Women choreographers meet to promote art

JAKARTA (JP): Although dance is often considered a feminine activity because of its emotive nature, there exists a disquieting paradox of the lack of Indonesian female coreographers.

This problem is addressed in a three-day dance event, Temu Koreografer Wanita (Women Choreographers Meet), which is being organized at the Teater Arena, Taman Budaya Surakarta, Central Java, to promote dances by women choreographers.

Four choreographers will showcase their works each day. They come from Bandung, West Java, Yogyakarta, Padang, West Sumatra, Surabaya, East Java, Surakarta, Banjarnegara, Central Java, Jakarta, and Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi.

The event is organized by Mataya Performing Art Network in cooperation with Taman Budaya Surakarta. The organizers consider it an important milestone because only a few women have participated in great performances by both national and international dancers in events at art schools nationwide in the past five years.

Many of the few female graduates of art schools are forced to take administrative jobs. Organizers claim that many of those who do work as choreographers have to give up their careers after marrying as their husbands are not supportive of their careers.

The festival is expected to find a solution to the patriarchal bias in local dance.

Director General of Culture Edi Sedyawati, top choreographers including Gusmiati Suid, Bagong Kussudiardja and Sardono W. Kusumo, the chairwoman of the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta management board, Farida Oetoyo, and Sal Moergiyanto of the Jakarta Arts Institute are expected to attend.

More information is available by contacting Taman Budaya Surakarta, Tel. (0271) 635414, or at mataya@Solonet.co.id. (ylt)