Tale of A Thousand Temples: The Untold Story of a Javanese Princess

A beautiful and spirited princess. A fierce warrior prince who wants to marry her—after killing her father. A magical scarf which endows the wearer with corrupting power. These were some of the narrative threads in this enchanting Javanese musical play performed by IKPA, Indonesian Kids Performing Arts, on September 26 in the State Department’s Dean Acheson Auditorium.

The event was planned by the Indonesian Embassy to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the U.S., and it drew an enthusiastic audience, including students of Bahasa Indonesia from the Foreign Service Institute.

The charming music was composed by IKPA’s musical director Ulung Mikhael Tanoto, and included traditional as well as contemporary genres such as rap. The impressive costumes, however, were all very traditional, using typical batik fabrics and ornamentation.

We were all impressed by this talented and energetic group of Indonesian young people who performed this traditional tale so beautifully. We wish to thank Angela Widowati and the Indonesian Embassy as well as the IKPA cast, crew, and musicians for bringing this delightful performance to the State Department.

Barbara Reioux, AAFSW Office Manager