Photo: hana.zllfk
Bantul, August 4, 2025 - Fania Az Zahra, a 5th semester student of the Dance Department of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta, successfully brought part of her coursework to be part of a major performance. Bantul Mataram Culture Festival 2025 at the Sultan Agung Stadium, Bantul.
The dance work titled “Nuclear” was originally created to fulfill a course assignment Theory and Choreography I. Inspired by the anxiety over the existence of a figure of gendruwo liri In Reog Wayang Bantul, which is now rarely seen, Fania explores the elements of the tradition, including movement and music. The dancer's brown burlap outfit is a visual symbol of the liri that she wants to revive through the dance stage.
Unexpectedly, this work received widespread acceptance after the dance video “Duklir” was combined with the song “Mangu” Daru's (Ndarboy Genk) jathilan version and uploaded it to TikTok. “The movements fit perfectly with the rhythm of the song, and the video got FYP. Many people thought the song was created for this dance,” Fania said.
A few days after going viral on TikTok, Fania was contacted by a representative of Ndarboy Genk. She received a direct invitation from Daru to perform together at the concert, which is part of the Mataram Culture Festival 2025.
“It feels like a dream, going from the exam stage on campus to the big stage with Mas Ndaru. He is very friendly, and I feel very appreciated to be able to work together in this festival,” she said.
Fania's story shows how art students' work can live in a variety of spaces - from the classroom, to social media, to the professional stage - and serve as a link between local traditions, personal expression, and the digital world.
Photo: hana.zlfk
