(information by The Wisma Ulah Budaya Foundation taken from programme notes of the Pusbitari Dance Company's performances)

Since the middle 60's, a group of artists, dancers and musicians, from the Bandung city area performed together frequently at the palaces, festivals and overseas cultural missions. Only in 1987 that they decided to join in one organisation, which was named Pusbitari, an abbreviation of Pusat Bina Tari or The Center of Dance Development.
The Pusbitari members come from different backgrounds; some come from families of traditionel artists, some from universities and dance academies, both staff members and students.
Sundanese classical and folk music and dance are their main interest. They do not only perform old pieces, but also develop it with new ideas in dance dramas or individual dances. One of the dances, Galura, won the first honor at the Indonesian dance festival at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in 1989. Besides Sundanese music and dance, later on this group also performs dances from other regions and islands such as Aceh, West Sumatra, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Bali, etc.

The group is directed by dra. Irawati Durban Ardjo, an interior architect who maintains that dancing is her hobby. She is a former dancer who danced at the Indonesian Presidential Palace and in many Indonesian Cultural Missions since 1957 to several countries in Asia, Europe and the USA. She teaches dance since 1968 including ASTI, the national dance academy in Bandung, The Center for World Music and Related Arts in Berkeley (1974) and Porter College at The University of California Santa Cruz (1988), USA. She choreographs dances and dance drama's since 1965 and designs the dance costumes.

Address:
PUSBITARI DANCE COMPANY
Jl. Gunung Putri 2A
Bandung 40142 (West Java)
INDONESIA
phone: ++ 62 22 232 076 and fax: ++ 62 22 203 9367