From 3 February to 3 March 2026, the Artistic Director of Paradance Platform, Agustin Pandhuniawati Heryani, stayed in Japan to accompany and observe the premiere of a collaborative work between Japanese and Indonesian artists at House Next Door. During this visit, she also conducted research and participated in a talk session at Morishita Studio (The Saison Foundation).
The visit was part of an ongoing effort to strengthen artistic exchange and dialogue between dance practitioners in Indonesia and Japan, while also exploring broader questions related to the sustainability and support systems of the contemporary dance ecosystem. It’s long-term initiative by Paradance Platform to develop artistic exchange and dialogue with several institutions and artists in Japan, particularly in relation to the development and support of the dance ecosystem.
Work Premiere “AYUKA” by Ayu Permata Sari (IDN) Γ Ayaka Nakama (JP) at House Next Door , within “Knock, Knock, Nongkrong” program
- Date: 7β8 February 2026
- Place: House Next Door, 3-12-4Β , Futaba-cho, Nagata-ku, Kobe,
Hyogo, Japan - Time: 19.00-21.00 JST
- FREE ENTRY!
“Knock, Knock, Nongkrong!” is an event inspired by the Indonesian word “nongkrong,” which means gathering in a familiar place and deepening friendship through casual interaction. Nakama Ayaka and Ayu Permata Sari, dance artists of the same age, have been collaborating since 2021, engaging with each other’s cultures and perspectives on the body. This project will feature the Japan premiere of Ayu Permata Sari’s signature work, as well as a performance of a work born from the pair’s exchange, creating a time for bodies from different backgrounds to connect gently.
Talk session by Agustin Pandhuniawati Heryani at The Saison Foundation.
- Date: 25 February 2026
- Place: Morishita Studio (The Saison Foundation), 3-5-6 Morishita, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0004, Japan
- Time: 19.00-21.30 JST
- Title: Reflections on Support: Within the Dance Ecosystem
Summary
For the past year, I have been circling around the question of support: what does support really mean?
Back in Indonesia, I run a platform with very limited financial resources to support artists. Because of this, we have been trying to find ways to support artists using resources beyond money, while continuing to question how such support is understood and practiced within our context.
In a time of global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the question of support feels deeply urgent. While capitalist systems often turn human connection into something transactional, recent movement in Indonesia, such as #salingjaga (looking out for one another) and #wargajagawarga (citizens protecting citizens), have reminded us that human connection, when it takes the form of community, can become a shared safety system in moments of turbulence.
This experience led me to as, how might such practices translate into the field of dance? What could we offer one another within an artistic ecosystem if we begin from our shared position as human beings, alongside the various roles we inhabit?
The archive distribution is available through thisΒ form.
This visit was made possible with the support of Dance Box NPO, House Next Door, The Saison Foundation, and Kementerian Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, through Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) under the Program Pemanfaatan Hasil Kelola Dana Abadi Kebudayaan.
