THE EDITOR – The Graha Bhakti Budaya building, Taman Ismail Marzuki, was filled with hundreds of spectators who couldn’t wait to see Didik Nini Thowok’s performance to open the Indonesian Dance Festival (IDF) 2024 with “Bedhaya Hagoromo” choreographed by the Maestro.
The 800-seat audience was filled to capacity with art lovers, cultural experts, ministry representatives, and media crews. The atmosphere was also very different as the Maestro’s performance was enlivened by professional dancers such as Akira Matsuki from Japan, Richard Emmert, John Ogleeve, and Alex Dea from the United States.
“Come on. Let me introduce you to my teacher,” Didik told The Editor that attended the rehearsal on Friday (1/11/2024) at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki.
At that time, he was seen wearing the kebaya that would be used the next day when dancing Bedhaya Hagoromo but without any makeup.
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Meanwhile, in the audience, three teachers of Eyang Didik, Didik’s nickname, were seen watching the rehearsal preparation. The three of them also wore kimono as if they were going to perform on stage, making the rehearsal atmosphere very pleasant.
Richard Emmer, Professor of Asian Performance at Musashino University and certified Noh (classical Japanese music drama) dance instructor at Kita School, Japan, says that Didik Nini Thowok learnt the art of Noh performance first-hand in Sakura Country decades ago.
He recalls that, as an artist studying Japanese culture, Didik was very quick to learn this ancient art form.
“In just four months of studying Noh dance, he (Didik) immediately got the idea to combine Javanese (Bedhaya) and Japanese (Noh) cultures. Therefore, the dance that is currently being performed is called Bedhaya Hagoromo,” said Richard.
This uniqueness, he continues, is a very valuable experience because Noh and Bedhaya are two dances in the world that are very sacred and have very slow but gentle movements.
“It is not easy for young people to watch Noh and Bedhaya performances. But if you pay close attention, you will realize that these dances are special,” added Richard.
HAPPY BECAUSE NOH AND BEDHAYA DANCE CAN BE ENJOYED BY EVERYONE
In the past, Bedhaya dance could only be seen by the upper class of society. In Indonesia, for example, Bedhaya dance has only been opened to the public in recent years.
Akira Matsui, teacher and lead actor of classical Noh dance at Kita School, says the same thing happens in his country. In Japan, Noh dance can only be seen by noble families.
Noh dance, he said, is very different from contemporary dances such as Hip Hop. However, it still has its own speciality because it is danced with slow movements but full of tenderness.
“So, even though the dance is slow, the audience can still enjoy it,” said Akira.
Akira believes that anyone who watches Bedhaya Hagoromo at the IDF will be happy since the dance is not stressful.
He said that the clear mind when watching Bedhaya Hagoromo arises because the dance composition consists of pure movements.
THE CROWD WILL GET ADDICTED
John Ogleeve, an American theater artist who is involved in Noh dance drama, also said that Didik Nini Thowok’s Bedhaya Hagoromo dance concept is very special because the audience is brought back to the nostalgia of the past.
“This is what is called tradition and the audience wants to see it immediately as if they are going back in time when they see the dance,” says John.
“The same goes for the dancers who will be performing Bedhaya Hagoromo,” says Richard.
From Richard’s perspective, their performance in Jakarta this year was an invaluable experience. Because, despite having performed the same dance in front of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X in Yogyakarta in 2014, the intimacy and familiarity between him, Didik Ninik Thowok, Akira Matsui, and John Ogleeve on stage was even stronger.
“I think this is also a part of culture,” he says.
WHAT IS BEDHAYA HAGOROMO?
Bedhaya Hagoromo is a combination of two classical art forms between Bedhaya dance from Java and Noh performance from Japan.
The formulation of this work was formed when Didik found the similarity of stories in Javanese and Japanese classical dance, namely the legend of Jaka Tarub.
Together with Richard Emmert and Akira Matsui, this work seeks to stitch the aesthetic elements of Bedhaya dance and Noh dance to show the inter-cultural connection and uniqueness.
In addition to choreography, Didik’s fusion of these two classical dances is also done through the playing of traditional gamelan music with Yogyakarta-Solo style and Noh’s signature tetabuhan, Bedhaya costumes with Noh masks and fans, and other aesthetic elements.
With the in-depth experience and references of the three collaborators, Bedhaya Hagoromo can be said to show how gender culture is represented and negotiated in the context of transnational performance as well as elaborate on broader cultural issues of innovation, collaboration, class and identity struggles, cultural location in performance, and the politics of representation.
