'Art lovers' tarnish Mostered's performance

'Art lovers' tarnish Mostered's performance

Cameron Bates, Contributor, Jakarta

The rudeness of an Indonesian audience was no better demonstrated
than during the conclusion of Luminescent Twilight at Gedung
Kesenian recently.

Besides a number of snoring, suited "art lovers" sleeping in
the shabby, tacky, gold-painted plaster interior of the theater,
concertgoers had to contend with the unwanted, extended shrill of
cell phones.

The contemporary dance was supposed to reflect Dutch
choreographer Gerard Mosterd's internal struggle to accept his
Indonesian ancestry. The irony of this East versus West battle
being interrupted by technology cannot be understated.

This arrogance -- at least one of the criminals even answered
the phone and began a mumbled conversation -- ruined the finale
of what had been an entertaining, thought provoking 60 minutes.

The show began for the majority -- people were still arriving
20 minutes into the piece -- with the haunting gamelan music of
Dutchman Niels Walen.

Walen, barely illuminated to one side of the blackened stage,
used a plastic spoon and a rebab (Javanese violin), the softer
gender and slenthem instruments, a gong and electronic overlays
courtesy of Paul Goodman to achieve an atmosphere of loneliness.

Eventually, out of the darkness, Dutch-raised, Malaysian-born
dancer Teck Voon Ng emerged. A single, narrow beam of light shone
down on his back before he straightened and walked toward a
second beam of light which slowly crept up his body to reveal his
face for the first time.

This representation of Mosterd's Eastern ancestry growing
within him, playing more of a role in his life contrasted with
his Western self, as performed by energetic Dutch dancer Ester
Natzijl.

Natzijl, who ran on stage, embraced and frolicked in the
light. But it was clear she was troubled. Life is a battle and
she struggled against time, against the pace of "modern" life.
Her tortured facial expressions pleased the audience and she
flirted with them, her movements, at times, almost comical.

The dancers, though not truly tested athletically by the
choreography, held the attention of the audience throughout,
their movements clearly expressing their internal and external
conflicts.

Teck grew in confidence throughout the piece, almost to the
point of cockiness. His experimentation in the light -- the
quality of the lighting, and its intelligence, is a highlight --
is a feature of his character.

The dancers finally square off against each other behind a
back-lit paper screen. While a silhouetted Teck uses Javanese-
style court dance movements, Natzijl, the crowd favorite, is
fighting a bitter internal battle.

Eventually Teck breaks through the thin screen, the gap in the
torn, back-lit screen gives the impression of a pair of angel
wings, perhaps a hint of salvation, as he emerges.

As the work climaxes the dancers have become an uncomfortable
one, the music suggesting that though the dancers movements are
in unison, all is not well behind the facade.

The pair cease their movements and stare at each other before
Teck stands and moves back towards the area of twilight as
Natzijl exits stage left.

It is during this representation of Mosterd's Eastern self
retreating back into the gray area between luminescence and
twilight, the finale of the piece, that the performance is
interrupted and ruined by the cursed cell phone.

It is clear, in this battle at least, the West and time have
won hands down.

Luminescent Twilight hits Sositet Yogyakarta on Oct. 11; Theater
Besar, Indonesian Arts Institute (STSI) Surakarta in Central Java
on Oct. 12; Taman Budaya Surabaya on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16; and
STSI Theater, Denpasar on Oct. 19. All shows begin at 8 p.m.