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Received:  
April 29, 2021 
 
Revised:  
February 22, 2022 
 
Accepted:  
February 22, 2022 

How the Public in the US Responded to Javanese and Balinese 
Performing Arts? 

 
Rafngi Mufidah*, Dhanang Respati Puguh, Singgih Tri Sulistiyono 

Master Program of History, Faculty of Humanities,  
Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Central Java - Indonesia 

 
*Corresponding Author: rafngimufidah@live.undip.ac.id 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/ihis.v5i2.10926 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
After the independence, Indonesia struggled to discover its identity. The decades of 
1950s and 1960s in the Indonesian history can be seen as "an era" with "many eras". 
The view refers to the perspectives used to conceptualize a number of events, from the 
decolonization, federalism to unitarianism, regional conflicts, constitutional 
democracy, political factionalism, autocratic government, international relations, 
economic downturn, to Cold War interventions (Lindsay, 2011) Under these 
circumstances, Indonesia also dealt with the question of its national identity. One of 
the representations of the national identity to which attention was paid was culture. 
According to Lindsay (2011), culture plays a key role to understand Indonesia at that 
time. Furthermore, the events and mainstreams underlying Indonesian historical 
narratives from 1950 to 1965 are worth recalling. 

In 1950s, intellectuals paid attention to national culture. In defining the national 
culture, they were engaged in considerable debate, but they could not reach any 
consensus until the end of Sukarno's rule in 1965 (Bogaerts, 2011). The debate raged 
on the Indonesian diverse culture. The diversity encompasses, among others, arts as 

Abstract 
 

After declared independent, Indonesia had to deal with the question of its national 
identity. It was pertaining to the debate on the national culture, particularly arts. 
As Indonesia had diverse traditional arts, the debate was a dilemma. Many people 
disagreed if the traditional arts became the national identity. Meanwhile, 
Indonesian traditional arts, especially Javanese and Balinese ones, had been 
appreciated abroad. During Sukarno's regime, Indonesia sent several art missions 
to present itself to the world. They performed mostly traditional arts from several 
regions, including Java and Bali. By employing the historical method, this study 
aims to discuss Javanese and Balinese performing arts shows in the United States. 
It is of importance that from 1950s to 1960s, Indonesia had to adapt to the Cold 
War, which forced the developing countries to choose the Western or Eastern bloc 
in their foreign policy. Until the beginning of the 1960s, Indonesia tended to be 
with the Eastern bloc. Subsequently, there was a tendency to be with the other bloc. 
Therefore, in this article the response to the Javanese and Balinese performing arts 
shows in the US after two eras was analyze. 
 
Keywords: Javanese; Balinese; Traditional Performing Arts; Budaya Troupe; Media 
Responses 



 
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the most tangible culture. Many artists had their articles published in Mimbar Indonesia. 
They aimed to find what Indonesian national arts really were (Bogaerts, 2011, p. 274). 

Amir Passaribu, J.A. Dungga, Sutan Kalimuda, and L. Manik were columnists for 
Mimbar Indonesia articulating their thoughts on "ethnicity" and "authenticity" in arts. 
"Traditional music" from ethnic groups was also the center of attention. For instance, 
Javanese gamelan had achieved international recognition. According to Ki Hadjar 
Dewantara, Javanese gamelan should be designated as national music heritage for its 
high value and degree. However, for some people, it merely represented a particular 
ethnic group, i.e. the Javanese. Moreover, gamelan was deemed feudal. Therefore, it 
could not necessarily be designated as national music (Bogaerts, 2011, p. 277). 

As this article focuses on Javanese and Balinese performing arts, not only their 
music, emphasis is put on the debate over ethnic values of an art, including Indonesian 
music. The refusal of Javanese gamelan the music representing national culture can be 
interpreted as the refusal of other traditional arts deemed not to represent the national 
identity. Meanwhile, during the Sukarno's era, traditional performing arts were 
performed abroad to show Indonesia's existence. The performances were delivered 
more frequently during the era of Soeharto. 

