jero puspa in tokyo

On the 29th March 2008, Arti Foundation, in cooperation with Gamelan Sida Karya in Tokyo invited Jero Made Puspawati to a talk-and-demonstration session held at Studio Amrita in Kichijoi, Tokyo. Hosted by Koichi Minagawa and Kadek Suardana, the three presented to the audience, the difference in style of dancing in the present and over 60 years ago when Jero Pusapa, as she is familiarly called, was in her youth.

 

Jero Puspa was born in the village of Kesiman in 1933. She was trained in basics by the legendary dancer Wayan Rindi, and came to specialize the legong, janger, and other dances such as the Kupu-kupu Tarum, Demung Miring, Panji Semirang, and Margapati. As a member of the Sri Budaya Bali, she often danced for Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, at the palace in Tampaksiring and Jakarta. In 1955, she married the politician Cokorda Bagus Sayoga of Puri Satria, Denpasar, and it was after several years that she took to dancing again. From 1965, she taught at the Indonesian Dance Academy (ASTI) in Denpasar, and from 1976, joined in the activities of Sultan Takdir at the Balai Seni Toyabungkah and created such works as Perempuan di Persimpangan Jaman. She has received the Dharma Kusuma Award from the provincial government, and the Kerthi Budaya from the city of Denpasar.

 

For the audience at the Studio Amrita, Jero Puspa danced the Panji Miring with a dynamism which could only come from indepth understanding of it’s choreography and music.

 

 

Sri Tanjung:The Scent of Innocence

The story of Sri Tanjung, originating from East Java, will be brought back to life as a dance-drama by the Arti Foundation. Wait for its premier performance in Bali scheduled in early 2009. Excerpts of texts in middle-javanese language from the Kidung Sri Tanjung is incooperated into Arti’s original script, consisting also of other texts originating in the vocal tradition of Bali. Old texts will be sung to new melodies created by Gusti Putu Sudarta, accompanied by music composed by Kadek Suardana. Choreography by Kadek Suardana and Nyoman Sura. See our special feature.