Today was another day of instruction. Today we spent some time practicing in smaller groups. I practiced the slonding piece. I’m familiar with the Ugal part for the piece, so I wanted to continue learning the Polos part. It’s difficult for me due to the damping technique which uses the panggul to dampen the ringing of the key. I also spent some time practicing the gender wayang. I’m still having trouble feeling comfortable holding the panggul.
We spent time practicing the pieces we began learning yesterday. For one of these pieces I am learning the Polos part on the Reyong. I was having a very hard time remembering the part yesterday. Although I had gotten a grasp on the latter half of the cycle and the very beginning, I could not understand how the transition between the two sections I had memorized rhythmically related to the other sections. However, that night, as I fell asleep, I was thinking about it, and it finally clicked. :D. I still stumbled a lot during practice today, but I understood the pattern.
As one the breaks ended, we noticed a very small lizard on the bale. I cupped my hands at the edge of the platform, and Pak Dewa Berata chased the lizard into my hands. The lizard stood very still in my hands. I put it on a tree before running off to continue practice.
Late in the day, I went to Cudamani to watch the adult group practice. Before they began practice, I practiced gender wayang again with others. The adult group played very dynamically, and had a lively atmosphere.
[Small Lizard in Cupped Hands]
[Gender Wayang]
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