Bright future for local choreography<\/p>\n
By Mariam K. Sutalaksana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Vibrant and entertaining is the best phrase to
\ndescribe last Thursday's dance performance. The creativity of
\nIndonesian choreographers is on an upward momentum.<\/p>\n
The Performance of Selected Choreography Winners of the Gedung
\nKesenian Jakarta Awards '97 confirmed this. These winners
\ndisplayed their finesse in the first event of the International
\nFestival of the Performing Arts. This is the first of a series of
\nevents being held until Oct. 11, celebrating the center's 10th
\nanniversary.<\/p>\n
The night featured the first, second and third place winners
\nof the Choreography Award, a competition which was held from Aug.
\n1 to Aug. 5. Interestingly enough, despite the participation of
\nseveral senior choreographers, the awards were won by a younger
\ngroup of artists. One might call them the \"next generation\" of
\nIndonesian choreographers.<\/p>\n
This added to the excitement of their works which were full of
\nenergy and innovation. From the categories of Traditional, Modern
\nand Entertainment, nine participants won the honor to show off
\ntheir works to the audience at the center that night.<\/p>\n
Sakerah, by Nanang Ruswandi, from the traditional category,
\nwas the appetizer of the night's performances, which were rooted
\nmostly in traditional Indonesian dances and\/or culture. Seven out
\nof nine dances either used the theme, music or costumes of
\nIndonesian traditional culture, while the other two, both from
\nthe Modern category, Goda by Jecko Kurniawan and Hitam Putih by
\nMaria Bernadeth, did not.<\/p>\n
Goda, the winner of the Modern category, was performed by
\nKurniawan himself and his girlfriend, Ratna Ully. This piece was
\na very personal one being the story of their romance. When asked,
\nKurniawan explained: \"I wanted to express my romance utilizing
\nchoreographic techniques.\"<\/p>\n
He also used diagonal, vertical and horizontal space in his
\ncreation. The music was futuristic with pauses of silence, and
\nwhile slightly choppy, served its purpose. Using T-shirts as
\nprops added more interest to their performance. The dance ends
\nwith the woman grabbing the man's white T-shirt as he walks like
\na dog off the stage towards the audience.<\/p>\n
Though this couple won first place in the Modern category, and
\nwas the winner of the special award, their performance was
\novershadowed by at least two of the other dances; Tuduang by
\nDeslenda from Olah Tari Galang Group, Padang, and Indang Saliguri
\nby Faisal Amri from IKIP, Padang.<\/p>\n
Tuduang was also performed by a couple wearing white T-shirts
\nand black trousers.<\/p>\n
However, the performance by Saadiah and David Sae was
\ndefinitely something to remember. Their clean movements did not
\ndistract the audience. The mantra-like music was enchanting, like
\na Buddhist prayer. The bobbing of the tuduang (cone-shaped hat)
\nthroughout the dance was hypnotizing. Sal Murgiyanto, one of the
\njudges, said during the last day of the competition, \"A modern
\ndance should leave an impression in one's heart long after the
\nshow has ended.\" Tuduang has done exactly that.<\/p>\n
In contrast, Indang Saliguri, from the entertainment category
\nwas something to be enjoyed. The bright red and white costumes of
\nthe seven dancers were a delight to the eyes. The music was
\nrhythmic, using clapping and the sound of the indang, a hand held
\npercussion instrument from West Sumatra. The choreographer
\ndeveloped this dance by using the indang, as it is in traditional
\nPariaman culture. It portrays the liveliness of youth.<\/p>\n
From the traditional category, Para-empuan by Lalu Suryadi
\nMulawarman won first place. This dance is a more solemn piece,
\nrooted deep in Lombok's culture. The four women, who wore black
\nsarongs with black embroidered tops and had their hair up in
\nsmall buns, spent most of their time on stage crouching.<\/p>\n
They walked with their legs bent close to the earth, and
\nsinging in a language used only in Lombok, placed the audience in
\na setting that was truly traditional. The darkened stage was lit
\nwith dim lights and a lantern held by one dancer. The lighting
\nand the burning incense gave the performance a mystical feel.
\nMulawarman is searching for the Para-empuan, the essence of women
\nin this creation.<\/p>\n
The one common thread in the choreographies was the music.
\nAlthough the choices were diverse and each one unique, many chose
\nto use Indonesia's rich traditional music. Others concocted a
\nmixture of pop, Michael Jackson-like music, such as in Ferarai by
\nRifa Susilawati, Kurniawan and Indra Zubir, or used an eclectic
\nfuturistic modern style as in Goda and Hitam Putih.<\/p>\n
Bernadeth, the choreographer of Hitam Putih chose to create a
\npromising piece using silence and eclectic modern music. The use
\nof rings on their wrists, which gave out tinkling sounds, added
\nto the modern sense of the piece.<\/p>\n
Other dances shown were Hep-ta-hu by Amri and Dantiang-
\nDantiang by Benny Andria. Dantiang-Dantiang caught the interest
\nof the audience for its comic appeal. It was a parody of the
\ntraditional West Sumatran dance Tari Piring, where male dancers
\nwore female costumes and make-up.<\/p>\n
Originality was evident in all the pieces performed in the
\nshow. This came from the way in which each choreographer blended
\nthe ingredients, namely traditional, modern and pop movements.
\nLooking back on this experience, it would not be exaggerating to
\nsay the future of Indonesian choreography is bright. Indonesians
\nshould and will be experiencing greater exposure to this field of
\nthe performing arts.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bright-future-for-local-choreography-1447893297",
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