Mitra Tari Hadiprana On Preserving Traditional Indonesian Dance

Mitra Tari Hadiprana is seeking to preserve traditional Javanese dance, one move at a time

Most people would be relaxing on Sundays, but that’s not simply the case with the members of Mitra Tari Hadiprana, who had just finished their weekly class at Mitra Hadiprana in Kemang, which started at 9am sharp, when Indonesia Tatler met with them. These dedicated ladies, most of them over 30 years of age, take very seriously this form of a traditional workout, and they look all beautiful in their colourful kebayas.

After wrapping up their practice session, we sat with the members of the group, which consists of Puri Hadiprana, Shinta Kamdani, Melicia Zaini, Ria Glenn, Gati Dwi Gantini, Renny Kusumowardhani, and Yusri Wahyuni, along with their pemulang beksan, or dance instructor, Putut Budi Santosa.

“Aside from preserving Indonesian culture, traditional Javanese dance is a holistic form of workout, almost like yoga, in which it trains all your mind, body and soul,” Puri told us. “It’s also a low-impact workout, which is suitable for someone like me who has a history of scoliosis.”

Last November, Indonesia Tatler hosted the annual Indonesia Tatler Ball 2018 with the theme of “Indonesia Tanah Airku”, and Mitra Tari Hadiprana had the honour of performing at the gala dinner. Although the group originally formed in 2015, the preparation for the said performance only took about two months.

“Preparing for the performance was as much fun as the event itself,” Shinta added. “We only had about two months to practice the routine—which means I only did five sessions times of practice. With many daily activities each of us has, it was quite challenging to find the time, but, in the end, we managed to do it because of the same passion we have in dancing.”

This story appears in the January 2019 issue of Indonesia Tatler. For the full story, grab the copy at your nearest newsstand, or subscribe here.