The mother-daughter Balinese Arts powerhouse duo will share their thoughts on "being Indonesian in America" and "being Indonesian-American". During the presentation, they'll also demonstrate how these identities reflect in "traditional" and "modern" vocal styles. There will be extra time for discussion. 

Suggested donations for the series benefit artists in GSJ’s extended family, going toward distributing care packages to the families of all former GSJ master artists-in-residence.  Register at the link below.

About the Presenters:

Emiko Saraswati Susilo

Susilo was raised in a family rich with the arts. She began her study of Balinese dance with Ibu Ni Made Wiratini and her study of Javanese dance with late Master Rama Sasminta Mardawa, teacher of the Court of Yogyakarta. She is a gamelan and vocal student of Bp. Tri Haryanto and Ki Midiyanto. Susilo is currently the chair of Gamelan Sekar Jaya’s board of directors. She joined Sekar Jaya nearly thirty years ago, and has served as Gamelan Sekar Jaya’s Artistic Director, Guest Dance Director, and coordinator of educational outreach programs. Susilo has a deep love of bringing together traditional and contemporary forms and ideas across the disciplines of dance, music, voice and visual arts. She received her BA from UC Berkeley’s Dept. of Anthropology and her MA from the University of Hawaii’s Dept. of Asian Studies.

Dewa Ayu Larassanti is a dancer, musician, and singer. Ayu grew up both in the Bay Area and in Bali, experiencing the challenges and the beauty of two worlds. She loves to study different forms of music and dance, including choral music, jazz dance, and hip hop. Currently, Ayu is a second-year at UCLA and studies World Arts and Cultures. During high school, Ayu was a competitive dancer and won awards at regional competitions in Bali. Ayu trains with world-renowned composers and choreographers and teaches young dancers and musicians at Cudamani, in Pengosekan, Bali. With Cudamani, she has toured internationally, teaching and performing in Japan, Greece, and the United States. She hopes to be able to continue studying and performing with Cudamani and use her knowledge of and training in the arts to teach young artists all around the world.