JAKARTA - Renowned Indonesian choreographer Hartati will present her latest choreographic work, 'Needle in a Haystack' (or 'Jarum dalam Jerami'), at the Malay Arts Festival 2025 held at Singapore's Esplanade Theatre from May 2 to 3, 2025. This piece is known to be a labor of love for Hartati since 2022.
'Needle in a Haystack' has already been introduced through collaborations with the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology at the Alek Mande Festival in Sijunjung Regency, West Sumatra, in November 2022, and at the Jakarta International Contemporary Dance Festival (JICON) in December 2022.
Hartati's background as a Minangkabau woman provides the main idea for the use of props in this work. Her memories of growing up surrounded by rice fields and farms, as well as the collective memory of the Minangkabau community, are woven throughout the piece. In particular, the abundant joy of the harvest season becomes an important motif. The Minangkabau people pile up hay after the harvest, but they are unaware that there might be a needle inside. Hartati uses this situation as a metaphor to raise awareness that unexpected dangers can lurk even within great joy when celebrating something.
This performance holds a special meaning for Hartati as a tribute to her choreography teacher, Gusmiati Suid (1942-2001). During her time with the Gumarang Sakti group, Gusmiati was a significant influence on Hartati, and this work can be seen as an artistic response from a student to her teacher. In fact, the English title of the work, 'Needle in a Haystack,' has a similar structure to Gusmiati Suid's 1997 work, 'Fire in the Chaff,' further clarifying this connection.
Singapore's Esplanade, through an official news release, stated that Hartati's latest work will prompt audiences to understand the complexities of human identity. These complexities include differences in gender, class, ethnicity, and generational experiences. While focusing on these diverse identities, the work is expected to show the points of connection that still exist within the differences of human existence.
Reprocessed haystacks and agricultural tools will be used as key props in the performance. The stage will symbolically represent the various experiences humans encounter in life. The work's producer, Kenny Sorayaatmaja, shared his sentiment, pointing out that the constant efforts of agricultural community members to make a living are often unseen by non-agricultural communities.
Hartati emphasized that her work is not simply a response to her teacher Gusmiati's 'Fire in the Chaff,' which depicted the conflicts of the New Order era, but aims to present the current situation twenty years after the New Order. In a press release distributed on April 25, 2025, she explained the meaning of her work: "We celebrate what is called democracy, but we often overlook the small and fundamental dangers beneath our feet, like a needle in a haystack."
The performance will feature dancers M. Pitrik, Maria Bernadeta Aprianti, Siti Alisa Angelira Fariza, Densiel Lebang, Daniel S. Pambudi, Deka E. Saputra, Adhitya Warman, Dendi Wardiman, and Salsabilla. The music for 'Needle in a Haystack' will be composed by Taufik Adam and Zumairdil Firdaus, adding depth to the performance.
The cultural world is keenly watching how Hartati's 'Needle in a Haystack' will resonate with Singaporean audiences at this year's Malay Arts Festival. Her unique choreography and profound message are expected to bring fresh inspiration to the cultural and artistic scene.
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