Celebrations at Uluru after climbers permanently banned

Yahoo – AFP, October 27, 2019

The ban on climbing Uluru had long been sought by the traditional owners of
the land, the Anangu, whose connection to the site dates back tens of thousands
of years (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

Uluru (Australia) (AFP) - Indigenous Australians performed songs and traditional dance as the sun set over Uluru on Sunday, capping a weekend of celebrations to mark the historic ban on climbing the sacred site.

The ceremony was held two days after a final surge of tourists who had flocked to central Australia scaled the giant red monolith before its closure to climbers.

A crowd gathered late Friday at the base of the site to watch rangers erect the "permanently closed" sign, in line with the long-held wishes of indigenous Australians.

"No more climbing today," shouted indigenous elder Nelly Patterson. "Close it," she yelled to a loud cheer from the crowd.

Previously known as Ayers Rock, the site was officially returned to the Anangu

in 1985 (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

The ban, first announced in 2017, had long been sought by the traditional owners of the land, the Anangu, whose connection to the site dates back tens of thousands of years.

As well as respecting cultural practices, the ban is designed to protect the site from further environmental damage and ensure visitors' safety.

"We are all very happy, as traditional owners, that the climb is closed now, after a long fight from handback to today," Reggie Uluru told reporters through an interpreter on Saturday.

Previously known as Ayers Rock, the site was officially returned to the Anangu in 1985.

Signs at its base had implored visitors not to climb it, but they were regularly ignored by some, especially in recent months as thousands made last-minute ascents.

Tourists are still being encouraged to visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where

 they can view the monolith from its base, walk around its perimeter and learn about 

its indigenous heritage (AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

"I think it is important that mother nature has a bit of a break," the last climber at Uluru, James Martin, said.

"I would like to say to the Aboriginals that we are sorry and the world does indeed belong to every single person who was born on the planet," the Australian told reporters as he came off the rock at sunset on Friday.

Parks Australia added extra rangers on patrol over the weekend, with fines for those who attempt to summit the rock now reaching up to Aus$10,000 ($6,800).

The ceremony was held two days after a final surge of tourists who had flocked

to central Australia scaled the giant red monolith before its closure to climbers 

(AFP Photo/Saeed KHAN)

"Although we expect our visitors to respect the law and the wishes of traditional owners when they visit, significant penalties can be issued," Parks Australia told national broadcaster ABC.

Work is expected to begin next week to remove a chain that was used by climbers to make the steep ascent.

Tourists are still being encouraged to visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where they can view the monolith from its base, walk around its perimeter and learn about its indigenous heritage at the cultural centre.

Related Articles:

Uluru closed to climbers after crowds make final ascent
Climbing Australia's giant red rock Uluru banned

The Creation Choir - Mar 21, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) (Pair 5 - Node: Ulura, Australia & Null: Mount Logan, Yukon Northern Territories, Canada are revealed & activated. The 12 Pleiadians time capsules (The Nodes and Nulls of Earth) within Gaia will now gradually receive information) 

These time capsules need to be on the planet as a guide or blueprint for the starting creative energy of Gaia [the Creation Template]. Kryon has told us: that as the time capsules are slowly released, they modify The Crystalline Grid to help Human consciousness shift, and eventually create an ascended planet.  (Text version "The Fast-Track Systems")

Australia marks 30 years since Uluru returned to Aboriginal owners

Gaia Global Consciousness Retreat (8) - Mar 24-25, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Dance music superstar Avicii dead at 28

Yahoo – AFP, Shaun TANDON, April 21, 2018

Avicii, seen here performing in the southern Swedish city of Malmo in 2016, was
among the first DJs to break through in the mainstream as electronic dance music
grew over the past decade from nightclubs to Top 40 radio (AFP Photo/Bjorn Lindgren)

New York (AFP) - Avicii, one of the world's most successful DJs who helped usher in the global boom in electronic music but struggled to cope with the hard-partying lifestyle, died Friday in Oman, his representative said. He was 28.

Two years after his unusually early retirement from touring amid recurring health scares, the Swedish DJ was found dead in the Gulf sultanate's capital Muscat.

"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," his management said in a statement, without specifying the cause of death.

"The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given."

Maitrai Joshi, a DJ at the Muscat Hills Resort, said he had spotted Avicii and understood the dance superstar was on vacation in Oman for the first time and had extended his stay.

