Strange Fruit kicks off Art Summit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): If you happen to be passing by Plaza Senayan
\nthis Monday afternoon, you may see some weird, strikingly colored
\nobjects floating in the air.<\/p>\n
They are not birds, planes, or even Superman, but rather eight
\nperformers from the Australian group Strange Fruit. And they are
\nnot actually flying. Instead, they are standing on four-meter
\nblack-painted elastic fiberglass poles.<\/p>\n
The poles have three feet plus straps, and two pedals a couple
\nof inches from the top.<\/p>\n
Everyone is welcome to view the free show by the Melbourne-
\nbased outdoor performance troupe outside the plaza.<\/p>\n
On Monday at 4 p.m., the troupe will kick off the Third Art
\nSummit Indonesia 2001 International Festival on Contemporary
\nPerforming Arts, which will be officially opened by State
\nMinister of Tourism and Culture I Gede Ardika. The ceremony will
\nbe aired live by state television TVRI starting at 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
The next day, at the same venue at 5 p.m., those who missed
\nthe show can still catch three numbers by the group: The Field,
\nFlight and Swoon.<\/p>\n
Clad in shocking pink and bright orange long dresses with
\nmatching wigs for the women, and black suits and hats for the
\nmen, two dancing couples showed up at the final rehearsal on
\nSunday afternoon, giving a 10-minute excerpt from their numbers.<\/p>\n
With their faces powdered white with some rouge, just like
\npantomime artists, they skillfully and quickly climbed the poles
\nand attached the straps to their thighs.<\/p>\n
With music from Puccini, Bach and jazzy tunes from Fats Weller
\nin the background, the dancers then swung beautifully to the
\nright and left before spinning around, just like regular dancers,
\ntheir hands and upper torsos freely moving in time to the tunes.<\/p>\n
The show here will be the first for the group, comprising
\nGrant Mouldey, Sian Francis, Scott McBurnie, Kathryn Jamieson,
\nDarren Carmichael, Trudy Radburn, Che Makinson, and Patrick
\nCerini.<\/p>\n
Set up seven years ago, the members, who are between 20 and 38
\nyears of age, come from different backgrounds. Some of them are
\ndancers, while others have experience in theater and the circus.<\/p>\n
The troupe's unique name came from the idea that human beings
\nare similar to fruits. \"But 'Strange' stands for the strange
\naccent Australians have,\" the group's manager Jilly Judaes said,
\nlaughing.<\/p>\n
As for poles, Carmichael said they picked on the idea because
\nno one else was doing it. Besides, it made it possible for
\neveryone to see their show.<\/p>\n
At first, according to Francis, it was scary with the ever
\npresent fear of falling down. \"But it's like riding a bike, once
\nyour body is familiar with it, then there's no problem,\" she
\nsaid, adding that they had never had an accident during a
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
The troupe's show was referred to by Mouley as physical
\ntheater. \"It's not different from other theater. It also has
\nspiritual meaning in a way,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As for the numbers being performed at the Art Summit, the
\ngroup said that they were about expressing freedom, love,
\nloneliness, comedy and happiness. \"The Field is about love,
\nfinding people to love....\" (hdn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/strange-fruit-kicks-off-art-summit-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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