FESTIVAL PICKS

Akiko Kitamura (Japan/Indonesia)

This programme is eligible for the Tote Board Arts Grant subsidy.

The critically acclaimed leader of Japanese contemporary dance, Akiko Kitamura’s long interest in the Southeast Asian martial art Penchak Silat brought her to Indonesia in 2010 to learn the art from its masters. She also sought out Indonesian artists to collaborate with her for her new work inspired by Penchak Silat and Japanese martial arts such as Aikido and Jujutsu.

The result is To Belong -cyclonicdream-: a journey into time and space, exploring local myths and philosophies about the living and the dead and how they relate to our physical existence. To Belong -cyclonicdream- explores how two cultures meet and connect the old world to the contemporary using video, music and dance. It also aims to discover the new generation of the Asian Body: the repository of the traditional and the contemporary worlds.

For To Belong -cyclonicdream- Kitamura worked with leading Indonesian artists including dramaturg/co-director Yudi Ahmad Tajudin (Artistic Director, Teater Garasi), Rianto (dance), Kill the DJ (music, Jogja Hip Hop Foundation), Slamet Gundono (music), Endah Laras (music) and a team of Japanese artists to create a highly energetic and visually lyrical multi-layered exploration of the human spirit.

To Belong -cyclonicdream- is supported by










Click here to read more about the artists.

Click here to view Akiko's video and photo gallery on her official website.