About Us

Gema Puspa Nusantara (GPN) is a group of mainly Indonesian students currently attending Austrian schools or universities in Vienna and also families of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia. Its main goal and mission is to promote and to introduce the Indonesian culture to the people abroad. A goal that has been successfully achieved since its founding in mid-2001 as its members have now expanded to Austrian students, who are interested to know more of the vibrant culture of Indonesia.

It has also become a goal for the members of the group, who were born and raised or who have lived most of their lives out of the country, to restore and to live up to the culture of their home. GPN is supported from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia as its main sponsor and has performed in various events all over Austria and its neighbouring countries, such as Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovak and Hungary, all of which were successful performances leaving the audience amazed.

Indonesischer Abend

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Studenten (mit Ausweis) € 6,-

Gema Puspa Nusantara in Zusammenarbeit mit Gamelan Ngesti Budoyo und großzügiger Unterstützung der Botschaft der Republik Indonesien.


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Verein Culture Meeting Point

Volkshochschule Ottakring

Indonesischer Studentenverein (PPI Austria)

und alle Mitwirkenden

Lambang Sari Dance

This dance was created in the year 1997 by Mrs. Wiwiek Widyastuti, who is originally from Yogyakarta, Central Java. As a new creation of Betawi Dance, this dance tells us about the happiness of a woman, who has finally succeeded in saving her marriage after a long time of struggle.

Lenggang Nyai Dance

This dance tells us the story of Nyai Dasima, a beautiful girl from Jakarta who had to choose between two men, a Dutchman or an Indonesian. The movements show how she moves from one side to the other, not able to make up her mind. This dance was created by Mrs. Wiwiek Widyastuti, who also created the Lambang Sari dance.

Trunajaya Dance

The Trunajaya dance describes the emotions of a younger man by love and passion. The dance movements replicate the theme of courtship and love.

Truna which means ‘single’ and jaya which means ‘to win’ immediately offers an understanding of the dance. Satirically, the dancer are younger girls who take on the role of young men. The ladies wear a ‘destar’ usually worn by males and an uncommon loin-fabric known as a ‘kancut’. The Trunajaya is often danced by a single feminine however generally two, dancing collectively in synchronous movements and to the mesmorotic sounds of the ‘Gong Kebyar’, a quick, rhythmic beat which matches in concord to the dance. The dance was created by Wayan Wandres, from Singaraja, Northern Bali.

Sonteng Dance

Sonteng is a Jaipongan dance, also known as Jaipong, is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people, West Java, Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and Pencak Silat movements.

Rantak Dance

This dance describes the dexterity and vigilance of Minangkabau society at their daily life. Unlike other West Sumanteran dances those are very refined and gracefull, the Rantak Dance shows you the movements of West Sumateran's martial arts.

Ratoeh Doek Dance

Ratoeh Doek dance is dance that originated from Aceh. This dance was born around 1849, was created by an old scholar of Arabic origin who drifted at sea and washed up in Pulo Aceh. This dance was held after planting or after harvest of paddy rice, usually performances take place at night even if the dances are competed to run all night until morning. The dance is played by sitting cross-legged position, berbanjar, or hand in hand.

A major player called Syekh in the middle of the player. Two drummers rapa'i are behind or on either side of the player, while the only functioning movements are of the upper body, hands and head sideways left or right, up, and circle from front to back, with initially slow to fast tempo.

Jayeng Rinengga Dance

The Tari Jayeng Rinengga originally is a male dance, but female dancers also often perform it. In 1998 the choreographer herself came to the Netherlands to teach this particular dance to the dancers of Wisma Ulah Budaya as an example of contemporary Indonesian dance. It was succesfully performed on the stage of the Tong-Tong Fair, under whose auspices this project was executed.

The choreography dates from 1985, but the choreographer is inspired by the hero's of the Pajajaran era at about 1350 AD. The dance shows the warriors of the kingdom of Pajajaran who come home triumphantly from the battlefield. They enter the town on their horseback telling everyone about their unbelievable triumphs. They even demonstrate their technical skills in the martial arts like the pencak silat (a system of self-defence), their capacity with bow and arrow and the use of the lance. The Tari Jayeng Rinengga symbolises the strength of mankind to triumphantly conquer the evilness after a solid physical and mental preparation.

Kandagan Dance

The Kandagan dance describes Anjasmara, from the Damarwulan story, disguised as a warrior. Anjasmara sets out to look for her lover Damarwulan, who is reported to have been killed by Menakjingga from Blambangan. Because of her disguised she succeeds in finding Damarwulan, who in fact still alive. The report that Damarwulan had been killed, has come from her own brothers who desire to take Ratu Kencana Wungu as their wife.

The meaning of word "Kandagan" is a place; a box to put jeweleries and any other precious things. The dance is a collection of variety of beautiful movements. It is categorised as a rather strong female (princess) dance.

