FUSE#2

Element# 2
BAHASA KOREOGRAFI
The Process of
‘Bahasa Koreografi’
by Ayu Permata Sari
Before I write about my experiences during this residency, I wish to express my
biggest thanks to God, those around me and also Dance Nucleus, who have given
me the opportunity to meet, discuss with and work with those who are experts in
their fields.
At the early phase of the process we were introduced to the
works of the various artists. This was done to learn more about
one another’s personalities, viewpoints and thought processes.
Apart from sharing two selected works from our resumes, we
also described what motivated our dance creation process,
either arising from something personal or influenced by
situations in our respective countries. This is because our life
backgrounds would have a profound impact on our works.
Participants also led warm-up exercises before we began
discussions. On the first day Norhaizad shared techniques on
how to be sensitive to space. On the second day I shared
some movements from dangdut and on the third day, Amin
shared motivations from movements which originated from a
single point and on the fourth day Fauzi shared some
stretching and massage exercises.
For the process of the residency which was named Bahasa
Koreografi, there were 2 mentors and three artists of Malay
lineage from three different countries. The two mentors were
Helly Minarti from Indonesia, a dance researcher and curator,
and Alfian Sa’at, a theatremaker based in Singapore. The 4
participating artists were Amin Farid, a choreographer and
dance researcher from Singapore, Norhaizad Adam a
choreographer and dance researcher from Singapore, Mohd
Fauzi Amirudin, a choreographer and dancer from Kuala
Lumpur and Ayu Permata Sari, a choreographer and dancer
from Lampung, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
After getting acquainted with the works from each participant,
we then started to focus on the works that we would present at
Dance Nucleus. Each of us explained the source and
inspiration for why we chose our concept. I explained about the
work which has occupied me since early 2018, which was the
embodiment of the movements of an audience that watches
dangdut. I have been intrigued by the concept of ‘dancing from
the heart’; many have mentioned the instruction to ‘dance from
the heart’, but I often ask myself what does this entail exactly?
Do I dance from the heart or is dancing for me a cerebral
activity? Other than the phrase ‘dance from the heart’, I was
also getting restless with the ‘standard’ (cliche and overused?)
repertoire of movements within my own body. I was becoming
bored with the dance body that I possessed, such that I
needed some new input to add to my movement repertoire.
These two ideas were reflected to me in the image of the
dangdut audience, some of whom would dance without any
seeming self-consciousness. Dangdut is a traditional pop form
in Indonesia that is influenced by the musical cultures from the
Arab, Indian and Malay worlds.
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