My Journey with Sanggar Lang Lang Buana and Tari Kembang Bakung
Meeting Sanggar Lang Lang Buana
Due to my late introduction to the Indonesian Arts & Culture Scholarship program, I found myself trailing behind the other awardees by a couple of weeks. When I arrived at Sanggar Lang Lang Buana in Banyuwangi, my peers had already begun learning traditional gamelan music and also the choreography for Tari Gandrung Paju— a renowned dance deeply embedded in the Osing culture of the region. They had also started their journey in learning Tari Kembang Bakung, a dance inspired by the Seblang Bakungan ritual in the Bakungan Region. After some brief formalities, I immediately immersed myself in the program, working to quickly to familiarise myself with my part in the gamelan ensemble while simultaneously learning both Tari Paju Gandrung and Tari Kembang Bakung dances.
In contrast to many traditional dances in Java, characterised by slow and intricate movements, movements from East Java, particularly in Banyuwangi, are dynamic and lively. The gamelan in Banyuwangi, though still rooted in the Javanese tradition, has hints of Balinese influence, given its close proximity to it, literally only a few kilometres across the sea. However, what distinguishes Banyuwangi gamelan from its Javanese and Balinese siblings, is the incorporation of key instruments like the violin and triangle, which play a pivotal role in leading the orchestra, particularly in dances such as Tari Gandrung.
Learning Tari Kembang Bakung
Tari Kembang Bakung begins with an air of mystery and eeriness, marked by the sole resonance of the gong and the melodic voices of traditional singers performing in the Osing language. This haunting ambiance is complemented by simple yet fierce dance movements. Suddenly, all musical elements come to a halt, followed by a Javanese countdown sung in unison by the gamelan players known as Panjak. Gradually, the remaining members of the gamelan orchestra join in, steadily increasing the tempo to match the escalating intensity of the dance.
Over the next month, we focused more on the dance, spending about 5-6 hours a day training. Every now and then, we took a break from dance, with some music classes to give our bodies a rest. As July drew to a close, we received the exciting news that five out of the nine participants from the scholarship, would be selected to perform this dance for their first time at the opening of the EJ Sport Banyuwangi Blue Fire IJEN KOM Challenge, at Pendopo Sabha Swagata Blambangan. Those selected would showcase their skills in front of the esteemed, Regent of Banyuwangi, Ipuk Fiestiandani. Recognizing the significance of this opportunity, my peers and I went into overdrive, rehearsing, in our spare time, day and night to try and master every aspect of the dance.
Our first performance
The decision was made that I would perform in the Blue Fire event alongside Yvette Rondonuwu (Indonesia), Sasha Fedorova (Russia), Assel Shaimerdenova (Kazakhstan), and Yasmin Middleton (Australia). Our initial excitement was high until we realized it was a sunrise event, meaning we had to start getting ready at 3am to be there by 5:30am. The life of a performer, right? The day before the show, we headed to the venue for a relaxed rehearsal on stage and to figure out our positions. After going home to rest, we set our alarms for the early 3am wakeup call to get ready with hair and makeup. Despite struggling with the early start, I was looking forward to having the opportunity to perform this dance before our final show in Jakarta.
After the success of our performance at the Blue Fire event, we wasted no time gearing up for our Indonesia Channel performance in Jakarta, where all nine of us would be showcasing our talents. We had a dedicated day to work with representatives from EkosDance Company—Mbak Tutut and Mas Crozher—who traveled from Solo to help refine our dances. They shared some valuable tips with us individually on how to enhance our moves, guiding us to be our very best on the big stage.
Traveling to Jakarta
On August 6th, we took a flight from Banyuwangi to Jakarta to get ready for the big Indonesia Channel performance. We practiced every day at Gedung Wayang Orang Bharata, joining forces with 45 other IACS/BSBI awardees from 34 different countries, who had been divided into 4 other sanggars around Indonesia. Mas Eko Supriyanto, aka Eko Pece, the mastermind behind EkosDance Company, directed the dance performance, while the gamelan orchestra was in the capable hands of Mas Gondrong Gunarto. They had the difficult task of blending 5 very different cultural performances into one big showcase, using new choreography and musical compositions. It was exciting to watch them work and create new ideas, as they pulled off something truly amazing, by weaving together all the traditional dances and music into one grand finale.
Our last rehearsal took place on location, at Lapangan Banteng, the venue for the grand finale Indonesia Channel performance. As the venue presented many new challenges, particularly regarding the stage being 5 times bigger than any stage we had rehearsed on before, a gruelling 13+ hours of practise was required to polish up our showcase. Emotions and nerves were running high, as we were set to perform in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassadors and officials from the 34 countries participating, and of course, the people of Jakarta coming to celebrate Indonesian Independence day.
Indonesia Channel 2023
In the end, the Indonesia Channel performance was a total success. After months of building new relationships, being immersed in a new culture, lots of hard work and dedication, it seemed to go by in a flash. I am grateful for the new friends I made along the way, culturally diverse – from different corners the world, we were unified by our deep interest in Indonesian arts and culture and we still keep in contact regularly. There were many highlights along the way, from watching the mystic Seblang Bakungan ritual, day trips around Banyuwangi’s nature reserves and beaches, to even meeting a member of Bali’s Sanggar Seni Semarandana who was from the same small town as me in Bali. Excitingly this lead to the introduction to the other members of Sanggar Seni Semarandana, and an invitation to visit when I return to Bali, to begin my next journey of learning traditional Balinese dance.
