Dance your way through the holidays

Dance your way through the holidays

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

School holidays are here again and children wonder what fun and
games they can look forward to during the month-long break. Fun
is all very well, but recreation should also be educational,
hence the many summer camps that crop up in countries such as the
United States and Australia during the holidays.

This year, children from Jakarta have the opportunity to
attend one such camp -- a music, dance and theater camp organized
by noted dance school Namarina, together with the Sacred Bridge
Foundation.

"Not every Indonesian child can afford to go to a summer camp
abroad, so this will be a cheaper alternative for them to
participate in an intensive performing arts program," Maya
Tamara, principal and artistic director of Namarina said here.

The program, dubbed "Dance and Beyond", takes place at the
National Center for Research, Science and Technology (Puspiptek)
in Serpong, West Java, 18 kilometers west of Jakarta, until June
29.

"The children stay at the Puspiptek compound and trek about
one kilometer every day to the training hall," Maya said,
explaining that the experience is expected to teach independence
and character to the children.

There, children between nine years old and 13 years old are
taught the techniques and history of ballet, modern and Hip Hop
dance, traditional Betawi dance and dances from Minang, West
Sumatra.

They are also taught traditional music, acting and art, Maya
said.

Children who have no previous training in dance and music need
not feel left out, as the classes are divided into those with
previous music and dance experience and those without, she added.

"Our aim is to encourage children to develop an awareness of
movement, sound, melody, song and mime, and engage in healthy
competition, cooperation and an awareness of cultural variety,"
Maya said.

More than 200 children have applied for this first year of
Namarina's intensive dance program. Some 75 percent are Namarina
students.

"We will try to attract a wider audience next time through
word of mouth, but for this, our first year, Namarina students
make up the majority of participants," Maya said.

A typical schedule at the camp includes 90 minutes of
gymnastics beginning at 8 a.m., followed by 90 minutes of jazz
dancing and another 90 minutes of music lessons.

After a two-and-a-half-hour lunch break, classes resume for
acting, followed by rehearsals for a performance staged in front
of parents on the last day.

The lessons end at 5 p.m. every day, Maya said.

Teachers employed for the program include Namarina's own
teachers, instructors from the Sacred Bridge Foundation, as well
as independent professional music and dance instructors.

Dinar Karina, head of Namarina's Jazz department, said that
Olivier Patey from the Paris Opera will teach ballet, while
Edward van Ness from Medan International School will be teaching
music. The program costs Rp 1 million (US$116) including meals
and accommodation.