Krida Budaya, From Indonesia to Rome

Krida Budaya. KBRI Rome. Rome, 25 August 2023

In the wonderful hall of KBRI Rome, the Embassy of Indonesia, the young artists of Krida Budaya performed at the end of their European tour in Spain, France, and Italy, first in Castrovillari and then in Rome, before their return to their homeland, seizing also the fortuitous coincidence of being able to perform a few days away on 17 August, Indonesia's Independence Day.

 

As stated on their site:

“Krida Budaya is a student organization on behalf of Universitas Indonesia focusing on preserving and developing folklore dances and music. In the course of time, Krida Budaya has grown into a phenomenal dance group that is focused on wider dance perspectives.”

 

Before their performance, there was an auspicious prayer in the make-up and change of clothes room, with some of the embassy employees.

Then there was the performance which was divided into five dances from different areas of Indonesia and an instrumental part, to show the ethnic-cultural variety of the land of 17,000 islands, before the admiring eyes of the head of the Embassy, Deputy Chief Minister Lefianna Hartati Ferdinandus, and the Ambassadors of Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand, more diplomats than other Embassies, and the Italians who accepted the invitation.

The dances started with “Kancet Papetai” from East Borneo.

Nature is our lord; our duty is to protect and preserve it, countering those who harm their ancestral legacy. Pure Dayak tribal energy brings a piece of the forest into the tapestry and stucco rooms of the Embassy.

The second dance from East Java: “Gandrung”.

This dance draws inspiration from Gandrung Marsan, a male dancer who enhanced his development. The strong and assertive character of the movements is underlined by the mustache that each dancer wears.

 

 Following, “Boto”, Betawi.

Beauty, grace, but inner goodness surpasses surface appearances symbolized by the mask being put on and taken off.

A musical interlude of a Nusantara song, specifically Minang and NTT.

 

The next dance is “Tor-Tor Tandok”, from North Sumatra, expressing the happiness of Batak women when harvesting rice.

 

The last dance is one of the most famous in Indonesia: “Piring” from West Sumatra. This dance reflects agrarian life's harmony with nature featuring acrobatic moves on plates, expressing their connection to the land.

 

After the lunch break, with typical Indonesian food offered by the Embassy, the dance Workshop of the same students took place in the early afternoon, which was attended by both people from the public and the staff of the Embassy, for a cheerful and lively finale.

We hope to be able to see more similar events that reveal the cultural richness of Indonesia which is, unfortunately, still too little known here.

 

Universitas Indonesia, Pondok China, Beji, Kota Depok,
Jawa Barat 16424, Indonesia
https://www.kridabudaya.com/