One day, Tantri comes to realise she will not have much more time with her bedridden twin brother Tantra, who is losing his senses one by one. Grappling with this reality, Tantri finds solace in the deepness and the darkness of night. Under a full moon, she dances, finding herself between reality and imagination, loss and hope. Tantri experiences a magical and emotional journey into womanhood that eclipses Tantra’s fading life. The Seen and Unseen (Sekala Niskala) is a new performance work, a cross-cultural collaboration between artists from Indonesia, Japan and Australia. Inspired by Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini’s film The Seen and Unseen, which has been described as “a truly singular film” (Cinema Scope) and “a haunting and hypnotic interpretation…rooted in Balinese arts and culture” (Variety). This dance-theatre production is a visual feast incorporating dance, live music and song, and features an electronic score, creating a blend of traditional Balinese dance movement with a contemporary approach to theatre. Driving this production is the Balinese philosophy of Sekala Niskala (“the seen and unseen”), a fundamentally dualist spiritual structure that describes what we cannot see as having equal value to what is seen in the world.
Directed by Kamila Andini
Choreographed by Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani
Performed by Komunitas Bumi Bajra
The production also features a cross-cultural creative team that includes choreographer Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani (Indonesia), composer Yasuhiro Morinaga (Japan), designer Eugyeene Teh (Australia), lighting designer Jenny Hector (Australia), dramaturgy by Adena Jacobs, theatre director and artistic director of Fraught Outfit (Australia).
A co-commission by Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and Asia TOPA: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts with Arts Centre Melbourne
Produced by Performing Lines
In collaboration with Fourcolours Films, Komunitas Bumi Bajra, Fraught Outfit, Komunitas Salihara