Meet Gerard Mosterd. The Dutch-Indonesian choreographer with a passion for dance, culture and music.
Gerard Mosterd Where from?
I was born and raised in the Netherlands. My father is a blond, blue Viking eyes of the central Netherlands; my mother is Asian black eye and almond hair, born in Medan in a mixed East Javanese family.
How did you decide to become a dancer and choreographer? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I wanted to become a scientist as a child and was a bit lonely. My mother made me manipulated to become a dancer because she wanted to be a dancer herself, but could not because of poverty and 2 e World War Indonesia. My Indonesian family contained dancers and musicians and I improvised, sacred dance rituals of self-invented as a kid in our garden at home. In elementary school, I'm considered a small teacher and bookworm. Teachers have recommended my parents to encourage me to join a sports club or gym. It turned out to be a ballet school where I am the only boy, I felt embarrassed to go swimming pants hearing. A year later, I was accepted as a ballet student at the Dance Academy of the Royal Conservatory where I studied ballet, modern dance, folk dance music and the history of dance for nine years .
Was there one person who had a big impact on your decision to become a choreographer?
Not really. For eleven years, I danced as a professional dancer in the world with ballet companies and felt the desire to create physical theater productions myself. I'm mostly lack the application of meaning in the choreography. I wanted to explore to make theater that looks for significant themes in my world. I worked with many famous choreographers but often felt that I was engaged to create beautiful movement. Mats Ek and Jiri Kylian are some choreographers I have been fortunate to work with, working with more technique and aesthetics.
When did you start your production company, and why did you choose the name Kantor Pos?
I started my production company there are about three years. Kantor Pos is an agency, the exchange of arts from the Asian and European stage. I brought Martinus Miroto, Sutra Dance Theatre and Benny Krisnawardi with this company in Europe and the stars of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Ballet Manila. The name is the Indonesian version of the Dutch word for the Post Office, an international forum for exchange of information. The name unites Asia and Europe, as well as the expression of trade between the two continents. As a half-Asiatic these themes motivate my artistic initiatives and production. I wear a nonprofit foundation both for a dozen years with which I created 27 productions, several Dutch-Indonesian collaborations and about seven laps Southeast Asia such as with Gumarang Sakti, Eko Supriyanto and Miroto. Since I was asked to join the selection committee last year for the second largest festival of Asian cinema in Europe, CinemAsia, I suddenly became increasingly involved in the realization of film productions Asian.
Is there a style or theme to your productions?
is a therapeutic psycho commission me to unite Asia and Europe in my work. Asia and Europe are part of the same Eurasian continent, but is generally considered as two different identities. European bodies are genetically different Asian organizations and have their properties and movement techniques as well. I want to search and use physicality as their primary language to communicate with the public in a carefully constructed context. As I research significant, new movements or gestures I rarely draws on traditional techniques. Interculturalism is in our genes, not in steps that we can learn a technique. Techniques and measures that we did not invent it.
How long it normally takes to put together a show, and what is the most challenging aspect?
Everything in the manufacture of new performance is a challenge. Starting with the development of a concept. I would like to draw autobiographical subjects, literary and current, if subversive questions and possible socio-political. It is more difficult to turn the subject into a theatrical statement. Make a performance in the studio takes several weeks, but preparatory work could take months or years.
Your next dance is an interpretation Javanese Igor Stravinsky's' Soldier's Tale. " Could you tell us a little about performance and what we can expect to see?
Performed by a world famous Javanese dance casting with live accompaniment of chamber music, this work is an interdisciplinary Stravinsky of a kind gem. Created during the post-war crisis in 1918 moral tale built around a soldier in the dialogue with the devil and sell your soul to the corrupting power of money. It is a low budget absurd piece with cut breath Stravinsky music has created poverty and with the intention to run around the world with the help of the local cultural context. This is historically the very first version Javanese / Indonesian. He visited places full Javanese last year with public acclaim. Artistic disciplines combine in this performance available, designed for a wide audience. It is a story of good and evil. But in this version, we are all good and evil at the same time. There are some really top notch Indonesian wild talent performing arts at its best to be a witness in this performance. I created it in a few weeks working with a dream team of longtime friends as Miroto, Eko Supriyanto, Latief and Sri Jamaluddin Qadariatin. He will tour abroad in the coming years, which could be the last opportunity for the Indonesian public to see in Indonesia.
Gerard "interpretation of Stravinsky Soldier's Tale will occur at Taman Ismail Marzuki on June 1 st in the Indonesian dance Festival 2012. for more information or to book tickets visit http://www.indonesiandancefestival.org or http://www.kantorpos.nl