“Now we have fewer shows as no one watches Sundanese shows. You cannot love something when you have never seen it. We expect the Government will make efforts to conduct performances for the younger generation,” hoped Irawati.
One of the dancers in the Pesona Rampak Tari Merak Sunda was Kalya Mahiya Pravina, a member of the Gema Citra Nusantara Studio. Kalya has been involved in traditional dance since she was 9 years old. Kalya has mastered 13 traditional dances, including the Ratoh Jaroe Dance from Aceh, the Lancang Kuning Dance from Riau, the Yospan Dance from Papua, the Hornbill Dance from East Kalimantan, and many other traditional dances.
Along with 50 friends and trainers from Gema Citra Nusantara Studio, Kalya, an 8th grade student at Al-Izhar JHS, had the chance to perform the Merak Dance under the direction of maestro Irawati Durban. Kalya is the youngest dancer on the team and needed three weeks to practice and master the dance so she could perform beautifully.
Despite her abundant dancing experience, Kalya admitted that she was still nervous. Then how did she manage her doubts? “Just go with it and be calm. We can handle nervousness over time,” said Kalya confidently. Kalya was grateful to perform in the show. “Being able to dance with a maestro is an honor for me,” she ended.
Muhamad Yusuf was also one of the dancers involved in the show. Yusuf joined Gema Citra Nusantara Studio in 2012 and has mastered several dances: the Saman Dance, the Plate Dance, and the Yospan Dance from Papua.
“If you learn dance, you can master it in a month with 3 hours of practice each time, each week,” advised Yusuf. He was also grateful to be chosen as the center of attention for the dancers in the event.
We must commend these Indonesian youngsters who dedicate their lives and youth to studying traditional dance. We must offer our token of appreciation that, in the midst of the global era, Kalya and Yusuf are willing to echo their love for Indonesian art and culture. (des)
