Jonathan Leibovic

Concealed by a puppet screen, 6-year-old Sugi helps his father, I Made Sidia. A jack of all performances, Sidia is also a dance master and a gamelan conductor. (Photo: Jonathan Leibovic, JG)

Behind-the-Scenes Bali Showman Comes to Jakarta

IMade Sidia has been called “the busiest man in Bali” – indeed, a typical day at this artist’s house in Desa Bona might involve dance lessons, gamelan rehearsals and village meetings, to say nothing of his faculty position at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Denpasar.

There appears to be nothing in the vast realm of Balinese arts that this man cannot accomplish, whether it be choreographing pyrotechnic spectacles for the Bali Arts Festival or applying three layers of make-up to a fidgety young boy.

Between dancing at the Solo Dance Festival today and leading Desa Bona’s gamelan orchestra in Nusa Penida — an island off Bali — on Sunday, the renowned dalang (puppet master) will stage shadow puppet performances on Friday and Saturday at the Jakarta Convention Center.

The performances will be Sidia’s first in the capital city after returning from a semester abroad, teaching and performing traditional Balinese arts in the United States. He danced, drummed and chanted in dozens of venues, from New York to Georgia, from elite universities to public elementary schools.

“The youngest children were the most curious,” he observed. “They would ask, ‘Why is this mask red? Why is that one gold? What do the hand gestures mean?’ Sometimes they stumped me, and I had to tell them, ‘Because that’s just our tradition.’”

Sidia’s stint in the States was his longest time abroad, but he is a seasoned traveler. Over the past two decades he has performed and taught in Australia, Taiwan, Japan and a handful of European countries — not to mention all across the Indonesian archipelago.

“When I share Balinese culture with other people, I like to learn about their culture, too,” he said.

In addition to his bright red-and-gold gamelan instruments, Sidia has accumalted an eclectic collection of instruments from around the world, including bamboo flutes from China, a tiny violin from New York and a ceramic drum from Denmark that sounds like a heavy rock plummeting into a deep pool of water.

“Every culture has something to offer,” he said. “Maybe music, maybe cuisine, maybe legends or religion or philosophy.” Given his profound respect for tradition, it is no surprise that Sidia’s father, I Made Sija, is also an accomplished artist.

In his day, Sija carved wooden masks and cast puppet shadows as well.

Sidia’s wife, Suasti, danced so beautifully in her youth that she toured through Canada, “when she was 6 years old­— the same age as Sugi is now,” said Sidia, beaming at his energetic son.

A born performer, Sugi loves to play with his father’s instruments and puppets.

Culture is a family business in Bali; fathers pass their talents and tools on to their sons. Thus traditions remain firmly embedded in the island’s collective unconscious, but each generation adds new technologies and techniques.

Sidia is renowned for his love of innovative visual effects. His performances have included transforming 3-D puppets — designed by his brother, Nyoman Sira — computerized projections of landscapes and characters, and the occasional Roman candle.

Thus traditions remain firmly embedded in the island’s collective unconscious.

“I think my favorite thing about performing in Jakarta is the children,” Sidia said, noting that keeping young people entertained throughout a performance that can last several hours is a great but rewarding challenge.

Of course, the show will offer plenty of entertainment for grown-ups as well; a dalang, after all, must be “at once a musician, priest, comedian and philosopher.”

Sidia remained coyly silent about the subject of this weekend’s performance. But past shows have not silenced his reputation as an outspoken social critic.

Previously, he has addressed issues such as swine flu, deforestation and the 2002 Bali bombings, all interwoven seamlessly into the epic narrative of the Mahabharata.

Besides tradition and current events, Sidia also cites improvisation as a shaping force in his performances; so audiences can be sure that each performance will be relevant, timely and lively.

Your View

See Result