Reality dramatized by dance artists<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dance is an expression of thought and feelings
\ncombined with spontaneous or practiced movements.<\/p>\n
That statement, made by the head of the Jakarta Arts Council
\ndance committee, Maria D. Hoetomo, describes the dance
\nperformances at the Graha Bhakti Budaya stadium of the Taman
\nIsmail Marzuki arts center, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The dances, performed Thursday and Friday by Benny Krisnawardi
\nand Maria B. Apriati from Jakarta, Mugiyono from Surakarta in
\nCentral Java, and Didik Nini Thowok from Yogyakarta, are a
\ncollaboration of the city's arts council and the arts center.<\/p>\n
Benny begun the evening's theme of Respon Seniman Tari Atas
\nRealita (Dance Artist's Response Toward Reality) with Munsani, a
\nstory about a farmer suffering from the economic crisis and
\nexpressed in a semiclassical ballet performance.<\/p>\n
The performance had its moments when Benny's lean limbs plied,
\njumped, performed split-and-turns, spelling out classical ballet.
\nThe rest of it could be billed under modern \"dance-drama\".<\/p>\n
Maria's and Mugiyono's choreographies, however, were more
\ndrama than dance.<\/p>\n
Maria, with tied, disheveled-looking hair and wearing black
\nleotards, presented an untitled work which she said was about the
\nrapes that occurred during the May riots.<\/p>\n
This was not apparent during the \"dance\". She moved around the
\nstage shaking her body violently, opening her mouth several times
\nto let out voiceless screams and at times spoke to herself.<\/p>\n
Maria, who took third place in last year's Modern
\nChoreographies Festival held at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta and who
\nis currently studying dance at the Jakarta Arts Institute,
\ngenerated weak applause at the end of her performance.<\/p>\n
This was followed by Mugiyono's acting out his choreography,
\nMei (May). He claimed the choreography was an embodiment of all
\nthe dreadful events in May including the riots, rapes, the
\neconomic crisis and the deaf ears of law enforcers, the Armed
\nForces and the police.<\/p>\n
Bearded and dressed in white shorts, Mugiyono utilized a broom
\nof wires to express his art form. There were some abstract
\nmoments to it.<\/p>\n
At one time, he stood with legs apart and the broom pressed in
\nbetween them. Later he used the broom as a fan and pressed his
\nface against it.<\/p>\n
Then he took a stack of papers and threw it all around him
\nafter pressing it against several parts of his body. This was
\nfollowed by his taking the band off his broom and throwing the
\nwires up in the air.<\/p>\n
A delightful end to the evening's performances was Didik's
\nliterally, multifaceted choreography.<\/p>\n
The owner of dance studios in seven towns presented a mesh of
\ntraditional dances, including Sundanese, Javanese and Bali, and
\nthose that typical of Didik, a male dancer who specializes in
\nfemale dancing, both traditional and contemporary.<\/p>\n
Titled, Topeng Nopeng (Masks), the dancer with long, skinny
\narms and lean fingers began the performance with the Javanese
\nGambyong dance from Surakarta, the Balinese Oleg and a Cirebon
\nnumber.<\/p>\n
This was followed by impersonations, to the very last
\nmovement, of an old lady; an old, dogged man; a disco dancer and
\nseveral others.<\/p>\n
A separate Topeng Walangkekek (Walangkekek Mask) number,
\ncomprising impersonations of three female characters -- a
\nteenager, a proud woman and an old, almost blind woman -- was
\ninfused into the choreography.<\/p>\n
The dance's ending moments had him in a wig, a red sequined
\nbustier and knee-length skirt, and the crowning touch: a monkey
\nmask.<\/p>\n
With his back to the audience, he performed Indian dance steps
\nbefore facing the audience, earning himself laughter, and moving,
\nscratching and pulling his hair like a monkey.<\/p>\n
The change in masks, headdresses and hair pieces and costume
\nmodifications were done within minutes.<\/p>\n
With the end of Didik's dance, a dialog ensued in which all
\nfour choreographers told the stories behind their choreographies.<\/p>\n
Didik said that except for the fact that his dance was
\nchoreographed to ease people's minds of their current burdens, it
\nhad nothing to do with the present situation.<\/p>\n
\"I think God created me to be a life-long comedian. That is my
\nreality,\" the 44-year-old said.<\/p>\n
\"Someday I hope to perform in front of hospital patients, as
\nlong as they are not heart patients; they might die laughing.\"<\/p>\n
Didik's dance was choreographed to generate loads of laughter
\nbut it was the preciseness of the various complex traditional
\ndance steps, eye, arm and hand movements and an enigmatic smile
\nthat won the audience.<\/p>\n
This could not have been more evident than during the Balinese
\nnumber, when he wore no mask. (ylt)<\/p>",
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