How well do we really know our mothers? What stories do they carry with them, and what do they pass on without saying a word?
Mama’ku is an intimate documentary and dance performance about the invisible threads that connect generations. Choreographer and dancer Cheroney Pelupessy delves into her personal family history and explores not only how memories, patterns, and unspoken stories are passed down through generations, but also who our mothers really are apart from their role as mothers. What is never spoken, but is always present?
The performance opens with the documentary Mama'ku, directed by Sven Peetoom. Known for his layered and personal narratives, he traveled with Cheroney and her mother to Indonesia and the Moluccas to document the search. The film reveals how the past lives on in the present, and how the traces of a mother are reflected in the next generation.
This is followed by the dance performance, in which Cheroney shares the stage with renowned Javanese dancer Elly Lutan, who is coming to the Netherlands from Jakarta especially for this performance. With Lutan embodying the mother figure, Mama'ku brings not only a personal but also a cultural dialogue to life. Her deep-rooted knowledge of Javanese dance adds a dimension that goes beyond the personal story - it connects tradition with the present and embodies the connection between parent and child.
Mama’ku is a layered and personal work about identity, family, and everything that travels with us unspoken. A performance that uses body and image to ask the question: how do we carry our mothers with us, even when we strike out on our own path?
"With Mama'ku, I want to make the invisible lines between mother and daughter tangible. It is a search for what is passed on, not only in words, but in silences, gestures, and unspoken stories. By bringing dance and documentary together, I want to show how memories live on not only in our heads, but also in our bodies. For me, this performance is a way to get closer to my own history and at the same time create a shared sense of recognition for others. Because ultimately, we all carry a part of our mothers with us."
- Cheroney Pelupessy
