Fashion choreographer Panca a one man show

Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta

Glamorous garb and a bevy of supermodels are no absolute guarantee of successful fashion shows. The power behind the catwalk is the choreographer, who can make the difference between a pretty show which leaves no lasting impression and a standout one with abiding soul.

"A choreographer determines the shape of the entire show. He or she directs the show," Panca Makmun said of his profession of the past 10 years.

The 35 year old is considered the country's leading fashion show choreographer, and has presented collections for big-name designers, ranging from "king of style" Sebastian Gunawan, Didi Budiardjo, Biyan to the up-and-coming trendy duo of Urban Crew.

He was recently honored with the "a+ Lucky Strike Award 2003" for high achievement in his field.

Fashion choreographers arrange such aspects as the models' entrance and exit, their walking styles (serious or playful, for instance), musical score, stage setting, lighting -- and shape the overall atmosphere of the show.

"Some fashion designers even leave the job of choosing the proper clothing and matching them with the models to the choreographers," said Panca.

But he noted that there remained a handful of professional fashion choreographers in the country. Young people interested in the fashion business prefer the higher profile of becoming couturiers, or working as fashion writers or editors in the growing market of women's magazines.

For Panca, the lack of competition has been a boon, allowing his career to flourish and taking him to diverse places at home and abroad.

It all started in 1984 when he was invited to join the dance troupe of Swara Mahardhika led by Guruh Soekarnoputra, the multitalented son of Indonesia's first president. The group was famous for its successful blend of contemporary and traditional dances.

He was also a model for teen magazines like Gadis and Mode, as well as on the catwalk.

"As a lean young man, I was more frequently asked to model teenage clothes," he recalled.

Guruh and choreographer Denny Malik then offered Panca the chance to design dance steps and movements, and some of his works were used in several fashion shows in the 1980s.

Finally, hairstylist Hanky Tandayu suggested that Panca consider becoming a fashion show choreographer. Fashion insiders pronounced his first effort to be fairly good, which boosted his confidence and led to him devoting himself full-time to the profession in the early 1990s.

He found he enjoyed being a fashion show director more than a dance choreographer.

"Fashion is more global, covering a wider scope. And I'm more spiritually inclined toward fashion as I like couture designs and used to be a model myself," he said.

Panca's success is not only about being the big fish in a very small pond, because he emerged at the right time in presenting something different. Until the mid-1990s, fashion events were arranged like extended dance or variety shows, and the real selling point and art of the designs were lost.

Panca introduced a choreographic style emphasizing simplicity, in line with the increasing number of fashion designers preferring more individual and modest displays. In keeping with increasingly fast-paced lifestyles, fashion shows also needed to be made concise and not longer than 45 minutes.

"I make simple choreographic compositions to give prominence to the designs being displayed, with emphasis on individual clothes. People come to watch and find out novel products. They are real shows," he said.

There are still problems in putting together a show. It's often difficult to round up about 30 professional models for a major show, and there are also technical constraints, he added.

"For instance, where can we obtain a giant screen as the stage background to match the format of Giorgio Armani?"

He cites two standout moments in his career. In a show presenting famous batik and textile designer Obin's collection in 1996, he had models come down the catwalk dancing to dangdut (the musical hybrid of Arab, Indian and Malay tunes) in keeping with the ethnic theme.

In the show named Opulence for Sebastian Gunawan in 2001, he designed a gorgeous acrylic stage -- the first of its kind from the material in the country -- with suitably stunning crystal lamps providing a star-studded sky as background.

"It's the only really glamorous show here that combined the theme, luxurious dress, the stage and music into one concept," he said.

While it's great to be in demand as a one man show, the lack of fashion choreographers also saddens Panca.

But the potential is there.

"So far it has been a self-taught profession, but one should first learn the basics of dancing to be familiar with some movements before being engaged in choreography," he said.

In addition, a good knowledge of fashion and connection to fashion circles, such as serving as an assistant, is important to gain enough experience until the show offers start coming in.