Beside dealing with the question of its national identity, newly independent 
Indonesia also had to adapt to the Cold War. The ideological contestation between two 
superpowers, i.e. the United States (US) and Soviet Union, had its impacts on the 
politics in Indonesia. Sukarno embraced anti-imperialism, tending to avoid Western 
countries. One of them was the US. He even refused economic aid from the US 
(Weinstein, 2007, p. 19). 

As a super power, the US tries to exert its influence on countries in the world. 
The 20th century is known as The American Century due to its military, technology, 
and cultural power (McPherson & Krastev, 2007, p. 2). In terms of its relations with 
Indonesia, Wardaya (2012) says that since the beginning of the Cold War (1953-1962) 
until the early 1960s, the US foreign policy on Indonesia was ambiguous, sometimes 
antagonistic. There were ups and downs in their relations, indicated by the Sukarno's 
refusal of US aid. Likewise, the West regarded him as a communist owing to his anti-
Western policy. Indonesia and the US forged close relations during the administration 
of John F. Kennedy, but they worsened when Lyndon B. Johnson served as the 
president (Jones, 2002, pp. 249-281). The relations got worse due to Indonesia's 
confrontation with Malaysia. 

Nevertheless, the end of Sukarno's era marked a shift in Indonesian foreign 
policy, despite still adhering to the free and active principles. In contrast to Sukarno's 
Anti-Western foreign policy, Soeharto's regime was friendlier to the Western 
countries. Consequently, there were no longer relations with the Eastern bloc. During 
Soeharto's 32-year regime, the West was the political and economic orientation of 
Indonesia (Murphy, 2010, p. 362-387). Close relations were fostered with the Western 
countries, the US in particular, by means of programs launched by the government to 
stabilize the economy. In addition to providing economic aid, the US also benefited 
from the New Order's (Orba) foreign investment policy which allowed American 



 
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companies to make investments in Indonesia. Amid the reciprocal relations, Javanese 
and Balinese performing arts were performed in the US. 

The relations between Indonesia and the US have been studied by international 
relations and history scholars. Most of the studies have focused on the political and 
economic aspects of those two countries. For example, Wardaya's analysis (2012) only 
takes account of the ups and downs in Indonesia-US relations during the 
administration of Sukarno. He was suspected of being a communist because of his firm 
anti-imperialism stance. Soekarno's policy was associated with his personality and 
background as a Javanese. The first president's political thought and stance were 
profoundly influenced Javanese culture and tradition. The Javanese culture influenced 
Sukarno's thought not only on domestic issues, but also global ones, including 
relations with the US (Wardaya, 2012, pp. 1051-1061). Similarly, the research 
conducted by Murphy (2010) is unsatisfactory as it examines US political and economic 
interests in Indonesia and its view on Indonesia's potential. Indonesia is deemed able 
to cooperate in enhancing its people's welfare. In terms of Indonesian performing arts 
shows abroad, studies have been conducted by Lindsay (2011) and Cohen (2019). 
Lindsay (2011) has addressed performing arts shows by Indonesian art missions in 
numerous countries during Sukarno's period. He emphasizes that those missions were 
sent abroad to show Indonesia's presence in the global politics. On the other hand, 
Cohen (2019) has focused on arts as a manifestation or part of cultural diplomacy. 
Nonetheless, Lindsay and Cohen have not focused on a particular country or art 
performed. 

As there is little published data on the two fundamental problems above, i.e. the 
national identity and Indonesia-US reciprocal relations, this study provides new 
insights into Javanese and Balinese performing arts in the US. It is of interest because 
of two paradoxes. Amid the struggle for the national identity, traditional arts from 
regions in Indonesia received a mixed reaction. However, Javanese and Balinese 
performing arts were exhibited more frequently in the US and won acclaim, making 
Indonesia better known. They continued to be performed in spite of the ups and downs 
in the relations between both countries. This study aims to analyze how Javanese and 
Balinese performing arts were initially performed in the US, how the public responded 
to them, and why they acclaimed those arts. It is of importance to discuss the first 
interactions between the public in the US and Javanese and Balinese performing arts 
to construct a whole narrative and facilitate the analysis. 

