Betang Batarung, House of Dancers

ARSIP PRIBADI

Tris Sofia Wartina

Dancing is not only moving the body for Tris Sofia Wartina, 37, but has also been the journey of her life. Her house of 14 years in the beautiful city of Palangkaraya has been converted into a studio adorned with many works of art.

Tris has never forgotten. Her mind returns to when she was 9 years old, when her parents took her to the wedding of a relative. The ceremony opened with a dance that has since stuck in Tris’s heart. The chiming jingle of the dancers’ bracelets continues to ring in her ears, reverberating down into her heart.

“I remember it well, even all the dancers. I was struck by the dance, which prompted me to take dance lessons,” Tris said on Sunday (20/11/2022) in the city of Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan.

From then on, Tris studied dance. In 2003, she joined a workshop in Yogyakarta organized by dancer Bagong Kussudiardja. Three years later, she was a student at Palangka Raya University (UPR) when she represented her region at the Borneo Dance Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia.

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She continued to dance until she eventually formed an unnamed group of dancers in 2008. The group was frequently invited to perform by the Palangkaraya Youth and Sports Office. Tris decided to open a dance studio. Despite her young age, she was confident, and in 2009, she finally inaugurated her studio as Sanggar Betang Batarung.

The name Betang Batarung was suggested by several leaders of the Dayak ethnic community whom she had often consulted. The late Sabran Achmad, a cofounder of Central Kalimantan province, gave the studio its name. Betang in the Dayak Ngaju language means “house”, while Batarung is widely interpreted as “fighter”, but it actually means dignity and prestige.

“So, this house [studio] is for all groups, young and old, upper to lower circles. Members of the Dayak ethnic community who are interested in learning are all here,” said Tris.

After 14 years, its membership has grown to more than 500 to date. Some members are still active, while others are inactive.

Tris related that the studio began with only eight to 10 people. After 14 years, its membership has grown to more than 500 to date. Some members are still active, while others are inactive.

Diversity characterizes the arts studios in Palangkaraya, including Tris’s studio. The dancers performing various Dayak dances come from diverse backgrounds, as reflected in the philosophy of the betang, the traditional Dayak long house that provides shelter for all.

On Sunday at noon, Tris, now in the later stages of pregnancy, was holding her belly while watching a number of her students as they trained. At a crucial moment, a visitor inquired about some of the instruments the dancers used. She explained that one was the ganggereng, a length of bamboo filled with dried beans to produce a clattering sound.

ARSIP PRIBADI

Tris Sofia Wartina

Dancing does not only involve physical movements, but also self-expression to present the dancers’ Dayak identity. To this end, Tris set up the Betang Batarung Course and Training Institute as a nonformal educational forum. Tris’s students are not only introduced to the Dayak people and culture through dance, but also gain knowledge about dance.

“With the Mandau dance, for instance, what kinds of props are used, we explain everything. So, if you dance without any knowledge of what you are using, you can’t get the ‘feel’ of it,” Tris said.

Dayak identity

Tris said that as a dancer, she was often asked about the costumes she wore and her movements. For the Dayak people, such knowledge enhances their identity. Tris is fully aware that Dayak dances are inseparable from the natural environment. The movements of each Dayak dance stem from what their ancestors saw, heard and felt. One example is the Hatampung Penyang, the signature repertoire at Tris’s studio.

Tris recounted that when the Hatampung Penyang was created, it incorporated the basics of many other dances without altering them, their movements originating in nature.

This dance is a combination of many movements typical of the Dayak dances from Central Kalimantan, ranging from the traditional Dadas dance to the Mandau (Dayak dagger) dance. Tris recounted that when the Hatampung Penyang was created, it incorporated the basics of many other dances without altering them, their movements originating in nature.

“There are leaping movements because living on peatland or in the forest, we have to jump in order to dodge thorny plants, as well as [movements resembling] the beating wings of haruei [peacocks indigenous to Kalimantan] and flowing rivers,” Tris explained.

To preserve this cultural knowledge, Tris has held the Betang Batarung arts showcase for the last four years, featuring not only dances but also discussions on cultural values that cover Dayak dance and music as well as other art forms.

“The arts event also serves as a forum for appreciating young dancers, and are also part of a series of the studio’s anniversary program,” she said.

The small house on a corner of Palangkaraya has become a house of many dancers that has given them renown. Tris truly senses the meaning of Betang Batarung. While she did not know many people before, she now owns one of the largest dance studios in Palangkaraya, even in Central Kalimantan. The studio has also taken flight overseas.

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

Young dancers aged 14-15 years practicing at Tris Sofia's Betang Batarung Studio, on Sunday (20/11/2022) morning.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, Betang Batarung was invited to various countries, including Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands. Tris and her studio have also performed at shows in Borneo and several major cities in Indonesia.

“Uniqueness is the typical characteristic perceived by arts enthusiasts abroad. It’s the uniqueness of the Dayak culture in the dances,” Tris underlined.

Tris Sofia Wartina

Born: Kuala Kapuas, 22 March 1985

Education:

- Master’s degree in management, Palangka Raya University (2019-2022)

- Bachelor’s degree in technology, Palangka Raya University (2003-2008)

- SMA Palangka Raya 1 state senior high school (2000-2003)

- SMP Palangka Raya 2 state junior high school (1997-2000)

- SDN Palangka Raya 4 state elementary school (1991-1997)

Achievements:

- Best Choreographer, Regional Dance Creation Competition, Isen Mulang Cultural Festival (FBIM), 2022

- Third place, National Youth Pioneers of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Youth and Sports Ministry (2010)

- Finalist, Central Kalimantan Environment Envoy selection (2008)

(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)