LIVING ARCHIVE: the research space of twenty years Danstheater Don’t Hit Mama (2000 – 2020), by Nita Liem and Bart Deuss.
Nita: ‘Some rehearsal excerpts from the archive (2014) of the production Poppin Java. I will watch them back with the dancers Herrie Anakotta, Rajiv Bhagwanbali and Sonja Bloem. How do we watch them now and what has it brought us?
‘The starting point was Karno Tinanding: a choreography that Sonja received in 1990 from her master Pak Ripto (Ronosuripto) in Solo, Java. Poppin Java is an encounter between an ancient dance language and one of today: Javanese court dance and Poppin.’
Fragment 1
Nita Liem on the left and Sonja Bloem on the right during traditional warm-up.
Fragments 2 and 3
Improvisation based on the characters Arjuna and Karna, half-brothers and rivals from the Mahabharata, who engage in battle with each other. Pak Ripto's choreography is based on this battle.
Fragment 4
The teaser of the performance Poppin Java
