|
Oleg
Dance
A modern dance choreographed
by the late M ario in 1952, Oleg Tambulilingan
has become a popular addition to the
repertoire of dances included in a Legong
performance.
Originally, it was danced
by only one girl and called Oleg, a general
term meaning the swaying of a dancer.
Later, a male part was added to make it
a duet, and the dance gained a new theme
depicting two bumblebees (tambulilingan)
flirting in a garden. The female enters
first. In light, quick steps she 'cles
the stage, fluttering the long silk scarfs
that hang from her sides. If the dancer
is a good one, she conveys all the beguiling
qualities of a-voung coquette. At one
moment, she is moody and temperamental,
her eyes narrow and her lips spread slightly
into a seductive smile. The next, she
is scornful. She turns, snubbing her viewers-only
to return as the most feminine creature
with a whimsical air of innocence.
The
female's solo is a strenuous one. Her
movements must fiow'from sdbdued and
delicate to tense gestures of haughtiness
and disdain. At one point, she dances
in the seated position. The sensuous
sweeps of her hands, the tremble of
her fingers and the fluctuating moodsthatpassandchange,
incarnatetheidea of woman. The male
enters unnoticed, eyes her, and cocks
his head with a half-smile of affirmation.
He moves forward to make a conquest.
At first, they shy away from the moment
of contact, yetwoo with a displayof
theirgraces while pretending to be unaware
of the other's fascinating presence.
As the circle of flight grows smaller,
the flirting increases. The female teases
him, he moves forward, she draws back
in feigned surprise, yet is secretly
pleased with her success. They come
together, bringing their faces close
in an affectionate caress, then swirl
apart in retreat, only to return to
one an other again. In the end, they
fall in love and leave together. |
