Take in a 90-minute shadow puppet performance, called wayang kulit, featuring a full Javanese gamelan ensemble, led by Vancouver-based Indonesian gamelan and puppet master Sutrisno Hartana with special guest drummer, Eko Purnomo Teguhwibowo from Java, Indonesia. Following the wayang kulit show is a short Javanese dance performance in the Great Hall featuring special guest dancers from Sampan Bujana Sentra (Indonesian Young Artists Group) with direction and choreography from Uniek Sampan Hismanto. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these traditional dancers from Indonesia here for this weekend only.

Wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) is a popular performance tradition in Indonesia, with roots from India and draws from the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Traditional puppets are created with water buffalo hide, and painted on both sides. The puppeteer, called a dhalang, holds the intricately carved leather puppets up against a white cloth with a bright light burning above his head to form shadows on the screen.

Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Indonesia, made up of mostly percussive instruments consisting of bronze gongs, metal xylophones and drums. The music features an intricate layering of rhythmic patterns and improvisation that creates a mesmerizing and shimmering beauty. Both Javanese gamelan and dance have a rich tradition dating as far back as the 7th century. Javanese dance movements are controlled, deliberate and elegant and the combination of gamelan and dance tells a story often related to the mythology of the Mahabharata and other timeless tales.

This special afternoon is offered in conjunction with the Museum’s latest feature exhibition—Shadows, Strings and Other Things: The Enchanting Theatre of Puppets.

Free with museum admission.

Program Schedule

Haida House

Wayang kulit Javanese shadow puppet performance with gamelan | 11 am – 12:30 pm

Please note that seating for this performance is limited and entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Great Hall

Javanese dance | 1 – 1:30 pm

Artist Biographies

Sutrisno Hartana, who is also known as dhalang Mas Lurah Lebda Swara, is a wayang kulit puppeteer, composer and arts educator and currently teaches at SFU’s School for Contemporary Arts.

Eko Purnomo Teguhwibowo is a professional Javanese gamelan musician (drummer) and dancer from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He graduated from the school of performing arts in Yogyakarta and toured in Canada in 2007 and 2008.

Uniek Sampan Hismanto is a choreographer and award-winning dancer based in Jakarta, Indonesia and currently serves as the Managing Director of Sampan Bujana Sentra.

A special thank you to the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Vancouver, Dr. Tuti Wahyuningsih Irman (Mrs), and Bapak Firman Priambodo, Consul of Information, Social and Cultural Affairs, who provided the sponsorship for the guest dancers from Indonesia in addition to the use of the gamelan instruments.