Gambir Anom Dance

Gambir Anom is a solo dance, Surakarta style of the refined type, danced either by a man or a woman but usually by a woman. The Gambir Anom dance depicts Irawan, Arjuna's son, in love. He is dressing himself up; he comvs his hair, powders his face, arranges his eye-brows and puts his clothes in order. His toilet complete, he bends forward in several directions as if the gorl of his dreams is in front of him.

Baris Dance

Baris is a traditional war dance of Bali, accompanied by gamelan, in which a solo dancer depicts the feelings of a young warrior prior to battle, glorifying the man hood of the triumphant Balinese warrior and displaying the sublimity of his commanding presence. Originally it was performed as a religious ritual to dedicate warriors and their weapons during a temple feast. The dancer may bear a kris, a spear, a bow, or other weapons, depending on the variant performed. Baris literally means line or file, referring to the line of soldiers who served the kings of Bali.

At first, as he takes the stage, the dancer's movements are studied and careful, as if he were seeking out foes in an unfamiliar place. When he reaches the middle of the stage, hesitation gives way to self-assurance. He rises on his toes to his full stature, his body motionless with quivering limbs, he whirls on one leg, his feet tread the ground to the tumult of the gamelan, and his face renders the storm of passions of a quick-tempered warrior.

There are two main types of Baris dance. The non-ritual dance, explained earlier, is the one performed by a solo dancer. However, there are over thirty different types of ritual baris dances, each of which is performed by a group of people, still imitating the movements of the warrior.

Cendrawasih Dance

Cendrawasih is a beautiful bird that has lovely brown and yellow feathers. This Cendrawasih dance has meaning that we have to preserve and protect scarce fauna in order not to be extinct, and its population remain maintain. This dance also describes liveliness of cendrawasih bird eager to play, chasing, in its community. This dance is creation of one famous Balinese(Indonesia) lady known as N.L.N. Swasthi Wijaya Badem for festival held by Walter Spies Organization in 1988.

Margapati Dance

The popular dance Margapati was composed and choreographed by the late I Nyoman Kaler (1964) en depicts the character of a lion, the king of the forest. Severe, frightening, and full of self confidence he rules the forest. The accompanying gamelan music is rhythmic and dynamical, according to the dance movements.

Rejang Dewa Dance

The Rejang Dance is a collective women's dance. It is a sacrificial dance in which the offerings to the God are the dancers themselves. The Rejang dancers must be girls who are still pure, often even little girls six years of age.

The dancers are led by a Pemangku (temple-priest) who dances foremost. Behind him is a row of Rejang dancers, holding a piece of thread which is held by the Pemangku and passed on backwards. Sometimes they use fans, sometimes not. The rhythm of the Rejang Dance is very slow and the movements so simply that any girl can dance then. The dance is performed at day time in the Pura.

Oleg Tambulilingan Dance

Originally, it was danced by only one girl and called Oleg, a general term meaning the swaying of a dancer. Later, a male part was added to make it a duet, and the dance gained a new theme depicting two bumblebees (tambulilingan) flirting in a garden. The female enters first. In light, quick steps she circles the stage, fluttering the long silk scarves that hang from her sides. At one moment, she is moody and temperamental, her eyes narrow and her lips spread slightly into a seductive smile. The next, she is scornful. She turns, snubbing her viewers-only to return as the most feminine creature with a whimsical air of innocence.

The female's solo is a strenuous one. Her movements must flow from subdued and delicate to tense gestures of haughtiness and disdain. At one point, she dances in the seated position. The sensuous sweeps of her hands, the tremble of her fingers and the fluctuating moods that pass and change, incarnate the idea of woman. The male enters unnoticed, eyes her, and cocks his head with a half-smile of affirmation. He moves forward to make a conquest. At first, they shy away from the moment of contact, yet woo with a display of their graces while pretending to be unaware of the other's fascinating presence. As the circle of flight grows smaller, the flirting increases. The female teases him, he moves forward, she draws back in feigned surprise, yet is secretly pleased with her success. They come together, bringing their faces close in an affectionate caress, then swirl apart in retreat, only to return to one an other again. In the end, they fall in love and leave together.

Rara Ngigel Dance

This dance tells the story of arrogant yet beautiful princesses of the court. With glamorous jewellery, majestic red-golden kebaya, gold belt and knee-length batik skirts, they go about the daily routines of their lives in the palace. The dance movements are detailed and intricate, the dancers are moving all the time and they flow like water.

Golek Putri Ayun-Ayun Dance

This is a court dance where the dancers represent young princesses showing their complex gracious movements, alternating with the more expressive movements and rhythm that represent make-up and applying clothing. One can find the elements from other cultures that influence Javanese dancing culture. These are, for example, the deep knee bowed position and the fluid changes of weight from the Chinese Tai Chi and Japanese Aikido movement. The gracious and expressive arm-hand movements are based on the old Indian dance art.

Puspita Dance

This dance is a new creation from Yogyakarta and tells us about young maidens who are entering womanhood. One can see from this dance's coquettish movements and teasing gestures that the girls are trying to attract the attention of young men.