CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS PROGRAM Çudamani Friday, October 22, 2010, 8pm Zellerbach Hall to Bronze

Gamelan Çudamani PROGRAM The Three Worlds

Tri Hita Karana Introduction: Asking Forgiveness Vocal Arrangements I Made Arnawa, Emiko Saraswati Susilo

Nature Composers I Made Arnawa, I Dewa Putu Berata

Bhoma (“Son of Earth”) Choreographer & Dancer I Nyoman Cerita Composer I Dewa Putu Rai

The Divine Pawisik (“Whispering Sign”) Choreographer I Nyoman Cerita

Jorge Vismara Composer I Dewa Putu Berata

Yatna (“Careful”) Bamboo to Bronze Choreographer I Nyoman Cerita Composer I Dewa Putu Berata Director I Dewa Putu Berata INTERMISSION Assistant Director Emiko Saraswati Susilo Artistic Advisors I Made Arnawa, I Nyoman Cerita Tebog Composers I Made Arnawa, I Dewa Putu Berata, Composer I Made Arnawa I Dewa Putu Rai Humanity Choreographers I Nyoman Cerita, Pak Kranca Mewali (“Return”) Concept Judy Mitoma Choreographer I Nyoman Cerita Composer I Made Arnawa

Co-commissioned by Cal Performances and UCLA Live. Kebyar Perak (“Silver Explosion”) Arranger & Teacher I Wayan Gandra Support also provided by the Metabolic Studio/Chora. Pengeleban Choreographers Pak Cening, Pan Wandres Special Guest Teachers Bapak I Made Kranca, BapakCarik, Cal Performances’ 2010–2011 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. I Made Pasca Wirasutha Closing, or “What Really Happens at Rehearsal”

