Dance with Santi Budaya
Join our expert instructors in Indonesian performing arts for fun dance lessons!
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Indonesia is proud of its cultural diversity, as an island nation of 600 languages. Although Santi Budaya is anchored in classical Javanese music and dance, the company also specializes in celebrating and promoting many other traditional dances of Indonesia — from Aceh to Bali, from Sulawesi to Kalimantan.
Santi Budaya was established in 2005 by Erna Santi Widyastuti (widely known as Cinnana, or just “Nana”).
For three generations, Nana’s family has been dedicated to promoting Indonesian culture to the world.
Nana’s parents are teachers and performers of classical Javanese music and dance. Her father, Unk Muryanto, directs the gamelan group of the Embassy of Indonesia in Washington, D.C. Nana’s mother, Tri Setya Utami, has long managed the Embassy’s dance program.
Santi Budaya’s roots go back half a century. In 1973, the “Community of Arts and Culture” —Sanggar Tari Seni Budaya — was founded in Indonesia by Nana’s grandfather, the legendary classical Javanese dancer and master musician Raden Soeroyo Prawiro.
Santi Budaya welcomes dance students of all nationalities, backgrounds, and levels of experience. The group performs in the Washington DC area and the nearby region, with occasional travel within the U.S.
THE ORGANIZATION
Advisory Team:
Clare Wolfowitz
Susi Haworth
Cindy Shao
Chair: Erna Santi Widyastuti
Treasurer: Tri Setya Utami
Vice-Treasurer: Stephan Berwick
Secretary: Clare Wolfowitz
Artistic Director: Erna Santi Widyastuti
Production:
Anggun Anggendari
Rebecca Gluckstein
Luthfi Soekartawi
Endang Saptorini