The city of Solo in Central Java, Indonesia, was once known as a center of culture, religion and royalty. More recently, however, it has been associated with something much more menacing.
“I was sad and angry that people started labeling Solo a ‘haven for radicals,’” said Atilah Soeryadjaya , referring to an article in Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper last month. The article detailed the killing of terrorist Noordin M Top on the city’s outskirts.
A true-blue Solo native, Atilah is the granddaughter of Sultan Mangkunegara VII, a direct descendent of the Mataram dynasty’s royal line, which ruled Java between the 17th and 18th centuries.
“I thought, we’d better show the world all that we have to offer so people will once again recognize Solo as a proud city of culture,” she said.
With the help of some friends, Atilah decided to direct and choreograph an elaborate Javanese dance opera that is scheduled to go on a world tour starting in Singapore this month.
As material, she used the epic of Raden Mas Said, his wife, Rubiyah, and their struggle against the Dutch colonialists in the 18th century.
The opera, “Matah Ati ” (“To Serve the Heart”), tells the story of the warrior lovers — itself a source of pride for Indonesians — while incorporating almost every form of cultural heritage that the artisans of Solo and Central Java have become famous for.
Atilah first became aware of Raden Mas and Rubiyah from listening to her grandfather ’s stories when she was young. “The story tells of a time when women were recognized for their courage and power,” she said. “They were not merely the wives and followers of men.”
According to the story, Rubiyah, a commoner from a village in Wonogiri, Central Java, led 40 female soldiers disguised as farmers against the Dutch. They were able to freely enter Solo without arousing suspicion and their siege took the Dutch Army by surprise.
On the other side of the city walls, Raden Mas simultaneously led his troops in an attack. He killed so many soldiers that he earned the nickname Pangeran Samber Nyowo, which literally means Soul-Reaping Prince.
After winning the battle, the prince ruled in the city of Solo and became the first Sultan Mangkunegara, taking Rubiyah, his loyal commander and lover, as his wife. Eventually, he gave her the title Raden Ayu Kusuma Matah Ati — Princess Ayu Kusuma Matah Ati .
“It’s a love story, but it also tells the strong, proud history of our nation,” Atilah said.
Her research on the warrior lovers took her to the library of Mangkunegara Palace. She also had the opportunity to consult with historian and batik master Iwan Tirta, just before he passed away.
Iwan was a key member of the original research team that helped establish the prince as a national icon in 1988. Not only was he able to give Atilah valuable insight into the royal couple’s struggles, but he also helped her design historically accurate costumes for the performance. “He told me, ‘Rubiyah was a farmer,’” Atilah said.
Instead of creating elaborate royal attire, Iwan advised Atilah to dress the cast in lurik, a type of striped woven cloth traditionally worn by villagers. In addition, 60 vintage batik pieces from Iwan’s private collection will be worn by cast members during the opera.
To choreograph the opera, Atilah enlisted three senior dance instructors from the Indonesian Arts Institute in Solo: Nuryanto, Daryono and Eko Supendi.
Their idea of mixing traditional dances that were once performed at Mangkunegara Palace with the Javanese martial art pencak silat has resulted in the performance being a blend of flowing rhythm, fluid grace and aggressive precision. Because of this combination, the opera’s dances feel both delicate and dangerous at the same time.
One of the challenges that Atilah faced was that the opera was created to be performed in the traditional form known as langendriyan, a mixture of musical theater and dance. This meant that all the actors needed to be able to sing, dance and act, a combination that proved very difficult to cast.
During auditions in Yogyakarta and Surakarta last year, a total of 500 people showed up. At the end of the day, only 60 made the cut. The actors then rehearsed four to five times a week at the IIA theater.
“We were not only trying to produce excellent dancers, singers and actors, but also instill the spirit of the story into the performance,” said Eko, the lead choreographer.
“Their technical skills needed to blend with the spirit of the story.”
To achieve this, many of the dancers and choreographers joined Atilah on a visit to the tombs of Raden Mas and Rubiyah in Wonogiri. They also took a trip to Desa Matah, the village where the warrior couple met and fell in love.
“We did not have any mystical agenda during our visit,” Eko said. “We did it to understand the story better and connect with the spirit for their stage characters.”
It was Rubiyah’s tomb, half encircled by her 40 female soldiers, that gave the choreographers the idea to construct a similar dance formation on stage. While the idea added power and authenticity to the performance, it also posed a new problem.
“I came and watched the rehearsal,” said Jay Subiakto, one of the top art directors in the country.
“The dance formations were awesome, but there were 60 people dancing on stage, which made it hard to see them all.”
As a solution, Jay suggested and then constructed an elevated, stainless-steel platform that slants 15 degrees from the center of the stage so that even the dancers at the back would be visible to the audience.
“It’s shaped like a trapezium,” Jay said. “I actually adapted the shape from the pattern of a vintage Javanese batik that represents femininity.”
The stage, constructed in Jakarta, was shipped to Solo.
“When we first saw the stage, we were all awestruck,” choreographer Daryono said. “We all thought it was crazy.”
Initially, the dancers were hesitant about rehearsing on the metal-surface stage. Eventually, however, everyone got used to the idea. The result is a performance that is almost ethereal.
“A good show is never easy to produce,” Jay said. “We put in a lot of extra effort to make this look different and spectacular.”
In one battle scene, for example, seemingly endless rows of dancers move in unison toward the front of the stage, like a wave cresting in the audience’s direction, as the metallic stage glints ferociously under the spotlights.
The premiere of “Matah Ati” will take place at the Theater Hall of the Esplanade in Singapore, on Oct. 22-23.
During the opera’s run there, a collection of antique batik from Solo will also be on display at Mangkunegara Palace, along with another display of wayang golek (wooden puppets).
After the Singapore stop, the opera is scheduled for performances in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Beijing and a number of European cities in 2011.
In Indonesia, “Matah Ati” will go on tour in a number of cities next year, but the details have yet to be finalized.
“Hopefully, the show can restore the image of Solo, as well as introduce Indonesia’s rich traditional heritage to the world,” Atilah said.
‘Matah Ati’
Esplanade Theater
1 Esplanade Drive
Singapore
Oct. 22-23, 8 p.m.
www.sistic.com
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