Badung
The Center of Tourism
A
A Putra Susilawati: From Dancing to Making
Dance Costumes
She used to dance,
but today she makes and rents dance costumes
and performs traditional make up. It’s
all done by Anak Agung Putra Susilawati,
an officer of Sekolah Menengah Karawitan
Negeri 3 Sukawati or State High School
for the Performing Arts (formerly Kokar)
who lives at Baha Palace, Blahkiuh, Abiansemal,
Badung.
Anak
Agung Putra Susilawati was born at Payangan,
Gianyar on 6 October 1952, and has been
deeply involved in dancing since she was
10 years old. Firstly, she learned to
dance, when she was at grade 6, she studied
dance and drama and continued to learn
the janger dance and drama gong when she
was in secondary school. By mastering
the art, Susilawati often conducted performances
for a ngayah service or expression of
one’s devotion to the gods at her
own village. Since she loved this type
of art, she decided to continue her study
at Kokar Bali.
With the basic skills of art she learned
at school, Susilawati came to be an active
and creative dancer. She was chosen to
be a dancer in the Ramayana Festival’s
both nationally and internationally. In
addition, she made visits abroad to show
off the liveliness of her creative eyes.
The countries she visited when supporting
the team of Kokar were Germany (1970 &
1986), Europe (1982), Japan (1992), Hong
Kong and Singapore.
“At that time, I was proud that I
could dance abroad. Moreover, I won great
applause from the spectators,” she
said.
In Bali, Susilawati frequently participates
in the Kecak dance, playing the character
of Rama in a troupe led by her husband,
Ida Bagus Nyoman Mas, S.Skar. This Kecak
troupe presents performances for hotel
guests three times a week, every Monday,
Thursday and Saturday.
“But, after Kuta tragedy, I hardly
ever presented a performance at hotels,
even though I am currently still under
contract with a tour service company,
its schedule is uncertain she added.
In relation to her profession as a dancer,
Susilawati also involves herself in the
business of dance costume rental. She
has run this business since 1994 when
she received many performance requests
from hotels and restaurant. At the beginning,
I just had my own costumes, but after
the performance requests increased, she
started the rental business.
“As I am often requested to do make
up, I think it’s necessary to provide
dance costume. For instance, with every
Bali Art Festival (PKB), I am in charge
to do all the make up for dancers and
female gamelan players who take part in
the festival. Almost every year I do their
make up. However, I stopped this in 2001,
to let the younger generation take it
over. We do need regeneration, don’t
we?” she said.
If she has requests to do make up, she
usually brings all costumes at once. A
job to make someone beautiful or handsome
she has done since 1990, but it is still
based on call request. “You know
that I have no beauty salon.
Having entered the aging period, the wife
of Ida Bagus Nyoman Mas, S.Skar started
to make dance costumes. She specializes
in making dance costumes that applies
the beads motive. These items have limited
numbers that consist of badong, stewel,
awir and lamak The orders reach large
quantities. She never refuses new orders
although she receives too many. The business
that has been done since 1999 makes her
happy. Her business is not only profitable,
but also enjoyable as it’s not far
from the performing art that she has deeply
been involved in for many years.
“If I simply rely on dancing, it’s
becomes less feasible as I grow older,
I cannot dance as lively as today’s
younger dancer, preferably, I enjoy making
dance costumes, as the number of people
who still make these costumes is in small
numbers,” she said calmly.
According to her, a piece of work that
requires concentration is done after office
hours. While the length of time consumed
is uncertain, and it depends on the activities
on that day. Although she gets many orders,
Susilawati remains to do it by herself.
Why? “Nowadays, it is difficult to
find workers who are willing to set beads.
Today’s young workers prefer to become
sculptors. If they want to, making dance
costumes is a profitable business. In
the past, when she made dance costumes
with the prada (golden glossy paint) motive,
I had many workers,” she added.
How about its marketing? While swishing
her hair, Susilawati said it is not necessary
to sell this work at shops or to other
vendors, as buyers usually come to her.
They’re mostly students of ISI (Indonesian
Art Institute) in Denpasar, SMK Negeri
3 Sukawati and arja dancers that appear
in numbers in Bali. Should there be any
costumes left, it will certainly be taken
by other costume traders. “Usually
all costumes are sold out, since I make
them based on request, or order,”
she described.
Amongst her bustle, Susilawati makes time
actively to her skill at dancing to children
at her surrounding village. Scheduled
2 times a week, it does not disturb her
activity in making costumes. She said
that her studio has been established since
1972.
In teaching dance at the beginning, Susilawati
was assisted by her beloved husband. Her
children now also help her. “If I
am absent, my children occasionally take
it over. They all can dance, too,”
she said. (BTN/Budarsana)