"I saw him again the next day and again he was friendly, humble and took some photos," Joshi told AFP by email.

Avicii was among the first DJs to break through in the mainstream as electronic dance music grew over the past decade from nightclubs to Top 40 radio. He created a global hit out of Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars," to which he added a layer of energetic electronica.

He also helped produce Madonna's last album. On Instagram, the pop icon posted a picture of herself in the DJ booth with Avicii and wrote: "So Tragic. Goodbye Dear Sweet Tim. Gone Too Soon."

His biggest individual hits included "Wake Me Up," which went to number one across Europe in 2013 and featured the soul singer Aloe Blacc.

Avicii was one of the world's most successful 

DJs (AFP Photo/Jason Merritt)

In 2015, he DJ-ed the wedding reception of Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and his bride Sofia. The couple mourned him in a statement, saying: "We had the honor to have known him and admired him both as an artist and the beautiful person that he was."

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called Avicii "one of the greatest names of music in Sweden in modern times."

Scene 'not for me'

Avicii has spoken publicly in recent years about his health problems, including pancreatitis, triggered in part by excessive drinking.

The condition forced him to cancel shows in 2014 as he had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed.

In 2016, Avicii stunned fans by retiring from touring when he was just 26.

"The scene was not for me," he told music magazine Billboard after his decision.

"It was not the shows and not the music. It was always the other stuff surrounding it that never came naturally to me. All the other parts of being an artist," he added.

"I'm more of an introverted person in general. It was always very hard for me. I took on board too much negative energy, I think."

Avicii later returned to the more quiet life of a studio artist. Last year, he put out a six-song EP that featured British pop singer Rita Ora.

'Genius and musical innovator'

The son of Anki Liden, a prominent Swedish actress, Avicii had his start uploading tracks on the internet and was discovered by Dutch superstar Tiesto, who invited him to play at his residency in the clubbing hub of Ibiza.

Avicii, seen here at the Sziget festival in Budapest in 2015, took his stage name 

from the Sanskrit word for the lowest level of hell in Buddhism, adding an 

additional "i" at the end (AFP Photo/Attila KISBENEDEK)

His breakthrough single, "Levels," adapted a sample of soul singer Etta James and earned him one of his two Grammy nominations.

He took his stage name from the Sanskrit word for the lowest level of hell in Buddhism, adding an additional "i" at the end.

In 2014, he was tied with Tiesto as the third top-grossing DJ in the world on the list of Forbes magazine, which estimated his earnings for the year at $28 million.

Pop star Charlie Puth paid tribute to Avicii as "a genius and a music innovator" and said he "really opened my eyes to what my production could one day sound like."

Deadmau5 -- an outspoken top DJ who had mocked Avicii when he quit touring so young -- offered his "sincerest and most heartfelt condolences."

"Banter aside, nobody can deny what he has accomplished and done for modern dance music and I'm very proud of him," Deadmau5 tweeted.

Fellow star DJ David Guetta, who collaborated with Avicii on "Sunshine," wrote: "We lost a friend with such a beautiful heart and the world lost an incredibly talented musician

Electronic producer Diplo on Instagram called Avicii "the gold standard" in setting musical trends.

"I know you had your demons and maybe this wasn't the right place for you sometimes, but we need to protect true artists like you at all costs because there are not enough left and we are losing too many," Diplo said.

Record-breaking dance in Indonesia's Aceh promotes unity

Yahoo – AFP, August 13, 2017

Participants take part in a mass traditional Saman dance performance in Aceh
on Indonesia's Sumatra island on August 13, 2017

More than 10,000 people turned out in Indonesia's Aceh on Sunday to stage a record-breaking song and dance performance stressing the need to conserve a threatened national park in the westernmost province.

The men, clad in elaborate black and yellow traditional costumes, sat in neat rows, clapping their hands on their shoulders and laps and moving in an increasingly fast-paced rhythm to a traditional song.

The saman, or "the dance of a thousand hands", is one of the country's most popular. In 2011 it was included in the UNESCO list of items of intangible cultural heritage.

The event was aimed at attracting more visitors to the province, the head of the local tourism agency, Syafruddin, told AFP.

The men, mostly from the ethnic Gayo community, made occasional wave-like movements without breaking formation.

