TORSO

T O R S O

by Ayu Permata Dance Project

Photo by Andri Wijaya

Choreographer & Dancer: Ayu Permata Sari
Composer: Edythia Rio W
Visual Artist: Gelar Soemantri
Dramaturg: Nia Agustina
Producer: Nabilla Kurnia Adzan

Synopsis:

Eng: This work explores how culture builds and controls body expression. Through traditional dance as a starting point, Torso becomes a space for reflection and dialogue to question who owns the body and how women can have power over their own bodies.

        IDN : Karya ini membedah bagaimana konstruksi budaya turut membentuk ekspresi tubuh.         Melalui pintu masuk tari tradisi yang familiar, Torso akan hadir sebagai medium dialog         reflektif untuk mempertanyakan kepemilikan dan kedaulatan tubuh perempuan.

Narrative:
This work begins from my awareness about the limited movement of the torso in traditional Lampung Pepadun dances, especially in female dances like Cangget Putri and Sigeh Penguten. These dances became the base of my dance practice. I started to question why the torso is not explored in these traditional dances. I found that tradition and religion play important roles. In adat (custom), dropping accessories during a dance can lead to social punishment. Movements like the torso are seen as too strong or too sensual. At the same time, religion—especially Islam—asks women to control their body, to not move too expressively. The female body is seen as something that must be polite, soft, and controlled, not free to express

From my research, I also reflect on the story of my mother, who was taken (sebambangan) to marry my father—something accepted by tradition, but full of symbolic violence. It shows how adat controls women’s choices and bodies. In traditional events, only unmarried women are allowed to dance. Married women must stop, while men can continue. I use this dance work to question that. The circle on stage made of white starch flour shows the border and control around women’s bodies. The video art and sound help me to explore my torso and my voice. I do not represent all Lampung women. I speak from my own experience, shaped by adat and society. I believe women’s bodies are not just objects of beauty or morality, but have their own meaning, power, and story to tell.

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Contact

Email: ayupermatadancecompany@gmail.com 

Phone: +62 819 9702 7702

Address: Jl. Pembangunan No. 19, Kota Alam, Kotabumi Selatan, Lampung Utara, Lampung, Indonesia 34519