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Gianti Giadi: Showing Indonesia's young people the wide world of dance
Gianti: (Courtesy of Gianti Giadi)In Indonesia â a country where investment in the arts and arts education is scarce, a young woman, Gianti âGigiâ Giadi, has been working to pave the way for the art of dance
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Gianti: (Courtesy of Gianti Giadi) (Courtesy of Gianti Giadi)
Gianti: (Courtesy of Gianti Giadi)
In Indonesia ' a country where investment in the arts and arts education is scarce, a young woman,
Gianti 'Gigi' Giadi, has been working to pave the way for the art of dance.
In 2009, the graduate of Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore, left her secure jobs as a dance teacher and full-time dancer in the island city state to open a new venture in Jakarta: the Gigi Art of Dance school, which offers classes in traditional and contemporary dance.
'In Singapore, you can make a living as a dancer,' Gigi said.
However, she lamented, this was not the case in Indonesia. 'Here, there are limited avenues to explore for those who love dance,' she said.
In Singapore, the government actively promotes its citizens to dance; every school has dance in their curriculum and students compete in an annual dance festival. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Indonesia.
Gigi Art of Dance in South Jakarta is a light on this otherwise murky landscape. It offers almost 30 classes from hip hop to K-Pop via traditional and ballet, as well as dance for babies and the disabled.
'My students are anywhere from 2 to 45 years old. I have students who are hearing-impaired and Down syndrome,' said Gigi, 28.
Gigi also said her students came in many shapes and sizes. 'Ballet may require a certain body shape but contemporary dance and hip- hop are open to anyone,' she said.
What was important, she said, was a passion.
In mere four years, her dance school now boasts 600 students, of which most are teenagers.
Dance, she said, was not about only entertainment. 'It has an educational value too. Students who are quiet and shy can be encouraged to socialize more by dancing as a part of a group.'
It is also not only about the physical aspect ' dance is also about emotion, Gigi explained.
'Instead of being grumpy or upset, you can express it through dance.'
For those with speech, language and communication difficulties, dance can offer a way to explore alternate modes of communication.
Gigi voiced optimism about Jakarta's new leadership and citied Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama's publically stated commitment to the arts.
'If I have an opportunity to sit with Pak Ahok, I would ask for a dedicated dance space. I rent this place, but I don't know for how long.'
Gigi Art of Dance almost every year organizes E-Motion, a yearend 'dancical' festival featuring her students, which is self funded with much of the funding coming from her own pocket.
'But I don't dwell on it. I love this world,' she said.
Gigi said although her students were mostly from financially stable families and her school was a profitable venture, it did not mean she did not deserve government support. Gigi said her dance school filled a gap in art education, an area where Indonesia lags behind other countries.
The government does not support art schools outside state universities or schools, which makes the success of Namarina [dance school], Gigi said, all the more impressive as it had been open for more than 55 years without any government support.
Gigi said her school, which has eight dance instructors including herself, did not only teach how to dance but also opened the students' eyes to the exciting world of performing arts.
'I teach them about dance history, take them to performances across Jakarta and ask them to critic pieces,' Gigi said.
Her experience in Singapore, where she still teaches part time, opened her eyes to the potential to earn a living from dancing.
Through her dance enterprise, her students have had access to opportunities to perform and get paid for it as Gigi Dance Company are often hired by TV stations and big events, such as this year's Miss World competition in Bali.
'A 39-year-old student was one of the dancers at Miss World,' Gigi said.
Gigi was born into a traditional Sudanese dancing family and this passion drives her to promote the art form at any opportunity. Whenever TV stations contact her, she explains that her performance should not just be a filler piece. 'I always ask for my own session,' Gigi said.
Gigi said she was proud to have shown her students that dance did not just have to be a hobby. 'Two of my students have continued their education to Lasalle and NAFA [Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts],' she said.