 
Method 
This article was prepared according to the historical method. The critical historical 
method is a systematic set of principles and rules to assist effectively in collecting 
historical sources, critically assessing and then presenting a synthesis of the results in 
the form of scientific historical writing (Garaghan, 1957, p. 33). Most of the sources are 
articles in newspapers from the same period. The newspapers were all published in 
the US. For instances The Times, The Courier, The Sacramento Bee, Oakland Tribune, The 
San Francisco Examiner, etc. The newspapers are mostly from the US. The author chose 



 
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newspapers published by the US to obtain information about Javanese and Balinese 
traditional performing arts performances there. The benefit of this approach is that 
they reflect the situations at that time. Moreover, some events are described in detail. 
To explain the context and analyze matters not mentioned in the sources from the same 
period, the latest journal articles and relevant books were referred. 
 
Javanese and Balinese Performing Arts in the US: Early Encounters 
Javanese and Balinese performing arts have existed in the US from way back. At the 
end of the 19th century, the National Museum, Washington got rod and leather 
puppets as Christmas presents. As reported by The San Francisco Call and Portland Daily 
Press, they were believed to originate from Java, which was under the rule of Dutch 
East Indies. The puppets looked scary, but there was painting which resembled 
glamorous clothing on their surface.  Their various forms captured public attention in 
the US. Nevertheless, both The San Francisco Call and Portland Daily Press did not 
provide information on who gave the puppets (“Curious Javanese Puppets,” 1898, p. 
20; Bache, 1898). 

In addition to the wayang kulit purwa (shadow puppets), those articles looked into 
traditional performing arts in Java. It was said that Java had a performing art 
resembling pantomime. The art had developed for centuries and constituted Javanese 
intellectual property (Bache, 1898, p. 3). Hence, Java is known to be the oldest home to 
pantomime. The art was called pantomime as there were no dialogue between the 
performers and they merely danced to the music played by 5-10 musicians. They 
played percussion instruments, mostly made of bronze. Meanwhile, the dialogue was 
read by a man sitting in front of those musicians and represented the storyline. On the 
right side of the man was a wooden box occasionally knocked using a wooden mallet. 
However, the articles did not contain the art's name. From the features mentioned, the 
art was probably wayang wong dance. Furthermore, the man reading the storyline was 
the dhalang (puppeteer). 

Eight years after Portland Daily News published an article about Javanese arts, 
Waterbury Evening Democrat released an article about Javanese and Balinese dances. 
The article, the title of which is “Dancers of Java”, was written based the experiences 
of several American people during their visits in Java and Bali. They were interested 
in topeng (mask) dance and wayang wong dance (“Dancers of Java,” 1907). 

In the 1930s, Devi Dja, a Javanese dancer, performed Javanese and Balinese 
dances in the US. She joined Dardanella touring theater company in the Dutch East 
Indies.  Devi Dja embarked on a world tour which was ended in the US. After she 
joined, Dardanella always performed Javanese and Balinese dances. One of her most 
interesting performances in the US was delivered in Manhattan on 3-4 January 1940. 
Devi Dja performed ketjak dance accompanied by Balinese gamelan. The performance 
in Manhattan was one of 12 shows run in New York and all of them were appreciated 
by the public there (“Javanese Dancers Welcomed Warmly by New York,” 1940). 

In the subsequent era, or after the decolonization, Java become the parts of 
Indonesia. According to Brandon, Indonesia and Thailand are two Southeast Asian 



 
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countries with positive development of performing arts. Further, of the thousand 
islands in Indonesia, Java and Bali are the center of the oldest performing arts 
(Brandon, 1974, pp. 42-44). Hence, Javanese and Balinese performing arts were 
exhibited abroad amid the debate over traditional arts which were not deemed to 
represent Indonesia. Beside shows initiated by the government of Indonesia through 
art missions, there was interest in learning Javanese and Balinese performing arts in 
higher education in the US. Several Javanese performing arts include: gamelan, wayang 
kulit purwa, wayang wong, and dances. Meanwhile, Balinese performing arts are 
gamelan, wayang, legong and topeng dances, etc. 
 
