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Uses of the Sampur in the Halus (Refined) Style of Yogyakarta Court Dance
- Asian Theatre Journal
- University of Hawai'i Press
- Volume 32, Number 1, Spring 2015
- pp. 228-244
- 10.1353/atj.2015.0012
- Article
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In this essay I discuss how a familiar costume element in Javanese court dance, a long piece of patterned cloth known as the sampur, functions poetically through the ways it is used by the dancer. I elaborate on eight categories of use of the sampur, primarily from the point of view of a Western dancer first encountering the techniques of working with the scarf. I draw on scholars and other commentators to discuss the many dimensions of meaning embodied by these uses. The sampur emerges as a dance element rich in virtuosic potential and nuance, and resonant with numerous dimensions of cultural values.