Art Summit'95 to present noted works
JAKARTA (JP): While some may hesitate when it comes to attending contemporary and so-called avant-garde works, these doubts should be quickly put aside. Art Summit '95, which will present 15 contemporary dance and music groups from nine different countries, has something for everyone. Here are a few highlights from an exceptionally prestigious lineup.
From Indonesia, music composer Slamet Abdul Syukur will present four scores, including a new commissioned work that commemorates Indonesia's 50th Anniversary of Independence entitled, O M. Rahayu Supanggah will present a musical arrangement comprised of four compositions entitled Garap. Choreographer Bagong Kussudiardjo will stage Semar and Lelakon which both explore life and its complexities. Also, Sardono W. Kusumo has choreographed Opera Diponegoro, to be performed by 50 dancers and musicians. Sardono delves into the life of Prince Diponegoro, both his private journeys and his resistance against Dutch colonialism in early 19th century.
Appearing from Japan will be two butoh dance groups. The Butoh (dance of darkness) dance form was developed in the 1960s as a response to the post-nuclear age. Kazuo Ohno, a pioneer butoh dancer, will be appearing with his son Yashito Ohno. At the venerable age of 89, he has amassed an international following for his haunting and sometimes comic dances. He will perform Ka Cho Fu Getsu (Flowers-Birds-Winds-Moon) which received rave reviews for its New York performance in 1993. Sankai Juku, also from Japan, was established in 1977 and has been conducting around-the-world tours since 1984. They will be performing Unetsu, The Egg Stands Out of Curiosity.
Also from Japan is the renowned Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, which, under the leadership of Maestro Hiroyuki Iwaki, features 38 members from seven different countries chosen from a pool of over 1,000 musicians.
The dance groups from Ghana (The Ghana Dance Ensemble) and from India (Chandralekha) will both draw upon local traditions within a contemporary framework. The Ghanaian group, which has been touring internationally since 1968, will perform four dances that explore themes of a girl's coming-of-age ceremony, calabash and xylophone music from Northern Ghana, as well as a contemporary rendition of a Northern Ghanaian dance called Solma. Chandralekha, who was at one time a leading exponent of the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, left the stage for a time, only to return as a leading force in Indian contemporary dance in 1985. She will be performing Mahakal -- Invoking Time.
The Paul Dresher Ensemble, from the United States, performs a mix of opera and experimental music that combines acoustic with state-of-the-art electronic instruments. Their program is entitled Looking West to East and includes a host of works that reflect a vibrant mix of styles, instrumentation and compositional techniques of contemporary American and Pacific Rim traditional and modern cultures.
There are tickets available for all performances and the seminar is open to the public for a fee of Rp 100,000 (US$44.44). For complete schedule information call the ASI '95 Committee at 314-2216. (C.G. Asmara)