The Development of Javanese and Balinese Performing Arts Learning Centers in 
the US 
The first university in the US showing an interest in Javanese and Balinese performing 
arts is the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The performing arts were 
introduced by Mantle Hood, an ethnomusicologist who initially learned Javanese 
gamelan. He began to know gamelan when pursuing his doctoral degree in the 
Netherlands. He studied under another ethnomusicologist, Jaap Kunst. After finishing 
his dissertation, Mantle Hood taught at UCLA. Around 1954, he brought Javanese 
gamelan to UCLA and founded the Gamelan Study Group, comprised of 15 students 
(“UCLA Group,” 1956). Two years later, he received the Fullbright Fellowship. 
Funded by the Ford Foundation, Mantle Hood deepend his knowledge and skills in 
Java and Bali (“UCLA Music,” 1956). Meanwhile, the Javanese gamelan group was 
designated as an extracurricular activity. The group was known as Udan Mas. 

Prior to its fifth anniversary, Udan Mas had performed in several events. One of 
them was the Javanese dance performance by Djoko Sanjoto and his wife at Magnolia 
School Auditorium, River-side on 8 November 1956 (“News of The Island Empire,” 
1956). He was the Cultural Attache at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) 
He learned to dance since his childhood and performed in numerous events in 
Indonesia, Singapore, and the US. Djoko Sanjoto's presence in the concerts of Udan Mas 
showed the attention paid by the Indonesian government to Indonesian traditional 
arts in the US despite the group's status under the UCLA. Not only performed, did he 
also train Udan Mas (“Java Concert Toninght,” 1956). 

After establishing the Javanese gamelan group at the UCLA, Mantle Hood began 
to introduce Balinese gamelan. During his time in Indonesia, he learned Balinese arts 
too. In the 1960s, he and Garry Margolis and Robert Garfias recorded a video featuring 
I Wayan Gandera and Tjikorda Mas (Ethnographic Film Collection of California, Los 
Angeles, Ethnomusicology Archives, 2020). Besides, Mantle Hood recorded sounds on 
a cassette. The cassette labelled Ki Mantle Hood-Tjokorda Mas dan Wajan Gandera 
contained several songs, i.e. Baris Bapan, Sekar Sungsan, Tabuh Teluh, Rebong, Legong, 
Lagu Dalem, Sellir, Pemungkah, Gamelan Gong Kebyar, Sekehe Gambuh Seker Leret, Gamelan 
Gong Barong Dance, Lullaby, and Gamelan Angklung Mergepati. 

California Institute of the Arts also developed Javanese and Balinese performing 
arts learning. The prominent figure was a Mantle Hood's student. Moreover, Javanese 



 
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and Balinese gamelan was taught at the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) 
(“An Outsider Peeks in on CalArts,” 1978). As gamelan learning centers were founded, 
in 1964, the Indonesian government sent a set of Javanese and Balinese gamelan to a 
pavilion at the New York World’s Fair. The gamelan was placed in a spacious dedicated 
room. As the interior designer, President Sukarno tried to show Indonesian rich and 
diverse culture. However, in March 1965 the gamelan was not at the New York World’s 
Fair owing to Indonesia's confrontation with Malaysia. The support the US gave to 
Malaysia had an impact on the gamelan. As a consequence, the gamelan was sold. 
Wesleyan University bought a set of Javanese gamelan and the University of Michigan 
bought another set of Javanese gamelan. Meanwhile, a set of Balinese gamelan was 
bought by Caroll Music (Hatch, 2008: 6). Based on the information, it can be known 
that Javanese gamelan has been taught at Wesleyan University and the University of 
Michigan since the mid-1960s. 

Javanese and Balinese performing arts were also learned on the east coast of the 
US, including at Cornell University. There, a gamelan group was founded in 1972, 
initiated by Martin Hatch. He was a PhD student of the Cornell’s Modern Indonesia 
Project (CIMP). Upon arriving at the Cornell University campus, he saw a spacious 
room with gamelan inside it. The gamelan was property of Harrison Parker (a Cornell 
University alumnus having worked in Indonesia) and played occasionally as a part of 
entertainment in activities conducted by the Southeast Asia Program (SEAP). Ben 
Anderson was central to the group. He played gender, which he had learned in Java. 
Beside Ben Anderson, two linguistics students from Yogyakarta, Supomo 
Poedjosoedarmo and Subandi Djajengwasito, joined that grup (Hatch, 2008, p. 6). 

