Borobudur International Festival

This book about Balinese women entitled “Wanita Bali Tempoe Doeloe, Perspektif Masa Kini,” was launched last week, on Kartini Day, at Pendet Museum, Nyuh Kuning, Ubud. Kartini was remembered as the pioneer for the emancipation of Indonesian women..

Borobudur lay dormant for countless centuries until a team of UNESCO archaeologists meticulously moved the massive monument stone-by stone to safety 20 years ago. Borobudur is one of time’s grandest footprints and has silently watched the changes on our earth, and the 20th anniversary of the project will celebrate these transformations in one of the most significant cultural events of the new millennium. The temple of Borobudur plays grand host and backdrop as artists gather before the grand monument...”
The Yayasan Polosseni has the honor of representing Bali at the Borobudur International Festival. On this occasion the Yayasan Polosseni will perform for the first time in public on its new gamelan selunding, a copy of the gamelan used in Tenganan Pagringsingan in Karangasem, Bali. This is an iron gamelan with a repertoire dating back centuries. This music has a tranquil beauty quite unlike anything found in other forms of music in Bali. It stands alone in “understated elegance”.
For the Borobudur performances the group will present the story of Shakuntala in dance.  To work into the international theme of the Festival we have chosen dancers from both Bali and abroad.
I Made Djimat who is very well known worldwide for his Balinese dancing is joined by Australian dancer extraordinaire Kerensa Johnston who has just returned from performing in Australia. Kerensa is a pupil of the late I Ketut Tutur of Petulu Gunung in Bali. Kadek Kitri and Luh Sunadi, legong dancers with the Yayasan Polosseni, support them.
In the Indonesian tradition the story will be narrated in Indonesian/Bahasa Kawi for the audience by the female dalang, Ni Wayan Latri. Compositions used on the gamelan selunding range from recent compositions adapted for this dance performance to traditional selunding pieces from the beginnings of time.
The performance lasts for 30 minutes. The Yayasan Polosseni group will perform on the 15th, and 16th of June at 4.30 p.m. on the stage in front of the Borobudur temple. The performance is directed by Douglas Myers with artistic direction by I Made Djimat and musical direction by I Wayan Sadera.