Portret gamelan dan tarian

Or "Photos of gamelan and dance" for you English-speaking folk. Anyway, I was just running around like crazy today, and yet I hardly did any research. It happens sometimes. For those of you who are still unsure of what a "gamelan" is, I've provided another post with more interesting photos - hurrah! (If you're curious as to how exactly I got involved in Indonesian performing arts, that's a topic for another post.) Let's start off with a couple of Balinese dance photos.


Here I am, dancing the role of Jauk Manis. The jauk is a sort of guardian spirit for the barong, the protector of all Balinese villages who takes on several different animal forms. Indeed, even though this character looks menacing (with the leery smile, googly eyes, and wavering fingernails), he likes to have fun while walking through the forest. The costume itself is a marvel - it takes me at least 25-30 minutes to put it on, and that's rushing it. And yes, it's extremely warm inside the costume. However, once you get into the dance, you don't notice how hot you get until you take the costume off. Almost like a trance.


Another shot of me, this time in one of my more mischievous poses in the Jauk Manis character. Actually, this character is allowed to perform improvised gestures and movements at times. By the same token, the embodiment of this role is accomplished only by the dancer's movements - you can't change the expression on a mask. However, a dancer with the most desirable (and elusive) quality called taksu ('divine inspiration') can project a mask with a palette of emotions, even though its face is certainly static.

OK, now onto the gamelan part:


This is the Javanese gamelan ensemble (the set of instruments carries the name Kyai Selamet - "The Honorable Auspicious One") at UC Santa Barbara during a midday concert. I'm in the middle playing the drum, or kendhang.


Closer view of me playing kendhang. Unlike Western classical orchestras, which have visible conductors, the drummer controls the tempo and dynamics of the music using only audible signals. This is one of the most difficult things to convey to many students who have had (Western) classical training.

Well, another lecture finished ;)