Jackpot

I’ve finally found my way to traditional culture in Aceh, and then some. Not only am I learning surunikali from my teacher, but he introduces me into these new places where it seems everyone’s into the arts and I must have been blind not to have seen, heard, or felt it everywhere. I will say it’s been difficult to find contemporary movements (outside of the awful rock music that copies America’s embarrassing Top 10’s), but lately I’ve been attending practices where all presuppositions and ill-conceived cultural biases are dispelled in the wake of focused teenage women. If I had been dancing in front of five college-aged musicians my concentration would be no match for my huge crushes. But, instead, here were young women-most veiled but some not due to the heat- working intensely on an excellent blend of contemporary and traditional dance. But not only that, the five musicians – surrounded by twice as many instruments- were happily creating the powerful and largely percussive accompaniment. These were anything but separate happenings. At moments musicians would stop everything to alter a section and vice versa, but everyone somehow knew if things were right with the music or the dance and how they fit together. Hit the drum like this, hold that move longer – calls could be made from anyone, despite age or position until everything blended together. It was an amazing process of creation. I’ve seen this once before in Java, where we created a melody while dancers simultaneously created a dance. A co-authored performance. I have never seen this in America – though no doubt it exists- so for me, coming from the world of music chosen for a dance, and dances made to pre-composed music, this is exciting and extraordinary, the result strong and beautiful. Despite the hard work and some apparent frustrations, all that was left by the end were happy, tired faces, and toddlers dancing giddily in the hallway.