As a musicology student, Martin Hatch proposed his plan to establish an official 
gamelan study group to the department head. The proposal was approved. In the 
summer of 1972, Cornell Gamelan Ensemble was founded (Hatch, 2008, p. 6). Six years 
later, Cornell University got a complete set of Javanese gamelan from the Metropolitan 
Museum of Art on long term loan as the present from the Indonesian government. In 
1980, gamelan was included in the curriculum of Cornell University and performed 
twice in a semester at Barness Hall or Arts Quad (Kahin, 2020, pp. 65-66). 

Moreover, dance groups or Javanese and Balinese gamelan groups periodically 
came to universities to run shows and workshops. In collaboration with the Music 
Department dan Arts College, SEAP sponsored activities involving Cornell University 
students and Indonesian artists. Visiting Group, museum exhibitions, and traditional 
dance performances were integral to SEAP missions at Cornell University (Kahin, 
2020, pp. 65-66). In the 1970s, the University of Hawaii also opened Javanese gamelan 
studies. In 1970, Hardja Susilo bought a set of Javanese gamelan from Yogyakarta to 
support the studies. Since then, Javanese gamelan has been taught at the University of 
Hawaii (Diamond, 1984, pp. 4-19). 

In terms of Javanese and Balinese performing arts venues, KBRI and the 
Consulates General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI), as the representatives of 
Indonesia, may not be forgotten. Based on the information collected, KJRI staged arts 
shows i.e. Javanese and Balinese classical dances, accompanied by Javanese 



 
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gamelanon a monthly basis Sometimes, KJRI run wayang kulit purwa performances 
(“Javanese Dance,” 1986, p. 3). Activities pertaining to gamelan at KBRI were better 
recorded. Furthermore, KBRI has the cultural attache responsible for promoting 
culture through arts. Beside routine rehearsal, Javanese and Balinese gamelan at KBRI 
were played routinely. In major events, gamelan and dances were performed when the 
Ambassador of RI delivered speech or visited numerous parts of the US. If gamelan 
could not be brought, only the dancers joined. For instance, on 31 May 1967, two 
talented dancers from Indonesia, Ninuk Suhartini and Moeljadi, joined Ambassador 
Suwito Kusumowidagdo when visiting J. Frank Faust Junior High School to deliver 
speech. They performed Bambangan Cakil dance (Arjuna and Cakil dance) Suhartini 
played as Arjuna, and Moeljadi as Buta Cakil. Their performance was accompanied by 
a recording made by the KBRI Javanese gamelan group (“Native Dancers to Perform 
Here,” 1967). 

Besides, the KBRI gamelan and dance groups performed at Indonesian festivals 
organized by KBRI, KJRI, or the other hosts. The festivals were effective in promoting 
Indonesia (Ritter, 1969). The wayang kulit purwa show held every month at KBRI 
Washington attracted public attention in the US (“Buffalo-Hide,” 1980). Javanese and 
Balinese performing arts developed in the US as centers for Asian, Southeast Asian, 
and even Indonesian studies, were established, for instance Asian Studies, South East 
Asian Studies (SEAP) and Indonesian Project at Cornell University with its Cornell’s 
Modern Indonesia Project (CMIP). 

Javanese and Balinese performing arts shows were also supported by the 
Indonesian artists sent to the US. They were sent to, among others, to pursue their 
education and teach gamelan, dances, and the other Javanese and Balinese performing 
arts. Many Indonesian artists were involved in a program called Artist in Residence. 
During the Old Older, several artists were sent to the US. More artists were sent there 
by the New Order. 

During the Old Order, Wasisto Surjodiningrat and Hardja Susilo were sent to the 
US (“Folk Dance Festival Features 20 Nations,” 19 March 1965). Their departure for 
the US was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1958. In addition to studying at 
the Music Department of UCLA, they were involved in workshops on gamelan in 
museums, schools, and campuses in the US. They were to be the influential pioneers 
in the development of Javanese gamelan in the US. Since 1960, UCLA helped other 
universities in the US, such as Wesleyan University, the University of Hawaii, the 
University of Michigan, etc develop ethnomusicology learning programs. Hardja 
Susilo and Wasisto Surjodiningrat were involved in the technical aspect as the 
universities decided to develop Javanese gamelan (Witzleben, 2020, pp. 135-166). 
Hardja Susilo became an assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the University of 
Hawaii in 1970. Since then, Hardja Susilo began to teach Javanese gamelan at the 
University of Hawaii. Meanwhile, his wife, Judy Mitona, a Javanese and Balinese 
dancer, also taught at the University of Hawaii. 

