An evening organised by DIAF saw glimpses of the popular Indonesian Saman dancers. It was followed by a play, Baanjh; based on the tension between India and Pakistan. Utpal K Banerjee reports
In the picturesque peninsula of Indonesia, numerous islands provide the principal land-mass, with the major islands often having their own unique culture. Dance, for instance, is the main art form as Bali Island’s cultural legacy, performed at the main temple-festivals and ceremonies, especially at the life-cycle rituals. legong is the most graceful among Balineese dances: an epitome of the classical Balinese female dancing. A legong, as the dancer is known, is often a young girl of pre-puberty age, rarely older than the early teens. First created in the 18th century, it is usually the first dance taught to the beginners.
In the recent DIAF festival, first, Indonesian Saman dance was presented from North Sumatra as an eminently chiselled folk dance: with very systematic body-clapping, floor-beating and chest-pounding by a group of male and female dancers. Then came the classical legong, on the theme of Arjuna’s penance from the Indian epic Mahabharata. One day, the old sage Bhagwan Abhyasa advised Arjuna to find the mighty weapon Pasopati. Arjuna, although in doubt, accepted the task, and began his journey. He managed to subdue all his emotions and found a suitable place to meditate. In the Wayangor shadow puppet legends, during meditation Arjuna changed name to Bhagwan Mintaraga. He was tested by Shiva through sending beautiful nymphs led by Devi Suprabha. Arjuna only woke up after being attacked by a giant wild boar Celeng in the Barong mask dance-form, and defeated it with his spear, only to find that a mysterious warrior Satria also claimed the triumph. They engaged in a fight and Arjuna could not be defeated. The warrior resumed his true form as Shiva, united Arjuna with Devi Suprabha, and bestowed the mighty weapon Pasopati to Arjuna.
Explained the choreographer-director, Ayu Bulantrisna Djelantik, “The dance enacts a part of the Arjuna Wiwaha story written in Sanskrit by Empu Kanwa, a Javanese poet from the 13th century. It starts with the Condong opening dance and five legong dancers as the five Pandava brothers, wandering and rehearsing in the forest during exile. later, each dancer changes roles which is a specific feature of legong dance. This creation presents the importance of self-control and overcoming worldly passions to become a good leader and warrior.”
Further commented the director, “legong is one of Bali’s most exquisite classical dance-forms which is characterised by tightly-bound gold-leaf costumes and flower arrangements on the head-dress, quivering with every head movement and shaking of the shoulders. There are many kinds of legong — those that are purely dance-forms — and this piece is created for seven dancers in the classical Balinese style.”
The second part of the evening went to the other pole of a starkly realistic play, Baanjh based on the perceived tensions between India and Pakistan, the incipient camaraderie between apparent antagonists and their ultimate tragedy due to superior interventions. The Pakistani Corporal Ghulab Din and the Indian Jawan Hurnaam Singh are two innocent cogs in the giant wheels of their respective state machineries. Theirs is not to question why, but to do or die... In strikingly similar and poignant life-stories — shared over the intercom, totally by chance — they seem both to be equal victims to circumstances and doomed by their common fate.
Speaking about the evolution of Baanjh, the director Aamir Nawaz said, “Our story revolves around two soldiers appointed at Siachen Glacier, one from Pakistan and the other from India. How they deal with each other on such an unfertile landIJ How they react first and then become friends but ultimately situation takes them at another turn.”
About his group, the director informed, “Maas Foundation is a leading theatre group of Pakistan based at lahore and performing from the last 11 years. We have performed more than 16 plays and have more than 300 shows until now, including all forms of theatre. With tag line “Awareness through Theatre”, our foundation had performed not only in all major national festivals but also in international festivals, including Aita/Iata International theatre festival in South Korea.”