Exchange: Chhau meets Kuda Kepang

Hailing from different parts of the Asian continent, both chhau and kuda kepang are ceremonial spectacles and traditional rituals that bring communities together. The performers of both ritual dances take on warrior personas and perform various feats—in manifestation of the deities in chhau, and in a state of trance in kuda kepang. Join Biren Kalindi Chau Dance Ensemble and Kesenian Tedja Timur as they come together in an artistic discovery of each other’s practices.

Purulia chhau is one of three forms of the traditional chhau dance that will be presented at this year’s edition of A Tapestry of Sacred Music. Hailing from West Bengal, it is characterised by its elaborate and oversized masks as well as vigorous acrobatic stunts. The performers combine combat techniques, and animal gaits and movements to bring to life the ancient mythological battles in the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, about good and evil.

In the Javanese kuda kepang, warrior-dancers ride on woven bamboo or rattan horses, as if going to battle. Stemming from animistic beliefs, the ceremony culminates in the performers going into a trance when they perform superhuman feats such as eating glass or walking on coals, accompanied by the haunting sounds of the gamelan—part cleansing ceremony and part ritual reenactment of battle.

As part of A Tapestry of Sacred Music, join us for a series of exchanges between international and locally based traditional artists whose artforms share thematic resonances. Listen as the artists demonstrate the similarities and differences in their sounds, movements and approaches, and gain insight on the significances and functions of their artistic practice within their respective communities.