Sissoko Ibrahima: Breaking dance boundaries

Helly Minarti ,  Contributor, Jakarta   |  Sat, 05/31/2008 12:07 PM  |  Lifestyle

SISSOKO IBRAHIMA: (Courtesy of Arief Sukardono)

In contrast to his tall, grand presence Ibrahima Sissoko is softly spoken as he clearly articulates his life choice to be a choreographer.

Like many b-boys (breakin' boys or breakdancers), the French-born dancer of Mali parentage learned how to dance on the streets of Paris at the age of 15.

Sissoko soon joined a b-boy crew, Choream, but unlike many street dancers, he later enrolled at the Academy of Dance in Paris where he studied everything he needed to be "a dance machine".

"I learnt the artistic and choreographic side of dancing way before I entered the academy," he said. "At first it was just a passion. I never thought it would be a profession."

He has always tried to explore and find different ways of expressing the street dance from the very beginning.

The two years he spent at the academy taught him more about how to be a professional dancer.

"Things like how to manage your body, your time, lessons about nutrition," he said.

In addition to anatomy, Sissoko also learned how to open his mind to choreograph dances for theater audiences. He learned the technical side of dance and theater performance.

Almost alongside with Choream, Sissoko founded Etha-Dam, a professional dance company, in 1998. It's name is based on the French expression *tat d'*me meaning state of mind. The company is touring the country's four major cities -- Bandung, Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya -- this week

It was around 1998 when hip-hop dancers in France started to venture out, transforming their dance into theater performance.

"Right now, perhaps there are only about 10 professional hip-hop dance companies in France which have managed to tour France and abroad. Other small hip-hop groups perform small showcases in their areas or cities," Sissoko said.

With Etha-Dam, Sissoko has created at least four major works. The most popular, Aduna, Terr* d'adventure, has been performed in numerous cities across the continents, from Europe to Latin America, and is now completing its Asia round.

It is because Aduna takes on the most universal theme, argues Aur*lian Franckel, the company's administrative manager.

"It is a metaphor of seven people on this long journey. They experience many things along the way, sadness, joy. You can find this story in every culture," he said.

Etha-Dam has employed 15 dancers since beginning. "In the beginning, we worked together on a piece. Now, some dancers engage in certain projects, while others are involved in others. We sometimes collaborate with musicians and other artists," Sissoko said.

The company is finding its own rhythm, juggling between touring and new production.

"We don't have any written rules, but in these past few years Ibrahim has created at least one new piece every year," Franckel said.

Sissoko could not explain why he wanted to bring hip-hop to the stage more than winning a battle (a competition for b-boys to really show their dance technique).

Sissoko is often moved by music or painting -- his other two passions outside dance -- and how it fuels his mind with ideas for choreography, he said.

"I want to tell something to the audience," he said. "And I do it through dancing."

He compiles music for his dances from diverse sources including African and electronic music.

Through choreography, he transfers a message by incorporating dance with d*cor, costume, props and lighting.

As for hip-hop battles, some members of the company have indeed had their debut in battles and are still engaged in such events now.

"Battling and dancing on stage are two different things, but both of them are important to me. In battles, a dancer can progress and exchange movement. It makes them improve individually," he said.

In other words, what dancers gain in a battle, including new technique, can enrich their stage performance.

"It's like yin and yang, one can't exist without the other. It's complimentary. Battle is like a solo choreography. It's more beautiful if a dancer gets used to performing on stage because it can improve his battle too. If in the battle they invent a very good movement ... it can be developed into a choreographed dance," Sissoko said.

Watching the full-length 50-minute Aduna, it is clear how all the acrobatic vocabulary of breakdancing is virtuosic in a narrative context.

The audience gasped and cheered when the dancers performed difficult and refined hip-hop power moves.

Sissoko has created a dance where street sensitivity meets academic sensibility.

"The most notable recognition is when people say that hip-hop dancing is more than just a street dance. It can be art too," Franckel said.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.