Sun, 19 Sep 1999

Indonesian Dance Festival brings impressive offerings

Text and photos By Mukhti

JAKARTA (JP): A female dancer suddenly appears from behind the stage, moving her body fast and then slow. Sometimes she stops her movements.

The dancer, Korean-born Sen Hea Ha, illustrates a place of repose where a woman discovers her spiritual communal space and time within the complexities of modern life through her piece Lux Aeterna. Audiences were mesmerized with her performance after packing the opening of the fifth Indonesian Dance Festival at the Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta on Thursday evening.

Sen Hea Ha is one of many renowned dancers from China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea and the United States taking part in the dance festival, which is also held at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta and runs through Sept. 21.

First prize in the choreography competition, the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta Award II 1999, was presented on opening night. The winning piece, the Masannang dance, was inspired by the movements of the Mamasa tribe, native to South Sulawesi.

Korean choreographer Joh Soengjoo presented the Second Name of That Woman on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18 at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, which pictured a sketch of an unconscious desire to be free.

On the same days, Indonesian choreographers Arya Yudistira Syuman and Chendra Effendy also presented their works.

Chendra presented his choreographed piece, Nurani (Conscience), while Yudistira featured Miauw, inspired by a poem about a cat by Jorge Lois Borges.

On Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, a collaboration piece between choreographer Wen Hui and dancers from the Indonesian Art Institute of Surakarta will present Dining with 1999 along with two pieces by Sulistyo Tirtokusumo, Bedoyo Suryo Sumirat and Krisis (Crisis), to entertain art lovers at the Graha Bhakti Budaya.

Choreographer Yamazaki will stage his unique piece, Chinoise Flower, with the Rosy.Co dance company on Sept. 20.

The entire festival will close on Sept. 21 with a series of dances presented by the IKJ dance company.