Balinese Dancer Master: Jero Made Puspawati, Still Dancing

Jero Made Puspawati is one of the Balinese dancers who is still active in the dance world even at the age of 70. She dances once in a while, but her routine job is teaching children dancing. “I’ve got a lot of students, some of them are also from foreign countries like Japan,” said the mother of Denpasar Major, Drs. Anak Agung Ngurah Puspayoga.
Jero Puspawati is a famous Balinese dancer, who often performed around Asia in the 1950’s, like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Singapore. On her trips to foreign countries, Jero Puspawati usually danced Janger, Legong Kraton, Kupu-Kupu Tarum. Besides traveling around Asia, Jero Puspa was often invited to perform by President Soekarno, in the country palace of Tampak Siring, Bali, or in Jakarta. With a number of other dancers, Jero Made Puspawati has an important role in introducing Balinese art and culture to the outside world.
In the 1970’s, Jero Made Puspawati became a lecturer at the Akademi Seni Tari Indonesia (ASTI), now Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia (STSI) of Bali. In this education institution, she taught dancing. “There are some students from Japan. Until now, some of the Japanese students still come to my house to learn dance,” she said.
In the 1980’s, Jero Made Puspawati was asked by the late Ni Reneng, the other Balinese dance master, to dance at Toyobungkah, Kintamani, at a place belonging to a famous Indonesian man of letters, Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, at that time, she collaborated to create a new dance like “Wanita Persimpangan Zaman (Woman of Crossing Age)” and Terang Bulan at Danau Batur (Full moon in Batur Lake)”. “The idea of that dance came from Sutan Takdir, while Ni Reneng and I arranged the movement,” said Jero Puspa. Both of these dances have been performed in Jakarta.
In her old age, Jero Made Puspawati danced in the Bali Art Festival in 2001. Jero Made Puspawati joined in the art team of Badung Regency traveling around Europe, to countries like Bulgaria and Hungary. “The trip to Hungary reminded me of the trip to Asia, it is almost 50 years ago,” she said.
Now, Jero Made Puspawati is active teaching children dancing each week at Puri Satria, Denpasar, and also at Tanjung Sari Hotel, Sanur. “In teaching, I am helped by my assistant,” she said. She also has Japanese students who learn dancing; they are Yoko Arashindani and Shimane-ken, Osaka. (dp)

Yoko Arashindani: Loves Balinese Dance

Yoko Arashindani who comes from Osaka, Japan, loves Balinese dance very much. She began to learn Balinese dance in 1999 at Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia (STSI) Bali. “At that time, I learnt for 3 years. From 1999 up to 2002,” she said in fluent Indonesian. In her country, Yoko works in computer design, making construction designs. Before she went to Bali, she learnt Indonesian in Osaka. After she was fluent enough, Yoko came to Bali. “In STSI, I learn Balinese dance and gamelan,” she said. After trying it, Yoko fell in love with Balinese dancing.
Her interest made it easier for her to learned the dances quickly, including the Legong Kraton, which is a difficult dance. During her time at STSI, Yoko got the opportunity to perform in the Bali Art Festival at the Art Center in Denpasar. She took part three times, performing amongst others the Telek dance, which uses a mask.
After she returned to her country, Yoko also dances often, for example in holy places, and kinds of Pura (temple) in Bali. “I often dance in Osaka,” said Yoko. Even though she is already a very capable dancer, Yoko wants to develop further. This month, Yoko studied again with master dancer Jero Made Puspawati (71), from Puri Stria, Denpasar.
“She is already capable, she needs only to deepen and refine the movements,” said Jero Puspawati in praise of her student. Yoko wants to be a dance instructor when she returns to Osaka.(dp)