Golden tones of crimson and yellow and rhythmic dancing filled Meacham Auditorium in Oklahoma Memorial Union last Saturday night for the annual Indonesian Night 2004.

This year's event was themed "The Beauty of Indonesia."

"We wanted to capture the essence of Indonesia and its stunning beauty," said Andre Asril, president of the Indonesian Student Association. "Our goal is to introduce our culture to Norman and OU to increase awareness of our rich and diverse culture."

Lauren Escobales, international student adviser, said she encouraged everyone to learn from the presentation.

"I implore everyone to allow yourself to embrace their culture and learn from it," she said.

The night was filled with traditional dances that represented different aspects of Indonesian culture.

"The light of Indonesia is signified in the dances," said Benny Suryawinata, consul general of the Republic of Indonesia in Houston.

The audience was welcomed with brightly-colored jeweled and beaded costumes as bare-footed women made delicate motions across the stage. The dancers imitated the graceful movements of the birds in the opening dance titled Tari Cendrawasih, or The Bird of Paradise Dance.

Back by popular demand, Tari Saman, the dance of a thousand hands, was a crowd favorite, said Arpana Gogu and Denisen Nelson, the mistresses of ceremony. Originally from the island of Sumatra, the dance includes the dancers kneeling in a row as their hands weave in complex patterns while the tempo quickens. The dance is accompanied by distinctive chanting melodies, Gogu said.

Another crowd favorite was a musical performance of the angklung, one of west Java's traditional instruments that is made from bamboo pipes. The performance was a blend of old and modern culture as the group performed "Boomer Sooner" with other traditional instruments.

Nelson said that with 13,677 islands make up Indonesia. Many different skin tones and cultural influences are a part of the country. This year, more ethnic groups were represented compared to past years, Asril said.

Jason Crenshaw, English sophomore, said he learned a lot from attending Indonesian Night.

"I didn't have any idea about all the different places and islands and ethnicities of Indonesia," Crenshaw said. "Their culture is so vast."

The different cultures of Indonesia were represented in the cultural fashion show. The fashion show consisted of wedding dresses and other cultural attire from different provinces in Indonesia.

In light of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Indonesians started celebrating Idul Fitri, a two-week holiday of thanksgiving when people visit their relatives, Asril said.

The Indonesian culture encourages thanksgiving throughout the year and strives to create a perfect balance between nature and the people, the mistresses of ceremony said during the presentation.

The Tari Lilin dance, or Candle Dance, gives thanks and celebrates the harvest. When the rice is ripe, men and women hold a ceremony at night where they bring candles, dance and sing to express their happiness.

The ceremony ended with members of the Indian Student Association reflecting on the show's preparation. Asril said the organization only has about 25 members and that the group had been preparing since the beginning of the semester.
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