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I Komang Harianto Ardiantha Dewa Gde Sanjaya Balinese music and dance are ever-evolving tradi- forge their bronze , thus creating new I Gusti Kompiang Armawan Sang Ery Widya Sasmika tions rooted in the genius of our ancestors and artistic identities. Dance is also inspired by new I Made Arnawa Sang Kompiang Widya Sastrawan sustained by the hard work and deep love of our aesthetic identities. However, the ceremonial I Dewa Putu Berata Ni Made Ayu Septiari children. From times long before the great king- function remains central to the development of I Nyoman Cerita I Made Suandiyasa doms of Bali, the sounds of nature, work and performing arts. Rituals ranging from the sim- Dewa Ayu Tiara Dewi I Dewa Made Suardika life were enhanced by song and music-making. plest giving of offerings to the most complex I Made Karjana I Made Suniyantara While today our ears are filled with the sounds and elaborate islandwide ceremonies all share a I Wayan Karta I Made Supasta of motorbikes, cell phones, televisions and com- simple, yet elusive mission: to create and main- Ni Wayan Eka Kusumadewi Emiko Saraswati Susilo puter games, thankfully the sounds of nature and tain harmony between the three worlds of nature, Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti Dewa Ayu Swandewi the beauty of music and dance are still a part of humanity and the divine. Though different, these I Wayan Dwija Paramita Anak Anom Sweta our lives. worlds are never completely separate for us, for I Dewa Made Mega Putra I Dewa Putu Wardika there is an element of nature and the divine in I Dewa Putu Rai I Made Joker Winangun Bamboo. Flourishing in mountain forests of Bali each human, and our reverence for the divine Set & Property Design Dewa Putu Berata, Emiko Saraswati Susilo are many kinds of bamboo. For centuries we have cannot be easily separated from our love of na- Costume Design Dewa Putu Berata, I Nyoman Cerita, looked to our bamboo to sustain life. When a ture. This evening, we present three suites, with Emiko Saraswati Susilo baby is born, a small, sharpened piece of bamboo different focuses and yet the element of one al- cuts the child’s umbilical cord. In our last rites of ways weaves into the other, since separating and Acknowledgments cremation, large lengths of bamboo are strapped categorizing is not our goal. Çudamani expresses our deepest gratitude to Judy Mitoma, Marcia Argolo, Anuradha Kishore Ganpati, together and held on the shoulders of our men Philip Graulty, and UCLA’s Center for Intercultural Performance, Jero Mangku Dalem Pengosekan, who carry our bodies to the fire. It is used to cook, Jero Soni, Ni Gusti Made Raka (offering master who had “the dream”), I Wayan Dibia, protect, pound and measure rice, to meter irriga- The Three Worlds I Ketut Kodi and Wayan Gogo. tion and as a vessel for drinking. When the rice is “pregnant,” the Rice Goddess is entertained Tri Hita Karana. We begin the evening by asking Thanks to our honored teachers for their work reconstructing Pengeleban: with the sounds of bamboo sunari (bamboo wind for forgiveness (“pengaksama”). Rarely performed Bapak Kranca, Bapak Carik and I Made Pasca Wirasutha (Kocok). ), taluktak (bamboo irrigation meters) and for entertainment, this sung invocation was given We also offer our deepest gratitude to our Master Teachers: I Gusti Ng, Agung Serama Semadi, pindekan (spinning bamboo wind chimes). It is a to Çudamani by Bapa Made Sija of Bona Village. Ni Gusti Ayu Raka Rasmin, Ni Wayan Sekar, Ni Luh Mas and I Dewa Nyoman Sura. powerful and flexible material to build homes— The text is loosely translated as follows: strong enough to hold up a roof, yet flexible And we remember our late Master Teachers, who taught Çudamani in its earliest years: enough to sway gracefully in powerful temblors. Respected audience, Honored Ones I Wayan Gandra, I Gusti Ngurah Agung Raka (Saba), I Ketut Kantor and I Gusti Ketut Karta. It is this strength and flexibility that embodies a I, ignorant and inexperienced, come value deeply treasured in Bali not only in a build- before you Gamelan Teachers ing material, but also in human beings. It is presumptuous of me to attempt (in alphabetical order) To perform for you, who are so much Senior Specialists I Made Arnawa, I Dewa Putu Berata Bronze. The arrival of bronze instruments in more knowledgeable than I. Core Teaching Staff I Made Karjana, I Dewa Made Mega Putra, Bali signified a connection to the outside world And yet, I hope that what we do I Dewa Putu Rai, I Made Suandiyasa, as bronze came from mainland Southeast Asia. May bring happiness to your heart. I Dewa Nyoman Sugi, I Made Suniantara, Once bronze came into the “Golden Period” of I Made Supasta, I Gusti Ngurah Suryana, Balinese King Waturenggong, arts grew beyond Sang Kompiang Widya Sastrawan, traditional ceremonial functions and devel- Nature I Dewa Nyoman Guna Arta, I Wayan Karta oped more virtuosic forms of “entertainment.” These new sounds and dance forms glorified the The sounds of nature can be evoked by the sounds Dance Teachers courts and thus began a flourishing of perform- of bamboo from suling( ) to percussion. We Senior Specialists I Nyoman Cerita (Senior Dance Advisor), ing arts. To this day, the masterful and spiritu- offer the distinct, long suling ; the me- Ni Ketut Alit Arini, I Ketut Wirtawan ally charged forging of bronze instruments is a dium suling used in kebyar ensembles; and Tour Preparation Emiko Saraswati Susilo secret kept in the homes of the Pande (smiths) of the small suling, which is allowed improvisa- Core Teaching Staff Desak Made Bratiani, Jero Sueni, Bali. Villages often ask Pandes to forge and re- tional freedom. We explore the range of bamboo Dewa Ayu Eka Putri, I Nyoman Suatama

