The Indonesian Performing Arts of Chicago (iPAC) held its first annual Indonesian Cultural Celebration on Oct. 28 in the Northeastern Auditorium.
They also presented many speakers, which included a representative of U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush and a representative from the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia.
The President of iPAC, Sagung Mirah Kertayuda, took the stage to announce the organization’s intentions to promote cultural awareness about Indonesia.
Kertayuda was introduced by the masters of ceremony: Kismet Argopradipto, Putri Handoyo, and Danny Nicky.
The audience was treated to traditional dances from Indonesia, the largest archipelago with over 1600 islands. The two islands represented at the show were Bali and Java.
Some dances included the Panyembrama dance, which opened the show. This is traditionally a welcoming dance that promotes friendship and prosperity. It is part of the Balinese culture.
The big crowd-pleaser was the Cendrawasih dance. The intricate movements, with expressive hands and faces, illustrated the anxiety and anticipation of two birds before mating.
A peculiar musical performance was that of the Angklung bamboo from west Java. The instrument used is made of bamboo tubes of specifically different lengths. The tubes are suspended on a frame, and the sounds are formed by rattling the wooden tubes. Kismet Argopradipto, the comedic host of the event, said it was thought to be the “rock and roll” of Indonesian folk music.
Another interesting and spiritual presentation was that of the Gamelan “Sholawat” from Java. It was performed by the Indonesian Muslim Faith group and the Indonesian Performing Arts Association of Minnesota. It expressed the Islamic life of Indonesia. The meaning of the song, which dates as far back as the 16th century, was to induce locals to visit the mosque.
There was also a short Indonesian lesson, where the host taught the audience common Indonesian phrases. The nonprofit organization of iPAC hopes to hold a 2nd annual Indonesian Cultural Celebration on a much larger scale, which will only provide enhance the audience with information.