Their song focused on the importance of protecting the province's Mount Leuser National Park, home to rare Sumatran tigers and elephants, which is threatened by rampant poaching and rainforest destruction due to the expansion of palmoil plantations.

More than 10,000 people turned out in Indonesia's Aceh to stage a record-breaking

song and dance performance stressing the need to conserve a threatened national park

Thousands of spectators flocked to an open field tucked amid lush green hills in Gayo Lues district to watch the performance.

The Indonesian Museum of Record certified it as breaking a national record with 10,001 participants -- beating last year's record of 6,600.

The dance is usually accompanied by a song performed in unison. It emphasises teamwork, a symbol of unity.

"In the old days the lyrics were usually about spreading Islamic teachings. These days we can adjust the lyrics to deliver any message we wish to convey to the audience," Syafruddin said.

Aceh's international image has been tarnished by its public punishments under Sharia law, such as caning for homosexuality.

"I am very impressed with the performance, the dancers synchronised very well and it makes me proud as an Indonesian. It was incredible," Sarah, a visitor from Jakarta, told AFP.

Kate Bush fans re-enact Wuthering Heights in Australia

Yahoo – AFP, July 16, 2016

Kate Bush fans gather to rehearse a dance before performing during a
celebration to mark 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever', in Melbourne, on
July 16, 2016 (AFP Photo/Paul Crock)

Melbourne (AFP) - Thousands of Kate Bush fans put on their best billowy red dresses and danced en masse in Melbourne Saturday to one of the singer's most iconic songs Wuthering Heights.

They donned matching red stockings and black wigs to mark The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever -- a re-enactment of the British star's classic 1978 debut music video in which she pirouettes and cartwheels in a misty field.

Bush's distinctive voice and performance-art–style videos gained a global cult following and in 2013 theatre group Shambush gathered nearly 300 Kate Bushes to recreate her iconic frolic in the English city of Brighton.

This inspired the Melbourne event, which has taken on a life of its own with similar dances also planned Saturday in 21 cities around the world, coordinator Douglas Leitch said, including Berlin, Oslo, Montreal, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

"The whole idea really is just to get toregether and have fun and do our unique interpretation of the dance," the 44-year-old, who had an overwhelming response after advertising the day on Facebook, told AFP.

Kate Bush fans rehearse a dance before performing during a celebration to 

mark 'The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever', in Melbourne, on July 16, 2016

(AFP Photo/Paul Crock)

He said at least 800 dresses had been bought for the occasion, with dance classes booked out across Melbourne as people prepared. Organisers on Saturday estimated around 2,000 people, young and old, took part.

"It is such a unique song from a unique artist. It resonates with people and that's why it's lasted," added Leitch.

"I don't know if Kate knows it's happening, because she's a bit of a recluse, but I'm sure she might."

Thousands of Kate Bush fans re-enact 'Wuthering Heights' in Melbourne, Australia https://t.co/nYgSVPNt5h pic.twitter.com/yy88BfuS0g

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 16, 2016

Related Article:

Royal revolution as Indonesian sultan taps female heir

Yahoo – AFP, Olivia Rondonuwu, June 29, 2016

Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, governor and sultan of the tiny kingdom of Yogyakarta,
 with his wife, Queen consort Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas, at his 70th birthday
celebrations (AFP Photo/Goh Chai Hin)

Yogyakarta (Indonesia) (AFP) - Courtiers in elaborate outfits danced to the gentle tinkling of Javanese music as the Sultan of Yogyakarta looked on, a scene that has played out in much the same way for centuries in the tiny Indonesian kingdom.

But the recent ceremony to mark the 70th birthday of Hamengku Buwono X, Indonesia's last sultan with real political power, had one key difference from previous celebrations -- many of his relatives refused to attend.

A bitter feud has erupted at the heart of the kingdom on Java island, after the Muslim ruler signalled he wants his eldest daughter to become the sultanate's first female monarch after he leaves the throne.

Indonesia is home to numerous small kingdoms. But while other provinces now elect political rulers and their sultans are largely ceremonial figures, Yogyakarta's sultan serves as both royal leader and governor of the city and its surrounding areas.

Jakarta allowed the Yogyakarta royal family to keep power as the central government was grateful for the sultanate's support for independence in 1945 after a long period of Dutch colonial rule.

The sultan still maintains many of the trappings of Javanese royal rule in the kingdom, which has a history stretching back to the 16th century.

