Schloemer tells story of Lisbon in latest dance
By Helly Minarti
JAKARTA (JP): Despite the political turbulence Jakarta has experienced over the past week, German choreographer Joachim Schloemer kept his promise of a year ago to come and perform his latest piece.
Schloemer, 36, is the director of Dance Theatre Basel, which will perform Lisbon Project: A Fish in the Jacket on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 28 and Nov. 29) at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta.
Jakarta is the final stop of the dance troupe's Asia Tour to four cities (after Bangkok, Singapore and Manila). This is not Schloemer's first visit here. He directed his noted choreography Hochland (Highland) at the first Art Summit in 1995 when he still led the Wieimar Dance Theatre. Last year he did a five-day intensive workshop with Gumarang Sakti Dance Company led by Gusmiati Suid in Depok. The workshop was supposed to be continued by a collaboration last March, but it was postponed after the city was rocked by riots.
Lisbon Project is a 75-minute choreography. "It's not a concrete description of the city -- it's more a story about Lisbon as the 'underwater city'," said Schloemer. "But there's no water onstage, instead there's a fish," he said mysteriously.
Schloemer views Lisbon as if wrapped in a "time capsule" -- a description he quoted from an article in Du-Heft Lisbon by Dieter Bachmann. The place is like an "untouched fortress" with old and new elements.
"Unlike other cities in Europe which were ruined during World War II, Lisbon stayed intact," said Schloemer. Only natural disasters have the power to affect the city, like the big earthquake in the 18th century.
Another inspiration, which is the strongest, is the people. "The mentality of the Portuguese is totally different from other Europeans," explained Schloemer, who received the 1997 German Critics Award. The Portuguese are tender and calm, he said.
Along with composers Hans Tutschku and Michael von Hintzenstern, he went onto the streets and into cafes in Lisbon to collect materials for the dancing and music.
He created the story in a ballroom-like venue where Lisbon people meet and greet each other. "It's a story of a group of people who've known each other for 10 to 20 years and always meet the same people every year," Schloemer said. These perennial encounters bring an atmosphere which is translated into a romantic-nostalgic dance choreography -- with traditional Portuguese and pop music plus street sounds in the background.
Dubbed "one of the most original and imaginative contemporary choreographers" by Jochen Schmidt -- a prominent German dance critic -- Schloemer belongs to the third generation of dance theater.
Born in Monheim, near Cologne, Schloemer studied at Folkwang dance department from 1983 to 1988. After dancing three years for American choreographer Mark Morris in Brussels, he directed two dance ensembles in the period of five years. Then he moved to Basel and since 1996 has been the director of the Dance Theatre Basel.