Bali Arts Festival Shows Maestro Dance Work I Wayan Rindi

The Pendet Dance by maestro I Wayan Rindi was featured at the Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Artists from Banjar Lebah, Sumerta Kaja Village, Denpasar, Bali, performed a number of dances at the 46th Bali Arts Festival (PKB) which is the work of art maestro and dance creator Pendet I Wayan Rindi (deceased).

"With this, the younger generation can trace the journey of our maestros. Right now, the children don't know who Mr. Rindi's maestro is without making an event like this," said culturalist I Wayan Dibia as reported by ANTARA, Sunday, June 30.

Dibia conveyed this after watching the Rekasadana (Article of Diversity Arts) of Maestro I Wayan Rindi, Sekaa Gong Sad Guna Banjar Bees which were flooded with spectators at the Ksirarnawa Building, Cultural Park, Denpasar.

The Pendet Dance, the Row Kembutu dance, the Legong Bapang Durga dance and the Arsa Wijaya Mask dance, are four dances by I Wayan Rindi which are performed very nicely by youths from Banjar (dusun) Bees, which are the origin of I Wayan Rindi.

In addition, it is also interspersed with a snippet of the story of I Wayan Rindi while teaching dance to Banjarbah children in the eras of the 1950s to 1970s. Rindi died in 1976.

"Pak Rindi was the first winner to perform Arsa Wijaya's mask dance around 1968 at the Gong Kebyar Festival in Galian Klungkung when he joined Sekaa Gong Sadmerta. It was an important moment and it became very historic," said the former chairman of the Denpasar Indonesian Art College (STSI).

According to him, maestro Rindi also has works with a number of distinctive dance, tabah, and decoration movements.

"The Kebutus Baris dance is very distinctive. It's a row dance, but it uses a legong dance loop, because in the Bees at that time it was known as the Legong dancer area," said Dibia.

In addition to the Pendet dance which is already global as a welcoming dance, the Kempus Baris dance has also been designated a national Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB) in 2023.

By showing back the maestro's works at the Bali Arts Festival, it is hoped that it can cure the longing of the community to remember the figure of I Wayan Rindi.

Art lovers can also know what Wayan Rindi's works are and at the same time become extraordinary treats.

Dibia hopes that in the future the PKB event can more showcase the works of the maestros, as well as be equipped with more in-depth research so that the distinctive nuances of the maestros are truly visible.

Meanwhile, cultural observer I Made Bandem added, performances featuring the works of the maestros must continue, because Bali has many qualified art maestros.

"We must be able to tell that story back to the younger generation. The younger generation is very important to know because the dance is evolving. We can again see the original form or choreography of Balinese dance," said Bandem, who is also the curator of the Bali Arts Festival.

According to him, the government must take steps to carry out the works of the previous maestros and not only be included in the kebyar gong, but must be staged in a special event.

"If it can be held by FGD or a discussion by presenting resource persons who really know the figures of the maestros. In addition, the maestro's experiences can be picked up, who are his students, where did he learn from, because there can't be a maestro without studying," said the former chairman of STSI Denpasar and the Chancellor of ISI Yogyakarta.

The Diversity of the Banjar Bees Indigenous Party, Gusti Putu Suantara, appreciates the Bali Arts Festival as the biggest art party in Bali, which can feature the work of art maestros from Banjar Lebah.

"Our elders have many artistic figures and so far we have many artists. This is an opportunity for us to show more broadly and the regeneration of artists continues," he said.

Head of the Denpasar City Culture Service, Raka Purwantara, said that the Denpasar City Government has always provided space for the work of legendary maestros and artists in various cultural events held.