His main residence is a traditional Javanese palace complex, known as a Kraton, and important events are celebrated with much pomp and circumstance.

But the sultan's push to make the eldest of his five daughters -- he has no sons -- the first female monarch of Yogyakarta has transformed him into an unlikely champion for gender equality, and threatens to overturn hundreds of years of tradition in the Muslim, conservative sultanate.

Sultan Hamengku Buwono X watches a dance performance to celebrate his

70th birthday and 27th year in power in Yogyakarta (AFP Photo/Goh Chai Hin)

Rooster or hen?

It has sparked a furious row with his family, who say he is breaking rules laid down to govern the sultanate, amid speculation that his brothers were jockeying to fill his position.

"A female sultan is an impossibility," the sultan's cousin, Kanjeng Raden Tumenggung Jatiningrat, told AFP.

"One symbol in this palace is a rooster -- so if we have a queen should we change it to a hen?"

The rooster is a symbol of bravery.

He added that a female ruler could not oversee rituals in the mosque or other ceremonies that have traditionally been led by men.

Hamengku Buwono, who has been on the throne 27 years, last year set in motion the process for his daughter to become monarch by giving her the title "Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Mangkubumi".

While he has not confirmed publicly that she is the crown princess, in Javanese culture -- where much is conveyed through symbolism rather than anything said out loud -- the signs are clear.

The title Mangkubumi, which translates from Indonesian as "the one who holds the Earth", was the same one given to the sultan when he was made crown prince several decades ago.

She was also entrusted with the task of "attempting to bring safety, happiness and prosperity to the world", another indication she would succeed her father.

And the sultan made small changes to his own lengthy royal title -- removing a word normally only used by men and tweaking another -- to make it gender-neutral, opening the door for a woman to take over.

A traditional royal orchestra performs for Sultan Hamengku Buwono X during a 

ceremony to mark his 70th birthday and 27th year in power in Yogyakarta (AFP

Photo/Goh Chai Hin)

'An Islamic kingdom'

The sultan has defended the move, saying there is nothing stopping him from making changes in his kingdom and he has to adapt as Indonesia modernises.

"The Yogyakarta palace doesn't have a hereditary tradition that can't be changed, and all ruling sultans can introduce changes," he told local media.

Still, many disagree with him, from his relatives to local Muslim groups.

"The king should maintain the tradition as it was originally, because this is an Islamic kingdom," said Abdurrahman, from local hardline group Islamic Jihad Front, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

But it is not the first time there has been a female monarch in diverse Indonesia -- nowadays Muslim-majority, but which has had Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms over the centuries and is home to about 300 different ethnic groups.

Queens at times ruled over the ancient Majapahit empire, which covered large parts of what is now Indonesia from the late 13th to the early 16th centuries, as they did in Aceh, on western Sumatra island, when it was an independent sultanate.

And the sultan's approximately four million subjects in Yogyakarta and the surrounding area, who view him as a demi-God, have had only a muted a reaction, with most preferring to keep out of royal affairs.

Nevertheless the row looks unlikely to be resolved any time soon, and it cast a long shadow over the recent celebration, which marked the anniversary of the sultan's coronation as well as his birthday.

The solemn melodies from the "gamelans" -- a traditional Indonesian instrumental ensemble, made up of bronze percussion instruments -- were a million miles from the seething tensions swirling around the royal succession.

"About 90 percent of the family don't respect him anymore," raged Gusti Bendoro Pangeran Haryo Prabukusumo, a step-brother of the ruler who snubbed the event.

Indonesian Cultural House Opens in Turkey

Jakarta Globe, December 04, 2015

The opening event of Indonesian Cultural House in Ankara, Turkey.
(Photo courtesy of Indonesian Embassy in Turkey)

Jakarta. In an effort to promote Indonesian culture in foreign countries, the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara and the Ministry of Education and Culture officially opened the Indonesian Cultural House, or Rumah Budaya Indonesia, in the Turkish capital last week.

According to the center's official website, the venue will function as a "public space for cultural diplomacy ... to introduce the art and culture of Indonesia to the world in order to improve the country's image and appreciation as well as forge a cultural relationship between the international public and Indonesia."

Known as Endonezya Kultur Evi in Turkey, the cultural house was crowded with guests, from Turkish government officials to fans of Indonesian culture, during the opening event, as reported by Beritasatu.com.

