The Dancers


Endang Setyawati

The name Endhang Setyawati is a pseudonym for Grace Mahler. 'Endhang' is the old-javanese title of a female hermit. The name is given to her because of her philosophical attitude to life. 'Setyawati' refers to her loyalty which expresses the wish that she will always keep a devoted dedication to the art of dancing.
She inheritated the love for dancing from her mother, who encouraged her to learn the dances of her Sundanese ancestors.
Endhang Setyawati takes a great interest in analyzing the character of the dances, which she combines with a refined musical feeling.
   


Cahyo Pangayoman

The name Cahyo Pangayoman is a pseudonym for Robin Schuttevaêr. 'Cahyo' means 'the shining one'. His Dutch name 'Robin' means 'ruby' and thus the name 'Cahyo' is given to him to express the wish that he will shine like a ruby when he is performing the classical dances of the island Java. 'Pangayoman' and also his last name Schuttevaêr mean ' the man who preserves' and it refers to that he will preserve the high standard of the art of dancing. He became interested in the art of dancing of Java after witnessing a performance of the royal dancers of the Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat in 1985. Cahyo Pangayoman has a good musical feeling which he combines with a brilliant dance-technique.
   


Hendro Kasanmarto

The name Hendro Kasanmarto is a pseudonym for Henry Kasanmarto. 'Hendro' refers to the Hindu-deity Indra, who represents the harmony-bringing power in nature. 'Kasanmarto' means 'the gentle one'. And indeed Hendro Kasanmarto is the gentle harmony-bringing element among the dancers and his friends.
After being brought by his relative to watch the Javanese dance rehearsals, he became enthousiastic in the art of dancing of Java.
Hendro Kasanmarto has a sensitive musical feeling which he combines with a good intuition to characterize the dances he performs.
   


Imelda Hidayat

Imelda Hidayat is her own name. 'Imelda' means 'greatness, mighty, powerfull' . Hidayat means 'guidance'. It expresses the wish that she will be a powerfull guide for the audience through the beautyfull world of Indonesian dance.
Her interest in dance already started in Indonesia when she was a little girl. After she moved to the Netherlands she wished to continue her development in the art of dancing.
Imelda Hidayat has a refined intuition for a choreography and the flow of movements, which she combines with a natural musical feeling.
   


Nurul Rahayu

The name Nurul Rahayu is a pseudonym for Stelma Louis. 'Nur' refers to 'the Divine Light' that has appeared to the prophets, such as the name 'Stelma' refers to 'Stella Maris', the Saint Virgin Maria as the Light, who gives faith to the sailors on a succeeded travel. 'Rahayu' means 'equitable' and 'virtuous', like her third first name 'Justitiana'. These names give expression to her lighting almost imperceptible, but large love and devotion for the art of dancing. Combined with her musicality she has proved to be the durable element in a group of dancers on whom can be trusted by the others.
   


Sukmawati Wijaya

The name Sukmawati Wijaya is a pseudonym for Kim Jacobsz. 'Sukma' means 'soul' or 'the inspired one'. It refers to someone who is willing to wage war. 'Kim' means in Celtic 'the invincible one', 'the combative/operational one' and the Javanese word 'jaya' means 'strongly', 'powerful'. The second syllable of the word 'jaya' (ya) sounds as the first syllable of her Dutch surname 'Jakobsz' when pronounced in Dutch. With the name Sukmawati Wijaya the wish is declared that Kim Jacobsz will do her best to continue the art of dancing of Indonesia with her heart and soul and that she thereby will use her strength which she radiates now already.
   


Dronika Wiragamurti

The name Dronika Wiragamurti is a pseudonym for Dronika Wir. 'Wiraga' means elegancy in gestures and attitude and 'murti' refers to her feeling of perfection. Her name reflects her natural sense of beauty which surely will lead her to a greater awareness and selfconciousness of her own abilities.
Dronika started her first dancing lessons at the age of 11 years as a junior of Wisma Ulah Budaya and she is the youngest dancer of this gallery.
Because of her modesty, which comes from her strong self-criticism, the Javanese dancemovements nearly come natural for Dronika. She instinctively has captured the spirit of the Javanese tradition.
   
   


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