On Friday, November 30th, the Indonesian Embassy in D.C. and the East-West Center jointly hosted the groundbreaking event for an Indonesian garden, blessing the ground with ritual, dance and music on the East-West Center campus in Honolulu. Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Budi Bowoleksono, joined with Dr. Richard Vuylsteke (President, East-West Center) and Regent Dosmar Banjarnahor (Humang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra) and Toba Batak musicians and dancers as part of the ceremony. A full-day conference on US-Indonesia maritime cooperation followed at the East-West Center, and an evening of Indonesian-Hawaii fusion dance and food capped this rich day of international collaboration.
Thanks to Professor Krisna Suryanata, Professor Ehito Kimura, and CSEAS Associate Director Paul Rausch for the following photographs and videos.
This groundbreaking ceremony happened on November 30, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Musicians and dancers are the Toba Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
This groundbreaking ceremony happened on November 30, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Musicians and dancers are the Toba Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Cultural Evening
Featured performances included Balinese dances by performers of UH Gamelan Segara Madu, under the direction of I Made Widana and Dr. Annie Reynolds. The Toba Batak musicians also performed five pieces from different Batak communities.
These dances were part of a cultural evening at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 30, 2018. The dancers featured are Jinghuan Dong, Alessandra Gamarra, and Lantana Widana. They are performing the Puspanjali dance. Dancers belong to the University of Hawaii’s Gamelan Segara Madu, under the direction of I Made Widana and Dr. Annie Reynolds.
Jinghuan Dong, Lantana Widana, and Alessandra Gamarra
These dances were part of a cultural evening at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 30, 2018. The featured dancers are Desiree Quintero (left) and Nezia Azmi (right). They are performing the Margapati dance. Dancers belongs to the University of Hawaii’s Gamelan Segara Madu, under the direction of I Made Widana and Dr. Annie Reynolds.
These dances were part of a cultural evening at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 30, 2018. The dancer featured is I Made Widana, performing the Baris dance. Dancer belongs to the University of Hawaii’s Gamelan Segara Madu, under the direction of I Made Widana and Dr. Annie Reynolds.
These dances were part of a cultural evening at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 30, 2018. The musicians and dancers are of the Toba Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
