Due to the advent of social media, cyberspace has become an inseparable part of human life.

The Simulakra dance show has captured this phenomenon, blurring the line between the real and the virtual by merging choreography with digital technology.

Created by noted choreographer-dancer Miroto, Simulakra uses cutting-edge technology to place five dancers in three different places on one stage: Miroto, Mugiyono Kasido and Mila Rosinta are in Jakarta; I Wayan Adi Gunarta in a house in Bali; and Susravita Loravianti at the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra.

The two-day show, which is being held at Galeri Indonesia Kaya (GIK) in Central Jakarta through Sunday, starts with a poem-reading. The poem is followed by the appearance of a female dancer, clad in a red dress, while a male dancer stands behind a sheet of plexiglass set at a 45-degree angle.

The female dancer performs Javanese dance while the other dances freestyle, singing in Javanese.

The third dancer comes onstage with robotic movements and then all come together onscreen, striking a powerful dance formation.

As the scene ends, the virtual dancers appear.

First, the Padang dancer performs the Minang dance, tari lilin, to the sound of traditional bamboo flute, followed by a Balinese dancer.

A Balinese dancer interacts virtually with Jakarta'€™s dancers.

In the Bali dance scene, it is as if performers are trying to depict the virtual meeting between the dancer in Bali and the dancer in Jakarta, but their relationship is disrupted by the fact that what she sees is not real.

Similarly, the dance show in Padang captures a story between a male and a female in two different places brought together in cyberspace.

Miroto said the whole performance was aimed at portraying the experience of '€œpresence in absence'€.

'€œThe story does not move in a linear way; it'€™s a little bit random, but when we draw the line, we can feel the love that feels real, but also abstract at the same time,'€ he said on Saturday.

The excerpts of Javanese, Balinese and Minang dance perfectly complement the show'€™s modern dance offerings.

Moreover, the visuals, and the emotional theatre of Simulakra have resulted in a remarkable collaboration between theater and film, breathing fresh air into the nation'€™s dance scene.

However, the 40-minute show is not without its flaws.

The Internet speed in Bali is slower than in Padang, which created lag throughout the show.

'€œWe'€™ve tested the speed of the Internet in theaters, auditoriums, and campuses in Bali. Most were unstable,'€ Miroto said.

The limited space also made it hard for dancers to get on and off stage.

Renitasari Adrian, the program director of GIK, said the auditorium had to be modified to accommodate the technical aspects of the stage, prompting a reduction in the seating from 150 to 50.

But the imperfection has, to some extent, made Simulakra an intimate affair, as the audience gets to see and feel the emotions of the dancers and all of the effects firsthand.

'€œThrough this small show, I can truly grasp that feeling of presence in absence,'€ said Nungki Kusumastuti after watching the show.

Dancers perform a mask dance on the real stage at Galeri Indonesia Kaya, Jakarta.

In a scene, the female dancer floats and dances, trying to grab the hands of the Balinese dancer.

'€” Photos by JP/Awo
____________________

Making reservations online is highly recommended due to limited seating. Visit www.indonesiakaya.com
for more information