| Shadow puppet plays, or wayang kulit, have been performed throughout Indonesia for more than 1,000 years. They provide much more than entertainment. A vehicle of culture, they tell ancient stories, teach values, and have deep religious meaning. The puppeteer, or dalang, makes the puppets himself and brings the characters to life through voices, music, singing, movement and great showmanship. While many of the hundreds of stories he tells are ancient, he improvises a great deal to relate them to the lives of people today. A full orchestra, called gamelan, provides music for the performance. |
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