Explore Javanese classical dance in this one day work shop with ‘ButohOUT!’ Festival international guest artist, Agung Gunawan (Indonesia). In this workshop, Agung will share his understanding and expertise on how to perceive the unique sense of spirituality of the local site and landscape.

Participants are introduced to the four requirements to perfect the art of Javanese court dance: ‘Sawiji’ (concentration of mind), ‘Greget’ (enthusiasm and consciousness), ‘Sengguh’ (self-confidence) and ‘Ora Mingkuh’ (no surrender). During this workshop you will explore the possible hallmarks in the spiritual realms between Javanese and Japanese performing arts philosophies and aesthetics and gain a greater understanding of your own body, through Agung’s established methodology.

Other ‘ButohOUT!’ Festival programs at the Abbotsford Convent:

• Six Week Workshop and Laboratory: 27 February – 4 April 2018
• Weekend Intensive Workshop: 23 – 25 March 2018
• Children and Families Drop-in Workshop: 17 – 18 March 2018
• ‘ButohOUT!’ Performance Season and Public Forum: 12 – 22 April 2018

This workshop is being held at the Convent as part of the ‘ButohOUT!’ Festival, presented by renowned Japanese Australian performance artist Yumi Umiumare and Takashi Takiguchi, in partnership with the Abbotsford Convent Foundation (ACF) ‘ButohOUT!’ brings butoh, a Japanese theatre and dance form, into the context of Australia’s landscape, culture and history, through a series of workshops, performances and a public forum.

Notes

• No dance background is required to take part in this workshop.

Artist Agung Gunawan
Born in Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia, Agung Gunawan is a renowned and established dancer, artistic director, choreographer and vocalist.  He has trained for many years in the form of classical court dance of Yogyakarta. From 2000 to 2006, he worked with Martinus Miroto as an assistant choreographer, to explore possibilities of integration of Javanese classical and contemporary dance. Since then, he has continuously questioned and investigated the ever-changing boundaries and universal hallmarks of traditional, classical and contemporary Javanese arts and culture. He seeks new forms of artistic expression engendered from ancient, indigenous Javanese wisdom and knowledge commonly used in the daily life of Pelem village. Agung has performed in Australia on many occasions: Beyond Butoh Festival (2005 Melbourne), Melbourne International Art Festival (2012), International Symposium on Electronic Art (2013 Sydney) and PUBLIC Festival (2016 Perth). He has been artistic director of the Pelem Festival since 2016 and his motivation to create the Festival was a manifestation of his conviction: "If they are not accessible to the poor, the arts are neither innovative nor revolutionary".

Currently, he is based in the rural village, Pelem, East Java, as a co-director of Sampang Agung Centre of Performing Arts (SACPA), and a choreographer of Breathing Forest Dance Theatre while continuously touring numerous countries for performances and projects.