Gending Enem Community Greets the Times: So That Culture Is Not Just A Memories

JAKARTA - In the modern era and the tide of globalization, traditional arts are often considered outdated and out of touch with today's younger generation. Globalization poses a challenge to cultural preservation. Driven by concern over the erosion of arts and culture, especially Javanese culture, the Gending Enem Community was initially founded by alumni from various high schools in Jakarta in 2018 as a medium for expressing their talents and providing an alternative hobby for friends.

However, over time, Gending Enem has become a gathering place for lovers and enthusiasts of Javanese arts and culture across professions and generations, who care about the sustainability of traditional arts, particularly classical Javanese dance, as a national heritage.

At its relatively young age, Gending Enem has staged several performances of Javanese dance, ketoprak dance, and wayang orang. The Wayang Orang (People's Wayang) performance of Gatotkaca, the Knight from Pringgondani, was presented for the fourth time at the Jakarta Arts Building on July 20, 2025.

"Gending Enem is open to collaboration with various groups, including young people, schoolchildren, and university students. By involving students in activities like this, we can guide them, develop their identity, develop a love for dance, and cultivate the noble philosophy of art and culture," said Mohamad Arief Katoro, Chairman of the Gending Enem Foundation, during the performance.

"For the younger generation, now is the time to participate: recognize, love, and revive traditions, so that our culture is not only remembered but continues to grow with us," Arief added.

This invitation was welcomed by Mika Edwin Rizki, the young Gatotkaca actor representing Generation Z. He noted that traditional arts and culture often face challenges in remaining relevant.

"It has become my responsibility to preserve it and continue to be actively involved in wayang orang productions and arts and culture in general," Mika emphasized.

Art of Wayang Orang

The art of wayang orang is always challenged to continuously develop and create creative and innovative forms of performance, resulting in a wayang orang performance that blends Javanese norms and rules, combined with traditional dance and modern dance, providing a unique touch.

Through dance, we are invited to hone our sensitivity, opening up a deeper appreciation for our own art and culture. It is about preserving our heritage and keeping it alive, relevant through time.

This performance is both a form of respect and an effort to renew the noble heritage of Javanese art: Wayang Orang.

"The challenges of globalization and the strong influx of foreign cultures are what prompted us to present the Gatotkaca Wayang Orang performance as an effort to revive tradition in a modern creative way," said Leo Widodo, Head of the Gatotkaca Wayang Orang Performance Committee, a Ksatria dari Pringgondani.

More than just a performance, this is an invitation to re-examine Indonesia's rich culture with new eyes—listening to old stories in a fresh way, and embracing tradition as part of the future, not just the past.

This performance is a concrete manifestation of Gending Enem's efforts to revive Indonesia's rich traditional arts in a fresh and relevant format for today's generation.

"We want to create a new space where traditions and cultural arts can be celebrated and sustained," Leo continued.

As Indonesia moves forward, communities like Gending Enem demonstrate that cultural preservation doesn't mean dwelling on the past—but rather proudly bringing that heritage into the present, making it relevant for the future.