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finally the experience and wisdom that comes felt compelled to ask the elders to reconstruct the with age. Valuing the different strengths of the work. Çudamani musicians feel that the work different times of human life guide Bali’s philoso- is “so old, it’s new.” Dynamic rhythms, precise phies of cooperative division of labor, compro- and ornamented connections between music and mise, flexibility and interdependence. dance, and constant melodic shifts are evidence of North Bali’s leadership in Kebyar, a musical Kebyar Perak (“Silver Explosion”). Kebyar Perak explosion that began almost a century ago. To is a Tabuh Kreasi Kebyar Pepanggulan, which our knowledge, this is the first time this piece has features the use of mallets on the drum in the been performed outside of Bali. kebyar style. It features (sectional) solos on the trpong, reong, and instruments. It Closing. We close our program without bamboo was taught to our father’s generation by Bapak I or bronze. Inspired by the vocal traditions of East Wayan Gandra and then passed on to us by Dewa Bali’s Genjek and the healing interlocking of Aji Nyoman Sura and the late Gusti Aji Ketut Kecak, Çudamani has offers a glimpse of who we Karta. For Çudamani, it is a beloved piece that are offstage and how much we enjoy each other’s percussion with taluktak (rice irrigation meters), Yatna (“Careful”). The male spirit has a power reminds us of our teachers who have passed away, company. Members collaboratively create the kapuakan (loud clackers used to chase birds away very different from the female. Protective, de- their lively artistic genius and their love for us, movements, vocal treatments and rhythmic ele- from the ripening rice), kecrek (slit bamboo) and cisive and energetic men provide a necessary their children. ments. In this work, each person is free to inter- the kulkul (slit bamboo drum). The pounding compliment to the female principle just seen in act with his or her friends through an improvised of rice and a bamboo percussion trio recall the Pawisik. This balance of opposites known as Rwa Pengeleban. Earlier this year, Çudamani request- framework. For us, the arts are not simply the fi- rhythmic sounds heard every harvest season. Bhinneda is a core concept of all Balinese. In ed guest teachers from North Bali to reconstruct nal product on stage, but about creating a life and Yatna, the loud taluktak and kapuakan and the Pengeleban. Knowing that all the dancers who per- world that is full of joy, friendship and harmony. Bhoma (“Son of the Earth”), son of Ibu Pertiwi forceful rhythms and powerful movement of the formed this dance have passed on, the company (Goddess of the Earth) and Wisnu (the Preserver, dancers command the attention and fear of any- whose element is water). Çudamani has assem- thing that might threaten the Goddess Dewi Sri bled a unique set of bamboo instruments to ac- and the pregnant rice stalks. Startling away birds company Bhoma—a powerful king of the natu- and mice is but a metaphor for the role men have ral world whose image is found on temple doors in protecting all that is vulnerable around them. and gamelan instruments throughout Bali. In this work, musicians change their dynamics and Tebog. This new composition follows classical le- rhythm in response to the dancer’s movements lambatan structure: a “head” or kawitan (open- and moods. ing), “body” or pengawak (slow expansive middle section) and “legs” or pengecet (more energetic end section). Inspired by an offering for a processional The Divine ceremony, Tebog maintains this classical structure as the symbolic creation of harmony between the Pawisik (“Whispering Sign”). When Çudamani divine, the human and the natural worlds. was newly established, Gusti Niang Raka, the village elder of Pengosekan, had a dream in which two beautiful, heavenly beings came to her Humanity and told her they wanted to dance. They asked, “Where can we go to dance in this village?” She Mewali (“Return”). Each age of our life brings told them in a whisper to come to Çudamani to with it a different understanding of our world. dance. This dance is inspired by the blessings that Honoring the unique qualities of each age we ex- Çudamani has received and a reminder that di- plore playful and unpredictable moods of child- vine spirits watch over us. hood, complex and dynamic energy of youth and