There were more artists involved in Artist in Residence during the New Order 
regime. They are I Made and Swasthi Bandem, Sumarsam and Urip Sri Maeny, 



 
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Wasitodipuro, Soedarsono, and I.M. Harjito. They landed in the US in the end of the 
1960s. In the next period, i.e. from the 1970s to 1980s, several Javanese and Balinese 
gamelan and dance teachers from Indonesia were known. They are I Wayan Dibia, I 
Nyoman Wenten and Nanik Wenten, Midiyanto, Joko Sutrisno, etc. The participants 
of Artist in Residence learned in the US, mostly funded by Ford Foundation and 
Rockefeller Foundation. Later, they played an active role in the missions sent by the 
Indonesian Government. 
 
Budaya Troupe in the US 
In the end of the 1960s, the Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of 
Indonesia sent an art mission to the US. They were the best Javanese and Balinese 
artists sent to go on tour in the US. A story depicting the atmosphere of the 
performance was published on 5 October 1969. The Javanese gamelan sound familiar 
to the people of California echoed at the University of California, Davis. There was 
something special in the show. On the stage, someone performed difficult moves, in 
tune with the sound of gamelan. He is Sardono, playing as Rahwana. Afterwards, a 
female dancer appeared as Sinta, followed by Rama, played by a dancer named Wayan 
Rindi, while Ketut Sukarni played as Sinta. At that time, Ketut Sukarni was 17 years 
old. Ketut Sukarni performed legong dance with other very young dancers, 
accompanied by gamelan legong. Their performance had been anticipated since the 
beginning of the rainy season in the end of 1960s. 

In September 1969, several media in the US, i.e. The Times, The Courier, The 
Sacramento Bee, Oakland Tribune, The San Francisco Examiner, etc reported that the 
Department of Education and Culture of RI was going to send 16 finest artists to the 
US. The troupe consisted of dancers and gamelan players (“Indonesia Dancers Show 
Charm,” 1969). Americans called them Budaya Troupe. The dance group was led by 
Wayan Rindi, while the gamelan was led by Wasitodipuro (“Budaya Troupe Dancers,” 
1969). Adi Darminto and Taryana were also in the troupe (“Indonesian troupe,” 1969). 
The first performance was staged at Veterans’ Auditorium, San Francisco on 4 October 
1969 (“Indonesian Dancers,” 1969). However, cited from a source, Budaya Troupe had 
performed on channelnine in the US before going on tour. The show was aired on 17 
September by WMVS-TV (Educational) at 8 p.m. (“Television Schedule,” 1970). Budaya 
Troupe had set a show schedule prior to leaving for the US, but they received many 
invitations to perform during their tour, including from Paul Cracroft, the University 
of Utah. He thought that he had to invite Budaya Troupe to perform, as their 
performance was stunning (Lundstrom, 1969). Therefore, on Wednesday, 28 October 
Budaya Troupe performed at Kingsburry Hall, Kingsburry Hall, the University of Utah. 
Before their performance at the University of Utah, Wayan Rindi and co. performed at 
Thorne Hall, Occidentall College on 24 October; Royce Hall, the University of 
California Los Angeles (UCLA) on 26 October; and De Jong Concert Hall of Harris Fine 
Arts Center, Brigham Young University on Monday, 27 October (“Dance Troupe,” 
1969). There were many more performances of Budaya Troupe. All of them left lasting 
impressions, as said by the people of Hudson Valley. They felt deeply indebted to 



 
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Vassar College for inviting the stunning performers (“Hindu Epic Makes for Fantastic 
Entertainment at Vassar,” 1969). 

