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Thousands wowed by local, international artists
Around 3,000 people filled the Vastenburg Fortress in downtown Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday evening to watch the opening night performance of the Solo International Performing Arts (SIPA) 2015 festival
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round 3,000 people filled the Vastenburg Fortress in downtown Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday evening to watch the opening night performance of the Solo International Performing Arts (SIPA) 2015 festival.
The festival, which this year is entitled 'Generation of World Culture', has become a source of pride for Surakarta, which is popularly known as Solo.
'SIPA brings arts from around the world as well as reflecting [our tagline], 'Solo, the spirit of Java',' Deputy Surakarta Mayor Achmad Purnomo said.
As the sound of a gong, the biggest metal instrument in a Javanese gamelan orchestra, filled the air at 8 p.m., the sky above the fortress immediately exploded into color with a fireworks display. Members of the audience were also allowed to participate by lighting fireworks provided by the committee.
After the display ended, the lights were switched off and a horse and cart, carrying dancer Tunku Atiah, ' the festival's mascot ' entered the stage, where she joined 20 other dancers to mark the opening
of SIPA 2014.
Dozens of performers are scheduled to participate at this year's festival. They come from various countries including Germany, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the US.
Indonesia's home-grown talent comes from Surakarta municipality, Karimun regency, Central Java; Riau province; Thousand Islands regency, Jakarta; Gorontalo; Bandung, West Java; and Yogyakarta.
German ballet dancers and choreographers Soren Magnus Niewelt and Jessica Sarah Larbig from the Just Live Dance group were given first shot to dazzle the audience. Their 20-minute performance, titled Together Apart, captured the locals' attention.
'I didn't fully understand the meaning of the dance but they presented a very good routine,' one local resident, Fitriana, said.
Niewelt said the warmth of the reaction to their piece was beyond his expectations.
'Neither Jessica nor I expect anything whenever we travel and dance, but today was awesome,' Niewelt said after their performance.
South Korean musician and composer Jin Hi Kim echoed Niewelt's enthusiasm. The komungo (Korean fourth-century fretted board zither) virtuoso, who lived in the US for 24 years before deciding to reside in Surakarta, said she was impressed with the diversity of traditional musical forms in Indonesia.
'I hope I can discover new music here,' Jin said after a collaborative performance with dancer Mugiyono Kasido of the Indonesian Fine Arts Institute (ISI) in Surakarta.
Irawati Kusumorasri, SIPA's founder and owner of the Semarak Chandra Kirana dance school, said she hoped the festival would convey the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
'The world needs the arts. Each art is an aspect of life. That is why this year, SIPA has taken 'Generation of World Culture' as its theme,' she said.
Due to perform on Friday evening were members of the Jakarta Arts Institute; a collaboration between Stepharina, Eva & Atiah (Malaysia); the Maya Dance Theater (Singapore); Kumpulan Seni Seri Melayu (Riau); Le Salle University Teatro Guindengan (the Philippines); Jin Hi Kim (South Korea-US), and the Bintang art workshop (Thousand Islands regency).
For the closing line-up on Saturday, the audience can enjoy performances by the Harmonia Orchestra (Surakarta); Pukchong Lion Dance (South Korea'Thailand); Alinkarwutyee Music and Dance (Myanmar); the Hapsari art group (Bandung), and the Indonesian Music School.
