In weekly sessions we come together to practice the dances and discuss the theoretical issues and the meaning of the dances.
There are two phases in which these processes take place. The youngsters in the age of 8 up to 11 are being taught that dances in Indonesia have a philosophy and it is not just moving your body. During each session there is always time to talk about Indonesia and about what they recognise in their lives. The pupils are of Indonesian descendants, but are born and brought up in the Netherlands, a western society. Their parents want to make children aware of their cultural inheritance.

In the second phase the learning process is more intense. The emphasis lies more on technique and spiritual awareness. Exercises in concentration and meditation as well as physical exercises are included in the sessions.
On some occasions our co-operation is invited to do dancing demonstrations or to do lectures about dance and dance workshops etc.
The Wisma Ulah Budaya Foundation regularly gives dancing demonstrations at the educational museum (Het Museon) in The Hague.
Once a year Indonesian classical dance fill the program of a full-length performance.

Until now The Wisma Ulah Budaya Foundation is yearly invited to give some performances at The Tong-Tong Fair in The Hague (The Netherlands).
As you can see we are very interested in the Indonesian dance. But doing the steps is not enough. The backgrounds, the histories and everything around the Indonesian dance are far more interesting. But as dance is a living, dynamic and oral tradition, these matters are not always easy to trace.
Over the years we have been collecting some interesting facts about dance by bits and pieces. We like to share it with others who are also curious about Indonesia and its dances. Either by exchanging information, or by joining us in our educational activities like giving demonstrations in museums, schools etc.
Another aspect is that we not often see Indonesian dance performed by Indonesian dancers here in the Netherlands. So if there is a company or a dancer touring through Europe, please let us know. We will always do our best to see the performance and enrich our knowledge and refresh our inspiration.