10 Dec 2008: To Puri Kedaton, Kesiman—now Denpasar’s prettiest palace—for a dress rehearsal for “Yang Pung’s Tiny Tot All Stars Take Paris”
Still reeling from the shock of discovering boxy andesite shrines in my beloved all red brick Pura Pengrebongan I am lead into the leafy ancak saji (Javanese: pancak suji) court of this lovely Puri to find my old KOKAR colleague, the legendary dance teacher Ibu Arini and a gaggle off her pre-teen ballerinas weaving the light fantastic accompanied by Yang Pung’s All Star Gamelan Band. The under ten bleganjur band are all wearing radiant head scarfs tied in the Maestro Mario way. We have made a baby Barong Bangkung with Milo fabric coat for the occasion. (The teen ballerinas are the best I have ever seen: exaggerated, elastic, sensual and scintillating. The setting is to die for. Mlle Yeti and I are in paroxysms of heavenly joy and bliss. These few remaining pockets of classical dance are to the touristic dances as are the remaining red brick paduraksa temple and palace gates of Kesiman to the boxy andesite arriviste shrines and gates popping up like field mushrooms.
Still reeling from the shock of discovering boxy andesite shrines in my beloved all red brick Pura Pengrebongan I am lead into the leafy ancak saji (Javanese: pancak suji) court of this lovely Puri to find my old KOKAR colleague, the legendary dance teacher Ibu Arini and a gaggle off her pre-teen ballerinas weaving the light fantastic accompanied by Yang Pung’s All Star Gamelan Band. The under ten bleganjur band are all wearing radiant head scarfs tied in the Maestro Mario way. We have made a baby Barong Bangkung with Milo fabric coat for the occasion. (The teen ballerinas are the best I have ever seen: exaggerated, elastic, sensual and scintillating. The setting is to die for. Mlle Yeti and I are in paroxysms of heavenly joy and bliss. These few remaining pockets of classical dance are to the touristic dances as are the remaining red brick paduraksa temple and palace gates of Kesiman to the boxy andesite arriviste shrines and gates popping up like field mushrooms.
Pura Pengerobongan Kesiman
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Pura Kedaton Kesiman
part 2: Yang Pung's All Stars
Part 3: Dancing in Puri Kedaton