Indonesian dance maestro, Didik Nini Thowok, charmed the audience with his performance of Topeng Dwimuka Jepindo and Lengger Banyumas dances.

From West Sumatra's Tari Piring to Aceh's Saman, a variety of other Indonesian dances were also performed during the event by Indonesian students in Turkey. This was accompanied with a showcase of Turkish traditional dances called Seymenler and Karadenis.

According to Wardana, the Indonesian ambassador to Turkey, the cultural house will be a center to introduce Indonesian culture and provide information to Turkish people.

Various programs will take place at the cultural house in the future, including dance and angklung lessons, Indonesian language courses for Turkish citizens and an array of events to promote Indonesian culture in Turkish cities.

Previously, the Indonesian Cultural House initiative has been launched in nine other countries, including Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States.

A Taste of the Caribbean in Jakarta, Courtesy of the Dutch

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, September 17, 2015

The 'Antilles Festival – A Taste of the Caribbean' event will take place at the Erasmus
Huis Jakarta from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31 and will feature a photo exhibition, culinary show,
and music and dance performances. (Photo courtesy of Erasmus Huis)

The Dutch cultural center in Jakarta plans to introduce Indonesians to a little-known corner of its kingdom through a festival that celebrates the sun-kissed isles of the Netherlands Antilles.

The “Antilles Festival – A Taste of the Caribbean” event will take place at the Erasmus Huis Jakarta from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31 and will feature a photo exhibition, culinary show, and music and dance performances.

The festival is part of celebrations this year marking the 200th anniversary of the kingdom of the Netherlands, with a focus on the realm’s Caribbean lands deemed an “interesting idea” for residents of Indonesia, once the jewel in the crown of the Dutch empire.

“For the Dutch, it’s not very easy and also not very common to travel [to the Antilles],” said Ferdinand Lahnstein, the deputy head of mission of the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta.

“I expect also that people in Indonesia are not very familiar with this area. So that’s also a reason why we think that it’s probably a good idea to bring forward that there’s something like the Dutch Caribbean. And then hopefully people in Indonesia who would like to try something different will be interested to travel to this area.”

The festival’s photo exhibition, themed “Dushi Tera,” will showcase images unique to the six islands that make up the Netherlands Antilles – Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius – including the architecture, nature, and panoramas. (In the Papiamento language of the inhabitants of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, “dushi tera” translates into “sweet country.”)

These photos come courtesy of the islands’ various tourism authorities as well as the Leiden University Library.

“The photo exhibition is meant to give an impression of the cultural, social and economic differences between the six islands,” Lahstein said.

Peter Sanchez, a historian from one-time Dutch colony of Suriname on the South American mainland, has been appointed curator of the photo exhibition.

“He knows a lot about the region,” said Ineke de Hoog, the embassy’s deputy head of public diplomacy and cultural affairs. “And he will be there for the opening [on Sept. 19].”

The opening will also feature culinary treats from Dutch Caribbean chefs Sherwin Alexander and Jethro Wirht, brought over by the DoubleTree hotel in Jakarta.

Alexander won a bronze medal in the seafood competition during the prestigious “Taste of the Caribbean” competition in Miami in July 2014, while Wirht was named “Chef of the Year” at the same event.

Both men will cook live at the festival’s opening at Erasmus Huis, assisted by local hospitality school students.

The menu will feature seven iconic dishes served tapas style from the Dutch Caribbean.

“The chefs have chosen the menu that gives a broad spectrum of all the different islands’ cuisines,” de Hoog said.

Among them are sopi di marisco, a traditional soup from Curaçao that contains seafood, callaloo (a vegetable native to the island), okra and fresh lemon.

Also not to be missed is the arepa di pampuna, a sweet pumpkin pancake with pickled prawns and fishcake and served with pineapple salsa.

“The cuisine is, of course, influenced by the Creoles, a fusion of the Spanish and Portuguese Antilleans,” de Hoog said. “I invite you to come and try for yourself.”

Entry to the festival is free, and the embassy expects between 500 and 700 people to turn up for the opening day.

“My impression of the Antilles Festival is something fresh and juicy, like salsa,” said Olivia Evelinda, a secretary at an accounting firm in Jakarta who said she was interested in going. “I think the festival will be very, very interesting, because we can get to know about the food and different cultures of the islands.”

