GKJ to host international festival

JAKARTA: Arts lovers will able to enjoy dances, musical performances and plays during the sixth Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (GKJ) International Festival, to be held here from Sept. 4 to Sept. 29.

Festival participants come from 12 countries: Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, the U.S., Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia. Artists from the last three countries will collaborate on dances for the event, GKJ artistic director IG Kompiang Raka said on Wednesday.

Raka said tickets for each show will cost between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000.

"But there will also be a free performance by the Korean National Dance Company at the Teater Tanah Air in Taman Mini on Sept. 5," he said.

The deputy head of City Culture and Museum Agency, Lieke S. Salim, said the number of foreign participants at the event was proof that foreigners considered Jakarta a safe city to visit.

At the last festival to be held, in 2000, there were participants from eight countries, she said. -- JP