City youths hold anniversary bash
By Fitha W. Dahana
JAKARTA (JP): Who says the young people of Jakarta don't care about their country's history and culture? A group of youths from the Model Muda Foundation (YMM) has plans to prove this opinion wrong.
To commemorate Jakarta's 469th birthday, the Foundation and the city's public order agency, together with other youth groups, have put together a musical celebration of Jakarta and its diverse culture.
The other organizers are the Jakarta Youth Communication Forum, the Indonesian Communication Forum for Mosque Youths, Children of the Indonesian Civil Servants Corps and the Teater Mbeling drama group.
The open-air show will start at 8 a.m. on June 23 at Monas (National Monument) park and will be free of charge.
Planned performances of Gaya Remaja 1996 (Teenage Style) will include cheerleaders from the Youth Communication Forum and a traditional Saman dance from the Forum for Mosque Youths.
Others are a musical drama by the Teater Mbeling group and a traditional Betawi Lenong Play by the Children of Korpri.
A fashion show featuring teen models will present the creations of such young designers as Raizal Rais, Rusmawi Tuamit, Dimas Mahendra and Corry Katsubi.
Preparations began last May with a cast of 450 artists, mostly junior and secondary high school students.
Most of the crew working on the project are between 16 and 29 years old.
"The show was put together by and for Jakarta's youths," stated Jimmy Samaris, a 20-year-old model working at YMM.
Organizers say the show also aims to support the national discipline campaign which began last May.
"Discipline has to start with ourselves," Deddi Yudianto, one of the organizers said.
"Through Gaya Remaja 1996, we hope to inspire youths to live in a disciplined manner," he said.
"I am proud to be involved in such a big production," stated teen model and actor Ronny Setiawan.
He added, "It's good to see all these youths cooperating to put this show together and doing something positive for other youths."
Awie Harsono, the show's choreographer and director, commented that he wants the dances to depict the younger generation's love for Jakarta and its traditions.
"I want to show everybody whoever doubted our compassion for our country and its traditions that they were wrong," Awie stated.
Yati Utoyo Lubis, a psychologist, feels that the younger generation here does care about traditions, and the upcoming event seems to be a good way of expressing this.
Through cheerleading chants and short plays, the message can reach young people, said Yati, who heads the clinical psychology department at the University of Indonesia.
The deal way to instill discipline, she added, is by setting an example.
"To discipline our children, we must first discipline ourselves," Yati said.