The title Ridden is translated as ‘ditunggangi’ in Indonesian and ‘憑依/Hyoui’ in Japanese. It is a word associated with spirits or ghosts–invisible but a felt present, when one returns from an unknown territory and their shoulders are ridden by a foreign energy/spirit. In Ridden (2024) choreographer Leu Wijee reflects on his long-term research project since 2018 about humans and the environment in relation to post-natural disasters. Using personal and collective traces as a starting point, Ridden is a sensory performance displaying and discussing the “conditions” between destruction and renewal; constraint and restoration; resilience and recovery; revolting and whispering, readiness and coercion, cleansing and repression; and preparedness and hope; or simply what Wijee calls “between disaster and dance”.
Credits:
Concept, Choreography, Scenography: Leu Wijee
Co-research and collaborator: Mio Ishida
Performers: Bade Kurniawan, Dani Budiman, Leu Wijee, Mio Ishida, Rheza Oktavia
Producer: wijeesworks
Co-produced: Indonesian Dance Festival and Japan Foundation Jakarta
Organized by: Indonesian Dance Festival and wijeesworks
Super Supporters: Jakarta Arts Council, Jakpro, Jakarta International Contemporary Dance Festival, Japan Foundation Jakarta, Kobalt Works and Toko Seniman
*The development of artistic research for this performance has been supported by Jakarta Arts Council, Jakpro, Jakarta International Contemporary Dance Festival, Japan Foundation Jakarta, Kobalt Works, Toko Seniman and Indonesian Dance Festival as part of evening performance of Indonesian Dance Festival (2024), Toko Seniman as part of Dalam Seniman artist in residence (2024), the Taipei Performing Arts Center as part of the ADAM – Asia Discovers Asia Meeting for Contemporary Performance / Kitchen in (2023), Taitung County Government as part of the Taitung Fringe Festival (2023), Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of Indonesia as part of Ngetest (2023), Indonesian Dance Festival in collaboration with Japan Foundation Jakarta as part of the Kampana of Indonesian Dance Festival (2022), Asia Performing Arts Farm as part of workshop Farm-Lab Exhibition Tokyo 2021, Salihara Arts Center as part of Helatari (2021), and Jakarta Arts Council as part of Upcoming Choreographer VS Koreografi Tari (2020).
Acknowledgement: Alice Hui-Sheng Chang, Baden Hitchcock, Chun Lao and Family, Dennis Lin, Dino Kaleb, Helly Minarti, Iksam Djorimi, Jecko Siompo, Joned Suryatmoko, Josh Marcy, Kevin Julianto, Kifkifu, Osamu Shikichi, Pasifik, Sikola Mombine, Syanindita Prameswari, Viktor Schramek and WeiLing Hung.
Leu Wijee
Leu Wijee is an Indonesian (self-taught) artist, dancer and choreographer who divides his time between Palu and Jakarta. He describes his approach of “between disaster and dance” as his ideation process. His artistic research and practice is based on exploring personal and collective traces. His movement language tends to be minimalistic and relentless. He experiments and uses choreography to switch on “many things” (senses, spaces, sounds, etc),and others that resonate with his practice.
Mio Ishida
Actor and dancer currently based in Tokyo and Chigasaki. Graduated in theater & dance at JF Oberlin University. Her recent works focus on the relationship between the human body and objects. She was selected as a Japanese performer for the "Program for Future Dancers" in Tokyo Arts Festival Farm-Lab Exhibition (2021-2022). She has performed in Indonesian Dance Festival 2022, Jakarta; ADAM Kitchen 2023, Taipei; and Taitung Fringe Festival 2023, Taiwan.