Iin Respatini Kusumastuti, shown wearing Javanese dress, can perform a range of traditional Indonesian dances. She is now passing on that knowledge to younger Indonesians. (Photo courtesy of Iin Respatini Kusumastuti)
In today’s fast-paced, modern society, it is easy to assume that young people don’t really care about culture and tradition. One person, however, thinks that this is not necessarily the case.
“Our young people have actually started to appreciate their cultural heritage, especially traditional dances,” 57-year-old Iin Respatini Kusumastuti said. “As we get smarter, we realize the importance of preserving our own culture. Smart people won’t just adapt other people’s culture to keep up with the trends.”
This master of traditional dance has made it her mission to help preserve the country’s cultural heritage.
“Our traditional dances are so beautiful, why would we learn dances from other countries?” Iin said. “It is so easy to find beautiful dances right her in our own country, from Aceh to Papua.”
Growing up in Surabaya, Iin loved to dance ever since she could remember. With the encouragement of her mother, she started dancing when she was only 4 years old. Balinese dance and ballet were among the first forms she learned.
Over the years, Iin mastered traditional dance. While she specializes in Javanese dance, she is able to perform almost every traditional Indonesian dance.
“My mother always wanted me to be able to do traditional dances, especially the Javanese dances,” Iin said.
Iin grew up in Yogyakarta. As a student, she was actively involved in local dance clubs and won many competitions. “I always loved to perform on stage because I could wear makeup and people applauded [the performance],” she said.
In 1989, Iin took her love for dance a step further by establishing the dance workshop Kasitha Smarandhana — which means “a love song from a princess” in Javanese — with colleagues. She said that her main goal was to train future dancers. “My friends and I are getting old. We need the young to replace us,” she said.
Iin acknowledged that while today’s lifestyle is heavily influenced by modern culture, she said the younger generation has much to learn from traditional dance.
“By respecting their culture, young people can be motivated to contribute more to the country,” she said.
It wasn’t always easy for Iin to pursue her love for dance. Her father, a doctor, wanted her to pursue a medical career. “My father always wanted me to do well in school,” she said.
Because she spent so much time dancing, her father threatened to put a stop to it if she failed to keep her grades up
“I had to learn to keep my dancing under wraps so that my father wouldn’t find out,” she said.
To please her father, Iin in 1972 decided to study politics at the University of Indonesia. But she never lost her passion for dance. While at university, she also studied dance at the Art Institute of Jakarta.
Her dedication to her craft paid off when she became part of the Penari Istana (Palace Dancers) at the Presidential Palace, a role she had from 1972 to 1984. The dancers were considered cultural ambassadors and traveled around the world to perform. “It was a very happy stage of my life,” she said. “I could visit so many countries by dancing.”
To prove to her father that she could pursue dance and higher education at the same time, Iin studied for a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Indonesia, graduating in 1994. She earned a PhD in marketing from Melbourne University in 1999.
These days, when not busy dancing, Iin runs a catering and interior design business.
Iin’s Kasitha Smarandhana dance workshop now has about 50 students, mostly women between 14 and 30 years of age, who attend class on a weekly basis.
Deka Dwinanda, a 23-year-old postgraduate psychology student, has been attending the workshop and studying Javanese dance for three weeks. Deka said that she has had an interest in dance for a while now and feels an obligation to help preserve traditional dance. “Our culture is very rich, and traditional dances are part of it,” she said.
Deka added that traditional dances were special because they represented real women. “Traditional Indonesian dances reflect beauty, patience and sexiness,” she said.
Alphadian Parahita Winarno, 27, also enrolled in the workshop, sees Iin as someone who is very dedicated to traditional dance.
“She’s a very professional dancer,” Alphadian said, adding that what makes Iin special is that she always treats her students like her own children.
“That’s why it’s so comfortable to learn dances here,” Alphadian said.
Iin said that unlike modern dance, mastering traditional dance is more difficult. “It takes a lot of patience and is a long process,” she said.
According to Iin, there are eight things that a beginner should pay attention to when it comes to learning traditional dances, especially those from Java: stance, attitude, flexibility, uniqueness, expression, harmony (between movement and music), rhythm and music.
“It’s true that traditional dances are not easy to practice and master,” she said. “But once you get to know the beauty of our traditional dances, you will be addicted.”
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