Olivia also hopes to take part in the Antillean dances, such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Kimboza, to be performed by Dutch Caribbean dancers on the opening day.

Orquesta Pegasaya, a popular Salsa band from the region, will also be n hand to perform live. And to fuel the guests, a round of delectable Dutch Caribbean cocktails will be served throughout the night

For more information, go to erasmushuis.nlmission.org.

Related Article:

Mountains and coral reefs added to Dutch landscape

Balinese and Indian Culture Dance Together

Jakarta Globe, Tunggul Wirajuda, 20  August 2015

The dance explores themes of life and tranquility and how best
to balance external forces. (The Peak Photo/Tunggul Wirajuda)

Jakarta. Balinese Legong dance master Ayu Bulan Djelantik epitomized serenity, as she recreated Arjuna’s meditations during his time in the wilderness in the Tourism Ministry’s Sapta Pesona Auditorium in Medan Merdeka Barat, Jakarta.

Unflappable and immovable, she showed how the Mahabharata hero shut out the worldly temptations that the god Shiva sent to distract him from his contemplations at a sacred mountain, which are needed to learn the secrets that he and his brothers Yudhisthira, Bima, Nakula and Sadewa — better known as the Pandawa — will need to fight their epic war to regain their kingdom from their evil cousins, the Kurawa.

Taking on the form of a raging boar and seductive nymphs, the spectacle of sound, noise and movements is a vivid metaphor for how the outside world intrudes on one's tranquillity and equilibrium.

“The sequence of the boar is derived from the Balinese Barong. This is obvious from its its swaying, vigorous movements,” says Ayu, who is the granddaughter of the last king of Bali’s Karangasem kingdom.

“The boar is perhaps a Balinese touch, as I don’t recall seeing it in the script of the original ‘Mahabharata.’”

A narrative in traditional Balinese accompanied the action. While its meaning is oblivious to much of the audience, it enlivens the sequence and gave it an authentic touch.

The meditation sequence is part of “Arjuna Dibiasakti,” a collaborative effort between Ayu’s Bengkel Tari AyuBulan dance workshop and a group of Indonesian students from the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Center or JNICC, led by their dancing teacher Sindhu Raj.

Held as part of festivities to mark Indonesia and India’s independence days as well as both countries’ close ties, the recital juxtaposes the classic Legong dance from Bali with the age old Bharata Natyam dance, which traced its origins from the Indian province of Tamil Nadu.

Portraying excerpts from the Mahabharata, namely the winning of Princess Drupadi by Arjuna in an archery contest, the game of dice between the Pandawa and their Kurawa cousins which resulted in the former’s banishment from their kingdom, and Arjuna’s meditations, the dance mostly focuses on Arjuna, as its title “Arjuna Dibiasakti” implies.

“[‘Arjuna Dibiasakti’] highlights many similarities between Legong and Bharata Natyam. For one, both dances are performed by girls from an early age of five or six and portray both male and female characters. They similarly gave a sense of continuity and timelessness, as Bharata Natyam dates back 3,000 years, while Legong as we know it is about 300 years,” she says.

“Many of the techniques, like the hand or eye movements, are also similar, as are the way of moving to the music. But most of all, both dances do wonders for young people as it allows them a respite from smartphones, the internet and other gadgets to get in touch with themselves and their heritage,"

Moving to drum heavy beats reminiscent of bhangra and other Indian music, the Bharata Natyam dancers made an impression with their colorful costumes and movements. The latter poignantly conveyed a range of emotions. These range from disappointment among Drupadi’s suitors upon failing to shoot the bow at its designated fish eye target and exhilaration.

Despair is also vividly shown in the fateful dice game against the Kurawas, as was anguish at Drupadi’s humiliation by the deceitful victors, as well as the Pandawas’ exile.

The more ornately dressed Legong dancers danced with their hearts on their sleeve, as their graceful, fluid movements conveyed their closeness with nature.

“Bharatanatyam and Legong have similar roots, but they evolved into their respective styles as they branched off. Legong is marked by swaying and flowing movements that evoke Bali’s tropical winds and seas, as well as how the latter moves the coconut trees on the island,” says Ayu, who will perform at an international dance festival in New Delhi, India, next October — a date that coincides with Indonesia’s Youth Pledge.

“Bharata Natyam, on the other hand, is more earthy in its movements and is more rooted to the soil. This perhaps reflects India’s vast mainland and its standing as a subcontinent.”

