Topeng Pajegan

Introduction: The dances of Tari Topeng are inspired by myths and legends of the ancient Balinese heroes, rulers and religious leaders. They are performed for the pleasure of the deities and are seen as a way to establish spiritual connection with divine powers. In addition, the Topeng dances are a form of entertainment for the people. With rising secularization, the Tari Topeng dances are also increasingly being performed for tourists in Bali to showcase the rich Balinese history through the performing arts.

The Topeng Pajegan is a Balinese dance which is usually performed in the outer courtyards in temples. It is under the family of the Tari Topeng masked dances and originated from the "central palace of the Balinese capital city (I Made Bandem, 1995). The term "Pajegan" means one who executes all duties and this describes the fact that the dance is performed by a solo dancer who tells a story and portrays multiple personalities through the different masks he dons. (Coldiron, 2004)

General positions and movements of the dancer:
The performer keeps his feet apart and ensures that they are always pointed outwards. He also ensures that "his shoulders and elbows are lifted" and that his torso "moves as a unit". (Coldiron, 2004, p. 175) . He executes the dance moves by moving his hands and feet to the tempo of the music and bursts into sudden and quick movements when the tempo gets faster. Much focus is also on his head which displays "small, sharp movements" (Coldiron, 2004, p. 175).

In the following paragraphs, a few of the masks that may be featured in a Topeng Pajegan dance performance will be touched on and more detailed movements of the specific characters will be given.


Topeng Keras: The Mask of the "Patih" :

Picture taken at the Esplanade

The Patih mask which stands for Prime Minister is used in Topeng Keras. (Coldiron, 2004) There may be variation in the sequence of masks showcased in Topeng introductory performances but generally, they follow a certain sequence whereby the Patih is one of the first masks used. (Emigh, Spring, 1994) .

This mask is supposed to portray the amount of authority the character has. For example, it is painted red to signify power and prestige. Also, the bulging eyes and pouting mouth are meant to showcase the strong gaze of the Prime Minister that intimidates. (Coldiron, 2004)

Movements: The performer moves to the beat of the music and may suddenly pause to strike a pose with his fingers shaking. (Coldiron, 2004) This intensifies the performance as it gives one a sense of anticipation at what is to come next. Also, the head of the performer moves in a staccato way, where it tilts up and down to make the head look as if it is alive.

Topeng Tua:

Above shows the mask of a dignified old man who was a Patih in the past. The jewel on the middle of his forehead signifies the power and prestige he still holds . He also has long white horsehair probaly to signify his old age. (Aquino, 2007)

Movements: Assuming this role, the performer may pretend to be breathless, weak and giddy. He generally behaves in an eccentric, hilarious manner that contradicts his apparent dignity. This allows the performer to reach out to the audience, especially young children who embrace his character. (Coldiron, 2004)


The Dalem:

Above shows the mask of the Dalem ( king) . The colour of the mask is not an intense colour but that of pure white so as to showcase his "sweet and refined"(Gamelan, 2007) character. The crown around his head signifies his status as a ruler.he curved eyes and smile that is painted onto the mask reflects characteristics that a ruler is supposed to have like gracefulness and dignity. The smile may also be interpreted as one that looks ominous, hence may indicate that more lies beneath the calm exterior of the ruler .Thus, it could be inferred that the king should not provoked for dire consequences might follow. (Gamelan, 2007)

Movements: The Dalem assumes a calm composure with graceful and restrained movements. He moves his hands quite a fair bit and together with the poses he strikes, he looks almost as if he is effeminate. However, his strength is reflected in the "sudden, strong gestures of the head and arms and quick changes of direction." (Aquino, 2007)

So far, all the masks featured above are full faced masks hence their characters do not speak but communicate mainly through their actions . Only when the performer plays the role of lower ranking characters who wear half faced masks does he speak.( Coldiron, 2004)

Penasar Kelihan:

The mask above is that of Penasar Kelihan , the king's servant who speaks for him . His is a half-faced mask with two large holes for the eyes so as to allow the character to see and speak.

Movements: He moves about arrogantly and speaks with an air of self-importance as he tells the audience the story. The performer does not memorise a script but improvises his speech appropriately around the story that he is telling. This is no mean task as not only must he capture the attention of the audience by telling them jokes , he must also impart to them moral lessons and make the story relevant to the lives of the people by drawing modern references. (Coldiron , 2004 )

Sidha Karya:

The final mask that the solo artiste wears to conclude the performance is always that of Sidha Karya as shown above. He looks rather wild with his bushy eyebrows and moustache.Painted on him is a large mouth with a wide smile and teeth which juts out. He seems to be laughing by the way "his eyes are curved slits". (Coldiron, 2004, p.184 ) Also, the fact that Sidha Karya is supposed to be aged is implied by the lines on his forehead and cheeks . Like the Dalem and Topeng Tua, he has a jewel on its forehead which indicates his high social status. However, his jewel also serves as an "inward eye of higher perception"( Coldiron, 2004 ,p. 184) . It cannot be certain who exactly this character represents. Many still do not know whether he is supposed to be a god , a king or a priest .( Coldiron, 2004 ) Nevertheless, what we can be sure of is that he represents someone who is respected and has enough power to complete the entire Topeng Pajegan performance.

Movements: Sidha Karya moves about in a hilarious manner. He laughs to himself and does silly acts like hopping. The audience especially the little children adore him as he moves towards them and interacts with them. He presents keping ,ancient chinese coins to the gods by throwing them together with rice in the "four cardinal directions" (Coldiron, 2004 ,p 187) while seeking their pardon for anything in the performance that might not have been performed to their expectations. Sometimes he grabs a child into his arms , gives him one of the keping and releases him back into the crowd. (Coldiron, 2004)

Costume: The costume the performer dons consists of many layers of clothing to make him look as if he is a huge, high ranking Balinese warrior from the fourteenth century.

• Firstly, the kamben which is a long piece of cloth is worn around the waist. Beneath it, a pair of white trousers is worn.
  


• A holster apparatus where a kris ("ceremonial dagger") (Coldiron , 2004 ,p.175) is placed goes around the shoulders of the performer and is attached to the kamben .
  


• The Kamben is secured to a holster apparatus worn over the dancer's shoulders in which his kris is carried .
  


• A sabuk (belt) is worn just beneath the arms and serves to hold the kamben in place.
  


• Finally, "black velvet leggings" called stewel, "a cape decorated with a gold leaf" called saput and a "short black velvet jacket"(Coldiron , 2004 ,p.175) is worn. All of them are have plenty of decorations sewn to them. (Coldiron , 2004 )
  

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Biblography

Aquino, S. (2007). Masks. Retrieved 8 november, 2007, from Topeng Pajegan: http://www.topengpajegan.com/masks

Coldiron, M. (2004). Trance and Transformation Of The Actor In Japanese Noh and Balinese Masked Dance-Drama. Lewiston. Queenston.Lampeter: The Edwin Mellen Press.

Emigh, J. (Spring, 1994). Masks of Bali: Spirits of an Ancient Drama. Asian Theatre Journal .

Gamelan, U. (2007). Topeng Dalem Arsa Wijaya. Retrieved 8 November, 2007, from Gamelan Network: http://www.gamelannetwork.co.uk/news-items/topeng-dalem.html

I Made Bandem, F. E. (1995). Balinese Dance in Transition Kaja and Klod. Oxford University Press.