GKJ Awards puts dancers on their toes to excel

GKJ Awards puts dancers on their toes to excel

By Helly Minarti

JAKARTA (JP): There are certain conditions ideally required
for arts to flourish. In the case of modern dance, this includes
good schools where young artists can hone their skills and
knowledge, good companies or groups where they can engage in the
creative process, and opportunities, such as regular festivals
and competitions, to showcase their works.

Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (GKJ, the Jakarta Playhouse) is
organizing a choreography competition for which the winners will
receive GKJ Awards.

"Dewan Kesenian Jakarta (The Jakarta Arts Council) used to
hold such an event. It stopped a few years ago, and I feel that
GKJ has to take over the task," said Farida Oetojo, director of
GKJ.

However, she also has another agenda. "We want to map out
choreographers in Indonesia by providing them a forum to showcase
their new works," said Oetojo, who is a choreographer herself.

The first biannual GKJ Awards, held in 1997, attracted 98
entries. "It was quite good. And the impact for choreographers
was definitely positive since it has stimulated them to continue
their works," Oetojo said. She was referring to competition
winners, whose trophies later opened some doors for them to
perform on bigger stages. One of these is Jacko, who at the time
was a student at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts, and won first
place at GKJ Awards I.

Oetojo said she wanted to extend the event internationally by
inviting participants from aboard, although this plan has been
postponed due to the crisis. "For this one, we have announced it
to Malaysia, hopefully they'll respond " said Oetojo, who last
year co-founded the Kreativitaet dance company.

The need for a dance competition was confirmed by Nungki
Kusumastuti, a senior dancer and now also manager of the Jakarta
Institute of the Arts (IKJ) dance troupe.

"Competitions can be good forums, especially for new
choreographers, to test and show their creativity through which
they can emerge as professionals," said Nungki.

So, is it like a baptism for newcomers? "Sort of. Naturally
we'd like to help the young choreographers, for example by
promoting them in international events. But it's better if they
can showcase their works at a respected forum where new talents
are easily recognized."

GKJ Awards is open to everybody, not just young or new
choreographers. "(That's why) we don't select entrants and we
even include 'entertainment works' as one of the categories. It's
simply an open forum. We don't have the intention to either seek
new faces or group them into a 'senior-junior' scheme. Possibly
the already established choreographer will win the awards, but we
hope new faces will somehow find their way," Oetojo said.

There is no doubt a good festival can be a bridge to artistic
recognition for those whose talents are not been publicly known.
It is only a starting point, and the rest of the creative path to
artistic stardom depends on the drive of each choreographer.

"They have to find their own way afterwards. I am a
choreographer myself, so I know what I'm talking about," Oetojo
said.

The GKJ competition is divided into three categories. First is
choreography based on traditional styles, which includes new
works centered around traditional or other ethnical expression.
Second is the contemporary category, which includes works that
use traditional or modern elements such as ballet and modern
dance. Third is the entertainment category, referring to new
works that use a either one or a mix of styles such as jazz
dance, disco and anything else.

There are five places for each category (three main plus two
runners-up) but only one choreographer will be selected to bring
the title of the GKJ Awards home and be given the chance to
perform the winning piece in the Fifth Indonesia Dance Festival
'99, an international event to be held in September.

For those interested in joining the competition, please
contact GKJ, telephone (021) 380 8283, 344 1892, fax 381 0924 or
e-mail: gkj@pacific.net.id. The registration period ends on
August 24.