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Gamelan Çudamani

The island of Bali is home to the vast majority of Born and raised in the village of Pengosekan, One of Bali’s most influential choreographers ’s small Hindu minority. It is also the son of a great drummer, I Dewa Putu Berata and teachers, I Nyoman Cerita hails from the largest tourist destination in the country, particu- (Director) was immersed in Balinese performing village of Singapadu, renowned for its vibrant larly in Ubud just north of Pengosekan. By the arts since his birth. His creative talents, teaching dance traditions. He has been Çudamani’s Senior 1990s, most of the musicians of Ubud were play- capabilities and leadership qualities have made him Dance Advisor since the group’s inception, yet he ing for tourists and moving away from any con- a noted figure in the Balinese music world. He is is in demand all over Bali as a choreographer and nection with the religious and communal life of renowned for his compositional skills in both tra- teacher. His works range from large-scale dance the village. As a response, in 1997, brothers Dewa ditional and innovative styles and his rare ability dramas to new works for children. Mr. Cerita is Putu Berata and Dewa Ketut Alit called together to communicate a diverse knowledge of Balinese one of the few choreographers who also composes a number of talented and promising young people arts to both Balinese and international artists. He his own music. At the same time, he enjoys col- from Bali to form Sanggar Çudamani as an al- is the founder and director of Çudamani, and has laborating with composers as with Çudamani’s ternative to the groups formed to solely entertain lead Çudamani on tours to venues including Jazz Odalan Bali and Bamboo to Bronze productions. tourists. Thesanggar today is a powerhouse of cul- at Lincoln Center (New York), the World Festival He has trained some of Bali’s finest award winning tural and educational activity. Çudamani is dedi- of Sacred Music (Los Angeles), the Cultural dancers and yet remains completely dedicated to cated to ayah, or devotional service, performing Olympiad (Greece), World Expo (Japan) and the the teaching of Balinese children. He received his at the highest artistic level for temple ceremonies Tong Tong Festival (Holland), among others. As B.A. from ASTI, S1 from STSI and M.F.A. from and other religious festivals. These bring little or a result of Mr. Berata’s vision and commitment, UCLA. He is Head of the Dance Department at no money but reconnect artists to the commu- Çudamani, has become an important artistic cen- Institut Seni Indonesia Denpasar. nity and temples in which music and dance have ter in Bali, endeavoring to study and preserve rare played an integral role for centuries. Çudamani classic forms of Balinese arts and also to provide a A prolific composer, performer and teacher, I teaches its youth for free and is one of the few space that nurtures the creative energies of young Made Arnawa comes from the village of Tunjuk- groups that teach the girls to play gamelan music. artists in Bali. Mr. Berata is a graduate of STSI, Tabanan in west Bali, widely known for it tra- Their music reflects their approach to life, as they Denpasar, Bali’s National Academy of the Arts. ditions in music, dance and shadow puppet the- comingle the ancient and modern, spirituality ater. He received his M.A. in creative arts from and globalization. The musicians play on a hybrid Emiko Saraswati Susilo (Assistant Director) was ISI Surakarta. He studied contemporary music gamelan orchestra, Semarandana, which was cre- raised in a family rich with the arts. She began with Dieter Mack, Slamet Abdul Syukur, Suka ated in the 1980s. With seven tones rather than her study of Balinese dance with Ibu Ni Made Hardjana and R. Supanggah. A senior faculty the usual five, this special gamelan allows the Wiratini and her study of Javanese dance with late member at ISI Denpasar, Bali’s National Institute freedom to play in rare modes, particularly those Master Rama Sasminta Mardawa, teacher of the of the Arts, he has performed and taught inter- derived from older court and ritual gamelan. Court of Yogyakarta. She is a gamelan and vocal nationally, including tours to Australia, India, In 2001 and 2005, Çudamani received a grant student of Bp. Tri Haryanto and Ki Midiyanto. Europe and the United States. He has composed from the Ford Foundation for their work in pres- Ms. Susilo is a founding member of Çudamani, extensively for Balinese gamelan, especially in the ervation, innovation and education. Çudamani and a core leader since the group’s inception. forms kreasi baru and lelambatan, and has won and its members have toured Italy, Greece, the She works closely with Çudamani’s senior dance awards in the annual Balinese Arts Festival. His World Expo in Aichi, Japan, and three tours to students, master dance teachers, performers pre- recent works are innovative in nature, exploring the United States. They have collaborated with paring for tour and the groundbreaking girls’ textures and forms. Arnawa leads two gamelan master musicians, scholars and ethnomusicolo- gamelan program. She has a deep love of bring- groups, Gamelan Pendro and Sekaa Gong gists from around the world. Each summer, the ing together traditional and contemporary forms Teruna Mekar. company hosts the Çudamani Summer Music and ideas across the disciplines of dance, music, and Dance Institute in Bali for individuals from voice and visual arts. She received her B.A. from Çudamani’s 2010 U.S. tour is made possible by around the world to study Balinese music and UC Berkeley’s Department of Anthropology and Foundation for World Arts, the UCLA Center for dance in a three-week intensive program in Bali. her master’s degree at the University of Hawaii’s Intercultural Performance and a grant from the Visit www.cudamani.org for more information. Department of Asian Studies. Metabolic Studio/Chora.

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