Budaya Troupe, sent in the end of the 1960s, really left positive impressions. Due 
to the success of Budaya Troupe in 1969, the government sent Budaya Troupe to the US 
again in the early 1970s. The Department of Education and Culture of RI sent another 
art mission to go on tour in the US. However, it was slightly different from Budaya 
Troupe. The artists in Budaya Troupe were sent from Indonesia, but the artists in this 
mission were already in the US. The group is Widjaja Dance Company, led by I Made 
Bandem (Rockwell, 1970). 

The first performance of Widjaja Dance Company upon the request of the 
Department of Education and Culture of RI was on 22 June 1970. The group led by I 
Made Bandem performed at the Mark Taper Forum with Irwin Parnes as the producer. 
The first performance was decisive. If they could satisfy the audiences, they would be 
able to perform at the Mark Taper Forum several times. Beside Widjaja Dance 
Company, several participants of Artists in Recidence from Indonesia working at the 
Institute of Ethnomusicology of UCLA performed that night (Rockwell, 1970). 

Widjaja Dance Company performed before the art group from Hollywoodish. 
Indonesian arts, i.e. dances, performing arts, and music, were performed before the 
break. At first, the audiences did not seem satisfied. They talked about the stunning 
performance of Budaya Troupe. Luckily, in the end I Made Bandem saved the show 
that night. Swasthi Bandem played as Sita and Ratna Setiawati as Rama, making the 
audiences transfixed. Their performance was supported by I Made Bandem's agile 
move as Hanuman. On that night, a nationwide tour in the US was begun (Rockwell, 
1970). 

In October 1973, the Department of Education and Culture of RI sent I Made 
Bandem in another art mission. He was trusted in leading a topeng dance company. 
They went on tour in the US for almost one year. They did not only perform, but also 
taught dances. The enthusiasm of the public in the US meant that the Indonesian 
government was successful in promoting Indonesia (“Freshmen Get Lessons,” 1978). 

Javanese and Balinese traditional arts were performed again in the US 
throughout the winter of 1973. The tour was sponsored by the American Society for 
Eastern Arts (ASEA) in collaboration with the Department of Education and Culture 
of RI. To open the Autumn Series, wayang kulit purwa was performed at St. 
Presbyterian Church, 2640 College Eve on 21 September 1973. To enjoy the 
performance of dhalang Oemartopo and the gamelan group he trained, audiences paid 
$3, but students and community members only paid $2. Another wayang kulit purwa 
show was held at Berkeley Church on 13 October. In the end of October, several 
dancers performed Javanese and Balinese dances at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 
2640 College Eve. They are Maridi, I Nyoman Wenten, and Nanik Wenten. Their 
performances were accompanied by the Javanese gamelan group led by Wasitodipuro. 
They also performed at Trustees’ Auditorium, M.H. de Yougn Museum, Golden Gate 
Park, San Francisco. Javanese and Balinese performing arts shows at Festival Indonesia 
continued until the end of the year (“Shadow Puppets of Java,” 1973). The lasting 



 
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impressions left by Budaya Troupe can be seen from performance recordings aired by 
television stations in the US for educational purposes. 

The event initiated by the Department of Education and Culture inspired KBRI 
in the US to organize such event. Javanese and Balinese gamelan groups from KBRI 
performed in a massive formation with the gamelan group and participants from 
Artist in Residence in several universities. Below are Javanese and Balinese performing 
arts shows initiated by KBRI and reported by media. In addition, KBRI held routine 
rehearsals and shows of Javanese and Balinese gamelan and dances. KBRI also held a 
wayang kulit purwa show once a month.  

KBRI performed gamelan angklung and Javanese gamelan at Fine Arts Recital Hall 
on 6 May 1978. The show was organized in collaboration with the University of 
Maryland, Baltimore County. The open performances and concerts were staged at least 
once in a semester. Another performance was staged at Walters Arts Gallery from 
March to April 1980. Javanese gamelan was played to accompany a wayang kulit purwa 
show on 27 April. Previously, I Made Bandem had performed with Swasthi Bandem 
to represent KBRI on 23 March. Both of them performed topeng and kebyar dances. The 
festival of Explorations in the Walters was a part of the National Endowment for the 
Humanities Learning Museum Program (grants for humanities education) 
(“Exploring Eastern Culture at Walters,” 1980). The next performance, including 
Balinese gamelan, was reported by international media. The show was staged at Wind 
Gap School Auditorium on 19 May 1984. It was a part of a seminar organized in 
collaboration between KBRI and Slate Belt Performing Arts Council (“Gamelan 
Performance Planned in Wind Gap,” 1984). 
 
