Recently, I took myself to Eko Suprikanto’s Salt, presented by Dancehouse and Asiatopa, a reward for finishing the semester. While I am an amateur dancer, I will admit I have not attended many dance performances. With my own dance practice, as young as it may be, I have been increasingly interested in dance as an art form so I was very excited for Eko Supriyanto’s performance as I completed my exams this week.
Eko Supriyanto’s solo show, the third in a trilogy, followed the premise of emulating anti-gravity movement in a water environment, using his Javanese cultural background to reflect on Indonesia’s oceanic surrounds. The performance began in darkness; light from the back of the hall dimly revealed Eko’s silvery nude silhouette as he slowly and rhythmically moved to eerie music. From this moody, slow beginning, I fell into a trancelike state watching Eko Supriyanto’s otherworldly performance, his body closely following the malleable sound and lighting.
Every muscle in his lean, carved body played a role in creating shapes through jagged whilst fluid movements, sometimes looking unhuman and more like a sea-creature or the natural movement of water. With ease, Eko modelled the ocean deep’s mysterious moods, moving between tranquillity and darkness. One moment, Eko screeched under piercing red light with animalistic rage, making me feel as if I had sunk into the depths of water and was alone, facing a sea-demon. But, I was comforted by such display of pure emotion as instinctive rage is so often downplayed despite its necessity in life and survival.
Supriyanto never executed one identity or mood for long; rather, he characterized the changeability and radiance of the ocean’s being. This consistent change was tracked. A pile of white salt centre-staged was distributed by Eko’s feet throughout the performance, making a map on the ocean floor of his rhythmic and uniform or sharp and random movements.
As the hour performance came to a close, I felt stimulated whilst soothed by Supriyanto’s powerful impersonation of the emotion of underwater life in both a classical and contemporary style. As an audience member new to watching dance, it was a formidable and touching experience.