VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Canberra introduced Topeng Tua dance performance in a cultural festival which was held as a form of the Indonesian Embassy's participation in the Chinese New Year Festival in the capital of Australia on Saturday (29/1). The Chinese New Year Festival is taking place from 27 January to 12 February 2022.

Education and Culture Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Mukhamad Najib explained that the cultural festival in Canberra is aimed at introducing Indonesian culture amid a multicultural society.

The Topeng Tua dance or popularly called the Pak Tua dance is part of the legendary traditional Balinese dance. So far, mask dance in Bali has two functions, namely as an entertainment show and as a complement of religious ceremonies. It is further stated that in Bali itself, Pak Tua dance is held as a complement of a religious ceremony called the Werda Lumaku dance.

During the performance in Canberra, the dancer walks up to the audience and dances in slow motion. Once in a while, the dancer takes deep breaths as if gasping for air and making movements to wipe the sweat from her mask in a humorous fashion. Then, the dancer sits and stares empty into the sky as if depicting an old man who is reminiscing about his past when he was young.

In addition to the Pak Tua dance, the cultural festival also held training on playing Angklung led by Rubby M. Al Burhan, a local staff member of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra.

The festival was attended by the people of Canberra and visitors of cafes and shopping centers in the Dickson area. They seemed happy and enjoyed the show, which was shown. Seeing the enthusiasm of the people of Canberra, the Indonesian Embassy plans to hold more cultural festivals to introduce Indonesia's cultural heritage.