Inu Kertapati, 40, has been through bittersweet experiences of being a Cirebon slangit mask dance artist. He has danced at various places, from the streets in Cirebon to the magnificent buildings overseas.
By
Abdullah Fikri Ashri
·5 minutes read
Inu Kertapati, 40, has been through bittersweet experiences of being a Cirebon slangit mask dance artist. He has danced at various places, from the streets in Cirebon to the magnificent buildings overseas. He has been through glory and hard times. However, his commitment to preserve the slangit mask never dimmed.
For the last 15 years, Inu has struggled to revive the slangit mask through the Wijaya Kusuma Dance Studio. The mask dance originates from Slangit village in Klangenan district, Cirebon regency.
Initially, Inu also managed the Panji Asmara, Sujana Arja, the legacy of his late father in Slangit. Later, he focused on managing the Wijaya Kusuma Dance Studio. He has given birth to dozens of slangit mask dancers and three dance trainers, including his son, Zakky.
Meanwhile, Eti, Inu\'s wife, is also active in arts and culture with a different approach. She runs pre-school (PAUD) Wijaya Kusuma, which also introduces aspects of Cirebon culture. Unlike other pre-schools, PAUD Wijaya Kusuma dedicates one day a week to introducing the art of puppets and masks to children. Now, the studio and PAUD managed by the husband and wife team have their own building in Bulak village, Arjawinangun district, Cirebon regency.
"We are building schools and studios more to maintain the footprint of our lives [in the world of art]."
In the middle of July, Inu seemed happy to show the bright building and PAUD Wijaya Kusuma, which was established a year ago. The studio and PAUD building stands on 668 square meters. Inu said, to build it, he had to use all of his savings and borrow money from his family.
He could actually have used his savings to build a shop or open a rice field on the land. From there, he would get income. "But we did not do that. We want to focus on the mask dance," Inu said. Now, there are 41 children studying in PAUD and 40 children and teenagers practicing dance at the studio. PAUD students only pay Rp 50,000 per month, while dance students Rp 40,000 per month.
"We are building schools and studios more to maintain the footprint of our lives [in the world of art]," Eti said, giving a reason why the fees charged to students were relatively low. It’s already low but there are still some students who are in arrears. However, Eti and Inu are not angry.
Family of artists
Inu comes from a family of artists. His father, Sujana Arja, is known as a slangit mask dance maestro. Inu began to dance during elementary school in 1984. Initially, he performed door to door around the village for training. During such performances, Inu and his father danced, while eight other people played the gamelan.
In the 1990s, door-to-door performances were banned by the government because it was considered a wild art.
Door-to-door performances usually take place when they don’t have many jobs. At this point, Inu began to perceive the mask dance as a folk art because the performers must maintain a moderate way of life, not excessive. He still remembers how people paid their for their performances with a bundle of rice ,which was then exchanged for boled (sweet potato) to relieve the stomaches of the group members. "It [the payment] was only enough for one day’s worth of food. More than that we do not accept. It\'s called mangan sepulukan [take a bite]," he said.
In the 1990s, door-to-door performances were banned by the government because it was considered a wild art. Unfortunately, the government did not facilitate other ways to perform. Eventually, many artists changed. For slangit mask dancers, that period was a test of their determination to continue or not.
His father chose to stay. He then galvanized Inu with discipline. He was asked to fast before dancing, to feel the habits of the common people. Fasting was gradual, from three days, one week, one month, up to 41 days. "There were times when I wanted to stop dancing but my father was always watching," he said while laughing.
He was later declared to have passed the "school" of mask dance by his father. There is no graduation or diploma for graduation. His diploma, said Inu\'s father, was patience and being humble.
He felt destined to become a slangit mask dancer. His father also named him Inu Kertapati, the protagonist in the panji story.
Inu fell in love with the mask dance gradually. He felt destined to become a slangit mask dancer. His father also named him Inu Kertapati, the protagonist in the panji story. The panji story is an important part of the slangit mask dance. The dance performance starts from the panji episode to kelana (wandering). Life choices as an artist make Inu "wander" from one stage to another During the golden age of the slangit mask dance in the 1980s, he could perform 25 times a month. Not only that, he also appeared in several countries, ranging from Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Britain, the United States, Greece to Russia.
In the 1990s, invitations and requests to perform began to recede. In the early 2000s, he only booked 10 performances a month. He felt the toughest test when his father, Sujana, died in 2006. "I was hysterical, confused about how to continue this mask art?" Recalls Inu, who fainted when he heard his father passed away.
After going through a period of mourning, Inu began to rise with the support of his family and other dancers. He continued to practice while entertaining himself. With a small team formed, he again fulfilled the invitation to perform and teach dance, including at the Kacirebonan Palace and the Pakungwati vocational school that was managed by Kasepuhan Palace in Cirebon. In 2018, Inu held a Cirebon mask dance workshop in the OzAsia Festival series in Adelaide, Australia. He teaches around 300 children from 10 schools.
If you want to see him dance, you can come to Sunyaragi Cave in Cirebon City. Every Saturday, he amazes visitors with his dance skill.
Inu Kertapati
Born: Cirebon, 25 November 1978
Wife: Eti (38)
Children: Zakky Ardy; Jihan Raihana
Education: Ma’Had Ali Islamic University in Ciwaringin, Cirebon (graduated in 2014)