Yogyakarta, July 18, 2025 - A new dance work titled “Sekar NAFA” take center stage in the program short course organized by Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta on July 4-18, 2025. The program was attended by five female students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Singapore, who specifically came to study Javanese dance and culture.
“Sekar NAFA” dance was created by Dra. Tutik Winarti, M.Hum., a senior lecturer at ISI Yogyakarta. This dance is designed as a basic dance of Yogyakarta style that functions as an offering or welcoming dance. In the process of creation, this work was adapted to the needs of international participants, while introducing the philosophy and characteristics of classical Yogyakarta dance movements.
Not only the dance, the accompanying music titled “Lancaran Sekar NAFA” is also a new work composed by Anon Suneko, M.Sn., a musical lecturer at ISI Yogyakarta. The music rehearsal process was done collaboratively, with gamelan musicians consisting of ISI music students and NAFA participants.
In addition to “Sekar NAFA”, the participants also studied dance drama “Roro Jonggrang” as part of the performance material. These two works were performed to conclude the training program on the last day.
This NAFA short course program also occurred in the previous year. At 2024, activities are taught by Dra. Jiyu Wijayanti, M.Sn., who teaches her dance creations, Golek Wiragarini which is also one of the teaching materials in the Yogyakarta Dance I course. Year 2023, Dra. W. Lies Apriani, M.Hum. created a new dance titled “Sumunar”, Sumunar, which also functions as a welcoming dance, with simple Yogyakarta dance patterns for beginners. The “Sumunar” dance is accompanied by music by the same composer, namely Anon Suneko, M.Sn. and presented collaboratively in shadow puppet scenes Dewi Sinta in Soka Park, where the court ladies danced the dance. In the same year, Drs. Y. Surojo, M.Sn. become a male dance instructor with choreography “Cantrik” dance”.
The program not only enriches participants' knowledge of Javanese performing arts, but also strengthens cultural ties between Indonesia and Singapore through intensive and meaningful arts education cooperation.