Responses from Mass Media  
Despite the ups and downs in the relations between Indonesia and the US in the mid-
1950s, Indonesian culture, represented by Javanese gamelan, was warmly welcomed. 
It can be seen in the Javanese gamelan concert and Balinese cultural exhibition 
organized by Mantle Hood and his students at Church of Hollywood. At the same 
time, a discussion was held in the opening of Javanese Music Program at UCLA 
(“UCLA Group Plans Javanese Music Program,” 1956, p. 11). Moreover, Javanese 
gamelan concerts organized by UCLA, as mentioned earlier, showed that Javanese 
gamelan was genuinely appreciated in the US. 

A token of appreciation for Javanese and Balinese performing arts was shown in 
an article titled “Indonesian Make Plans to Expand Tourist Trade”. It said that 
Indonesia had a variety of exotic traditional performing arts which could attract 
foreign tourists. The arts mentioned are legong, srimpi, gamelan, and wayang (Kim, 1957, 
p. 13). According to Yong Hyum Kim, traditional arts are property. 

On the other hand, Goldberg expresses his opinion on Javanese gamelan teaching 
programs into an article “Unique Oriental Music Courses at UCLA". The title is a token 
of appreciation for Javanese gamelan. In summary, he outlines the Javanese gamelan 
teaching programs offered by UCLA. He also mentions Balinese performing arts 
(Goldberg, 1959, p. 5). In the next decade, particularly in the end of 1969, several 



 
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articles were published as performances were organized by Budaya Troupe. 
News titled “Java Dance Is Charming” was published on 11 October 1969. The 

news reviewed the traditional performing arts show by a group called Budaya Troupe 
at UC Berkeley Zellerbach Auditorium. The audiences could perhaps only enjoy the 
performance from the scenes they watched and the sounds they listened. Nevertheless, 
in the Western mass tradition, the performance cannot be made in a usual manner. 
According to Fried (1969), the performance given by the Indonesian art group 
represented the style of a tradition refined in such a long period with artistic 
packaging. This is an excerpt from news about the impression of Budaya Troupe 
performance. 

“The performance had charm, daintiness, humor and wonderment. Its 
dance-actors and mimes made strange movements with delicacy and 
finesse. Their poses were picturesque. Their animation was delightful. Their 
costumes, including masks, were picturesque as that artfully lovely.” 
An enthusiastic response was also elicited from the event organizer at Kingsbury 

Hall, on Wednesday, 29 October 1969. The show attended by 500 audiences was 
funded by the Division of Continuing Education, the University of Utah. As the chair 
of the organizing committee, Paul Cracroft conveyed a positive impression as Budaya 
Troupe had been able to entertain the audiences. He praised the packaging of the show, 
from the costumes to the story told in English. On that day, Budaya Troupe featured 
Ketut Sukarani and two other teenage dancers. They appeared on the cover of National 
Geographic. He said that Budaya Troupe had prepared the performance well and in 
great detail. According to him, they chose perfect costumes and colors. Moreover, 
there were characters of monkeys, exotic birds, deer, cats, and the other animals that 
night. They showed how serious Budaya Troupe crew were (Lundstrom, 1969, p. 21). 
 
Conclusion 
In the US, Javanese and Balinese performing arts were an alternative to fine arts 
appreciated for their aesthetic values. In this vein, traditional arts are classified into 
fine arts. Amid the development of popular arts, Javanese and Balinese performing 
arts were a breath of fresh air for those longing for traditional arts. In addition, as 
discussed earlier, Javanese and Balinese performing arts shows offered them a number 
of new and unique things. Despite the ups and downs in the relations between 
Indonesia and the US, Javanese and Balinese performing arts still exist in the US due 
to its ability to directly touch the people's hearts. For Indonesia, Javanese and Balinese 
performing arts shows abroad have proven that traditional arts are recognized as its 
cultural heritage. Java and Bali, as well as Indonesia, are known by the public in the 
US for their uniqueness.  
 
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