The international star choreographer Eko Supriyanto makes his debut in Salzburg as part of Sommerszene. Together with five young female dancers from Jailolo in Indonesia he has created a work of great beauty and resonance. Balabala, which means “to rise up, to climb,” considers the processes of change currently taking place in an Indonesian society that, for women, remains strongly influenced by traditional gender roles and family duties. Based on elements of the martial arts form Pencak Silat and traditional war dances such as Cakalel and Soya-Soya that are usually danced by men, Balabala reveals what strength means to these young women. With long, rhythmic movements they take control of the space, open up potential areas of freedom for individuality within a community and go their own way, both gently and self-confidently. The finely-woven soundtrack and intelligent lighting concept add two further elements to the impressive choreography that transform the evening into a Gesamtkunstwerk. In Balabala Eko Supriyanto achieves a fascinating re-contextualization of Javanese dances in a contemporary setting.
The Indonesian choreographer is one of the most incisive artists of his generation in South East Asia whose work questions western-orientated perspectives on Asia’s dance cultures. He began training in Javanese court dances and Pencak Silat at the age of seven. He studied dance, took part in Madonna’s Drowned World Tour and has worked with theatrical greats such as Peter Sellars and Lemi Ponifasio. Both in Cry Jailolo, a group piece for an all-male cast of dancers, and in Balabala he tackles social issues and the destruction of the ecological balance in Indonesia.
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