In this workshop, dance maestro Didik Nini Thowok will share his experience and creative processes behind his monumental work Bedhaya Hagoromo. In this work that highlights the collaboration between Java and Japan, various knowledge is embedded within the manifolds of its process. From the formalization of its concepts, philosophical meeting of the different cultures, to the artistic and technical choices that build the tonal unity of the artist. Participants will also be invited to taste the Javanese and Japanese dance techniques collided within the dancer’s bodies within this work. From Bedhaya Hagoromo as a case study, participants will also be involved in dialogue to dive deep and look at the secrets and strategies of Didik Nini Thowok in navigating the journeys of his works that often involved inter-cultural collaborations.
Participants are expected to bring their own plain fans to be used during the workshop.

Didik Nini Thowok
One of Indonesia’s most renowned dance maestros, cultural icon, and comedian. He grew up learning cross-gender dances and studied under many Indonesian dance maestros. He has also studied Nihon Buyo drama and Noh in Japan, Bharatanatyam in India, and Flamenco in Spain. He is also the founder of LPK Natya Lakshita (1980) and Didik Nini Thowok Entertainment.


