Colossal performance enchants at Pringgasela Village Cultural Melody 2025

Hundreds of gedogan or local non-mechanical looms were spread out along three corners of the Pringgasela Raya Monument intersection in Pringgasela District, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province. As the performance began, hundreds of Pringgasela women weavers crisscrossed their gedogan.

The main stage was located south of the monument. Directly below the stage were several weaving tools, including ones to spun cotton into yarn, dyers, and other tools used in the traditional weaving process.

The evening's atmosphere was further captivated by the presence of the Pringgasela village women, dressed in specially-designed woven costumes with specific themes.

The colossal arts performance of Pringgasela Village Cultural Melody 2025 felt like it had already begun before its official opening. People within the radius of the Pringgasela Monument intersection were indirectly involved in the performance.

Dozens of dances, ranging from modern to traditional, a colossal drama presented in nine acts, and a music concert by Tedy and The Companion, featuring their hits "Siti Aminah" and "Pringgasela Raya," were showcased at the festival.

A highlight of the event was the scene where Dewi Rinjani emerges from the mountain. This closing scene highlights the rich culture of the Sasak people, particularly those in the Pringgasela area.

Pringgasela Village Cultural Melody 2025, which is listed in the Tourism Ministry's Karisma Event Nusantara 2025 calendar of cultural festivals, has "Nyiwaq" as its theme.

Yuspianal Imtihan, the scriptwriter for the colossal art performance "Sembilan Kali Lahirnya," explained that the performance was envisioned to combine dance, music, literature, theater, and multimedia art.

The form and structure of the performance, according to Yuspi, are not entirely new. Moreover, the formatting touches on the concept of colossal art performances that are already widely known. The content presented includes elements adapted and dominated by Sasak cultural traditions.

"However, throughout the process, this performance strives to differentiate itself from other similar performances. This performance will be one that, consciously or unconsciously, will be recognized as a phenomenal work of art in the future. This is because it is composed through a cross-genre approach, multidisciplinary art, and the intermediality of art presented in this work," he continued.

Yuspi explained that the title "Sembilan Kali Lahirnya," or Nine Births, is taken from a series of processes for traditional weaving in the villages of Pringgasela District, which include spinning the yarn, dyeing, drying, meleting, begontong, nyusuk suri, merane, begulung, and weaving.

"In addition to the nine weaving processes, this year's Pringgasela Village Cultural Melody festival is the ninth edition. If two coincidences weren't enough, it turns out that the Pringgasela Village in which the festival is helf consisted of nine hamlets. The coincidence of the number nine is why the title of this colossal art performance was chosen," explained Yuspi.

The East Lombok Regency arts practitioner and academic explained that the title of the performance, philosophically conveys that humans are like raw materials trying to weave their own destiny.

A similar symbolic meaning can be drawn from the yarn dyeing process, namely humans are the embodiment of a mortal entity that is never neutral. They experience phases of change because they are always shaped by the swift currents of events, emotions, cultural shifts, identity, and changes in attitudes, traits, and even character that are inherent from an early age.