:20+07:00

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Career journalists: Staff photographer Suyoto (third left), editor Hyginus Hardoyo (third right), senior editor Vincent Lingga (second right) and the Post’s first chief editor and current senior editor Sabam Siagian (right) — all employees from the The Jakarta Post’s first day — receive awards honoring their years of service from executive director Riyadi Suparno (second left) and board member Jusuf Wanandi (left). (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" border="0" height="341" width="512"><span class="caption" style="width: 510px;"><strong>Career journalists: </strong>Staff photographer Suyoto (third left), editor Hyginus Hardoyo (third right), senior editor Vincent Lingga (second right) and the Post’s first chief editor and current senior editor Sabam Siagian (right) — all employees from the The Jakarta Post’s first day — receive awards honoring their years of service from executive director Riyadi Suparno (second left) and board member Jusuf Wanandi (left).<strong> (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)</strong></span></span></p><p><span class="inline inline-none"><img class="image image-_original " src="http://202.158.21.182/files/images2/p21-bsilhouette.jpg" alt="Silhouette: Dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang stand in silhouette. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" title="Silhouette: Dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang stand in silhouette. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" border="0" height="341" width="512"><span class="caption" style="width: 510px;"><strong>Silhouette: </strong>Dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang stand in silhouette. <strong>(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)</strong></span></span></p><p><span class="inline inline-none"><img class="image image-_original " src="http://202.158.21.182/files/images2/p21-cprocession.jpg" alt="Procession: The gamelan players from Calonarang arrive carrying a tumpeng, a festive rice tower, at the start of the the Post’s 30th anniversary celebration. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)" title="Procession: The gamelan players from Calonarang arrive carrying a tumpeng, a festive rice tower, at the start of the the Post’s 30th anniversary celebration. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)" border="0" height="341" width="512"><span class="caption" style="width: 510px;"><strong>Procession: </strong>The gamelan players from Calonarang arrive carrying a tumpeng, a festive rice tower, at the start of the the Post’s 30th anniversary celebration. <strong>(JP/Jerry Adiguna)</strong></span></span></p><p><span class="inline inline-left"><img class="image image-img_assist_custom-470x705 " src="http://202.158.21.182/files/images2/p21-efusion.jpg" alt="Fusion: Calonarang features a fusion of techniques performed by classic Javanese bedaya (left) and Balinese legong (right) dancers. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" title="Fusion: Calonarang features a fusion of techniques performed by classic Javanese bedaya (left) and Balinese legong (right) dancers. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" border="0" height="500" width="333"><span class="caption" style="width: 331px;"><strong>Fusion: </strong>Calonarang features a fusion of techniques performed by classic Javanese bedaya (left) and Balinese legong (right) dancers. <strong>(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)</strong></span></span></p><p><span class="inline inline-none"><img class="image image-_original " src="http://202.158.21.182/files/images2/p21-dthefaceofbattle.jpg" alt="The face of battle: The Balinese dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang amid their battle against Empu Baradah on the stage of the Jakarta Theater. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" title="The face of battle: The Balinese dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang amid their battle against Empu Baradah on the stage of the Jakarta Theater. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" border="0" height="341" width="512"><span class="caption" style="width: 510px;"><strong>The face of battle: </strong>The Balinese dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang amid their battle against Empu Baradah on the stage of the Jakarta Theater. <strong>(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)</strong></span></span></p><p><span class="inline inline-none"><img class="image image-_original " src="http://202.158.21.182/files/images2/p21-fquest.jpg" alt="Quest: The great Javanese classical dancer Retno Maruti, portraying Empu Baradah in a gender switch, in the middle of a quest to quell the evil powers of Calonarang. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" title="Quest: The great Javanese classical dancer Retno Maruti, portraying Empu Baradah in a gender switch, in the middle of a quest to quell the evil powers of Calonarang. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) Career journalists: Staff photographer Suyoto (third left), editor Hyginus Hardoyo (third right), senior editor Vincent Lingga (second right) and the Post’s first chief editor and current senior editor Sabam Siagian (right) — all employees from the The Jakarta Post’s first day — receive awards honoring their years of service from executive director Riyadi Suparno (second left) and board member Jusuf Wanandi (left). (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)" border="0" height="341" width="512">Career journalists: Staff photographer Suyoto (third left), editor Hyginus Hardoyo (third right), senior editor Vincent Lingga (second right) and the Post’s first chief editor and current senior editor Sabam Siagian (right) — all employees from the The Jakarta Post’s first day — receive awards honoring their years of service from executive director Riyadi Suparno (second left) and board member Jusuf Wanandi (left). (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Silhouette: Dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang stand in silhouette. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)Silhouette: Dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang stand in silhouette. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Procession: The gamelan players from Calonarang arrive carrying a tumpeng, a festive rice tower, at the start of the the Post’s 30th anniversary celebration. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)Procession: The gamelan players from Calonarang arrive carrying a tumpeng, a festive rice tower, at the start of the the Post’s 30th anniversary celebration. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

Fusion: Calonarang features a fusion of techniques performed by classic Javanese bedaya (left) and Balinese legong (right) dancers. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)Fusion: Calonarang features a fusion of techniques performed by classic Javanese bedaya (left) and Balinese legong (right) dancers. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

The face of battle: The Balinese dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang amid their battle against Empu Baradah on the stage of the Jakarta Theater. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)The face of battle: The Balinese dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang amid their battle against Empu Baradah on the stage of the Jakarta Theater. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Quest: The great Javanese classical dancer Retno Maruti, portraying Empu Baradah in a gender switch, in the middle of a quest to quell the evil powers of Calonarang. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

I

n honor of The Jakarta Post's 30 years in the newspaper business, a celebration was held at Theater Jakarta at Taman Ismail Marzuki on Thursday evening, April 25.

After a reception to honor the paper's three decades, there was a special performance of Calonarang,
a Javanese-Balinese dance collaboration that fuses Balinese legong with Javanese bedaya.

The story is set in King Airlangga's 11th century kingdom in East Java amid a deadly plague, with people accusing Walunateng Dirah, or Calonarang, of being a witch and spreading disease.

The famed Javanese classical dancer Retno Maruti performed as Empu Baradah, tasked by the king with halting Calonarang's powers.

One highlight was the fan dance, in which Bulantrisna Djelantik as Calonarang drops a fan in front of a troupe of dancers. They proceed to move their fans in beautiful rhythm.

The performance concluded with a classic battle between good and evil, between Baradah and Calonarang, ending with both sides on the ground.

Career journalists: Staff photographer Suyoto (third left), editor Hyginus Hardoyo (third right), senior editor Vincent Lingga (second right) and the Post's first chief editor and current senior editor Sabam Siagian (right) ' all employees from the The Jakarta Post's first day ' receive awards honoring their years of service from executive director Riyadi Suparno (second left) and board member Jusuf Wanandi (left). (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Silhouette: Dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang stand in silhouette. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

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Procession: The gamelan players from Calonarang arrive carrying a tumpeng, a festive rice tower, at the start of the the Post's 30th anniversary celebration. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

Fusion: Calonarang features a fusion of techniques performed by classic Javanese bedaya (left) and Balinese legong (right) dancers. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

The face of battle: The Balinese dancers portraying the followers of Calonarang amid their battle against Empu Baradah on the stage of the Jakarta Theater. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Quest: The great Javanese classical dancer Retno Maruti, portraying Empu Baradah in a gender switch, in the middle of a quest to quell the evil powers of Calonarang. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

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