Legong’s ethereal effects is also accentuated by the lingering echo from the xylophone heavy sounds of the Balinese gamelan, which contrasts from the drum heavy Bharata Natyam beats. However, both dances are similar by their symmetry and sense of ritual, a characteristic highlighted by the finale.

“Legong and Bharata Natyam’s similarities extend to more than its roots or spirituality. Both are joyful celebrations of life and a shared classical heritage of culture and dance” says Raj, who hopes to hold further collaborations or take it to the next level in the near future.

“Like life, dance is also an ongoing process for novices and masters like Ayu alike, which makes the dances or collaborations inspiring.”

The Peak

DJ legend van Dyk unites Middle East with dance music

Business Insider - AFP, Shaun Tandon, 4 May 2015

German DJ Paul van Dyk poses on January 30, 2012 in Cannes, southeastern
France (AFP/File Valery Hache)

New York (AFP) - He is unlikely to be named a Middle East peace negotiator, but DJ superstar Paul van Dyk says that his music in a way has succeeded where politics has failed.

"The Politics of Dancing 3," the German DJ's latest album which was released Monday, brings together artists from around the Middle East in a sign of how electronic music has increasingly become global.

Van Dyk -- often considered a pioneer of trance music, although he dislikes the categorization -- brought both established and emerging DJs into the studio for the album, which is driven by fast-paced driving beats and catchy, accelerating melodies.

"The collaborations I did, they very clearly show how uniting music is," van Dyk told AFP in New York, where ahead of the album's release he played a six-hour set at a Brooklyn warehouse.

"Someone from Israel could never travel to Lebanon, and definitely has big issues going to Egypt or other places, so musically we don't have those boundaries.

"We are miles ahead in terms of the 'politics of dancing,' compared with the politics out there," he said.

Range of collaborations

"The Politics of Dancing 3," van Dyk's seventh studio album, features a collaboration with Aly and Fila, the Egyptian duo who have emerged as one of trance's biggest acts, as well as a separate track with the Israeli trance duo Las Salinas.

Van Dyk also worked with star Turkish DJ Ummet Ozcan and emerging Egyptian DJ Mohamed Ragab, and brought in vocals from Singaporean singer and former television talent contestant Daphne Khoo.

Van Dyk's previous two installments of "The Politics of Dancing" consisted of mixes but the latest album has only one such track -- his remix of "Around the Garden" by Algerian DJ Mino Safy, which van Dyk said captivated him when he first heard it.

Van Dyk said he selected artists for their music and that his political point was incidental rather than deliberate. The album also features European DJs including Giuseppe Ottaviani and Michael Tsukerman.

Still, van Dyk said he was struck about how two of his friends -- one from Tel Aviv and the other from Beirut -- bonded when they met in the Spanish clubbing island of Ibiza.

"They could have otherwise never met each other. And they just say, 'Look, we are just like any young people. We want healthy, peaceful living. Why can't we have this with our countries being so close?'"

Upfront about drugs

Raised behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin, the 43-year-old van Dyk became a major force in electronic music during the boom in clubbing in the 1990s and gained wider exposure through his work with New Order.

The original inspiration for "The Politics of Dancing" series came not from the Middle East -- or from the unconnected 1983 song of the same name by the British New Wave band Re-Flex --but from New York, where authorities cracked down on the thriving clubbing scene in the late 1990s as part of then mayor Rudy Giuliani's law-and-order approach.

"I was trying to explain, it's not just people getting drunk and dancing. It is actually a youth culture that unites people from all these different cultural or religious backgrounds," van Dyk said.

With electronic music growing rapidly, van Dyk said it was important to acknowledge the pitfalls -- particularly drug overdoses.

Van Dyk said that the problem was especially acute in the United States due to clubs' strict prohibitions against admitting young people under 21, who take the scene underground.

"If I were to have children, I would want them when they were 15 or 16 going to a club in a safe environment and having a good time rather than going to an open field.

"It's almost pathetic that one is preferred over the other here, but the wrong way around, I believe," he said.

Van Dyk said that he was not entirely comfortable serving as a role model, but hoped nevertheless to set an example.

"I got into contact with electronic music as a teenager in front of the radio in East Berlin," he said.

"I never really made that connection that I had to take drugs to enjoy the music."

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