Ballet in the jungle

A Ballet Musical Theatre “Nyanyian Rimbayana” from GMT (Gamblank Musical Theatre)

*Pricillia Winata

“What I have, that’s what I like. That’s the reason why I have the idea to make this show.”, said Didik Adi Sukmoko (32) while smocking his cigarette during the interview.
Didik or M Ahmad Jalidu as he is populary known, is the stage director of “Nyanyian Rimbayana” and one of the founder of GMT. The idea to make this event came from when he met a friend (Tika) whose studying dance education in UNY. “Well, about 3 years ago, I met Tika. And since last few months she was studying Ballet and very excited about Ballet until now. Finally, I asked her to join this event as the choreographer of Ballet. She agreed and we started the preparation for this show,” said Mas Jali, trying remember that time.
The preparation has been started since July, with the training is held twice a week for July-August, from 07.00 PM-10.00 PM. For September – December, the schedule will be increased as the time of event closer. Based on the plan, the event will be held on December, in Gedung Pamungkas. The training is done usually in Bale Samirono or UNY.
For GMT, this is the first time this community combines ballet dance with theatre. No theatre community in Jogja has ever combined ballet dance and theatre before. Though this is the first time, Jali, as the founder of GMT, doesn’t give up and move on. This event is something new in GMT, and also in Jogja. It is rarely founded in Jogja theatre communities who hold musical theatre; there are only some of them, for example: KOIN community. However, this community isn’t focus on musical theatre. This community only holds musical theatre once in a while. Musical and ballet are still new and interesting things in Jogja. Both things make the curiosity for people to know it. “It is a challenge for GMT to make something new and different for the others, “said Jali spiritly.
“Nyanyian Rimbayana” is a musical drama, written by M Ahmad Jalidu, about an animal Kingdom (Rimbayana) which is lead by a king, a Javan tiger. Basically, this drama is a mirror of the society’s life. It’s an interesting story because it shows the good moral about love and spirit to build our identity as Indonesian. This message is the reflection for society. Besides, this drama will be combined with ballet. In this show, the dance and action of the characters will follow the ballet technique. So, all the characters aren’t allowed to move and act generally. They should act like animals, but still in the ballet technique. It will make a new and different actions in this show.
To act and dance in ballet technique aren’t easy thing, because most of the members are never learn ballet before. That’s why the preparation for this show has been started since July. Most the members are the college students from UNY, USD, UAD,etc. All the members are trained by the choreographer, Scholastica. The tecniques given are the basics of ballet; such as: point, sotte, classical walk, etc. All the members fight and practice hard for the best performance in this show. It’s very difficult for the members, but they never give up. They keep trying for the best show in December.
Although the ballet techniques are basics, it’s combined with the acting as animals. So, the ballet techniques are combined with the acting as animals. It’s an improvisation. The result is a new harmony technique between ballet and acting as animals.

Priscilia Winata, Student of English Literature, Sanata Dharma University.