Dee Why Beach, Sunday 29th April 2007

As part of Warringah Council's Soundwaves - Ripple Festival, Langen Suka performed at Dee Why beach. This featured the solo dance 'Gambir Anom', danced by Tabitha Williams, and a selection of traditional instrumental gamelan pieces in the pelog scale, from 'gendhing alus' (refined) to 'gendhing soran' (loud style) to 'gendhing gecul' (humorous).

The programme was: ladrang Slamet, gendhing Dhenggung Turulare, ketawang Subakastawa, beksan Gambiranom, ladrang Gegot, lancaran Manyar Sewu, ladrang Kembang Kates, and lancaran Baita Kandhas.

The performers were: Anne Bourke, Camilla Ip, Danny Yee, David Shannon, Giles Gaskell, Grace Hadiwijaya, Kath Azali, Lydia Kieven, Peggy Polias, Prue Gibbs, Roger Gilchrist, Sophian Hoe, Tabitha Williams, Thom Stewart, and Tracey Kinchington.

About Gambir Anom

In this popular dance which draws heavily in its vocabulary of movements from masked dance, the male character Gambir Anom is usually performed by a female dancer. He is on his way to war but is constantly distracted by thoughts of his loved one. Imagining that she is there before him, he becomes excited and ecstatic and grooms and preens himself in order to impress her. His hallucinations are so powerful that he even reaches out to embrace her. When reality eventually hits, he becomes disconsolate and resigns himself to his duty.

Gandrung-gandrung kapirangu
mring kusuma Titisari
linali saya ngalela
ginagas saya ngranuhi
tansah kumanthil ing netra
tumanem ing sanubari

Infatuated and love-sick
for the beautiful Titisari,
he wanders ever further, lost in his thoughts,
he yearns ever more, lost in his imagination,
his look revealing his constant devotion to her,
planted deep in his heart.