IBUIBU BELU. Bodies of Borders
Following the international success of his celebrated works Cry Jailolo, Balabala and SALT, Indonesian dancer and choreographer Eko Supriyanto now directs his gaze farther eastward to explore the dance traditions and rituals of the Indonesan region Belu in Nusa Tenggara Timor. IBUIBU BELU is the result of a two-year research process on the likurai, a dance tradition that plays a central part in the social fabric of the island of Timor.
Through his examination of movement, rhythm, songs, and textile traditions, Eko Supriyanto reveals how likurai dance transports relations between people that are separated today by the politically imposed borders between Nusa Tenggara Timor and neighbouring Timor-Leste. Those memories will be embodied by six dancers – one of whom hails from Timor-Leste – and their lived history that expresses itself in likurai. A paradoxical proof that bodies challenge political borders while simultaneously remaining restricted by them.
Eko Supriyanto is among the most distinctive choreographers of his generation in Southeast Asia, scrutinising, among other things, westernised perspectives on Asia’s dance cultures. He studied dance, was part of Madonna’s Drowned World-Tour, worked with theatre greats such as Peter Sellars and choreographers like Lemi Ponifasio and holds a Ph.D. in performance theory.
Choreography: Eko Supryanto; Dramaturgy: Renee Sariwulan; Music direction: Dimawan Krisnowo Adji; Lighting design: Jan Maertens; Costume design: Vivi Ng, Erika Dian; Creative assistance: Arco Renz; Project management: Isa Natadiningrat; Producer: Sadiah Boonstra; Rehearsal assistant: Riyo Tulus Pernando; Executive producers: Ratnasari Langit Pitu.
A production by EkosDance Company, co-produced by the government of Belu, Asia TOPA, Theater im Pumpenhaus, SPRING Festival, TPAM - Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama, Komunitas Salihara, Ratnasari Langit Pitu. The guest performance takes place as part of the alliance of international production houses, funded by die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.