BWW Previews: ELHAQ LATIEF's Ballet KINTSUGI will Examine Toxic Relationships through Motion

ELHAQ LATIEF PRODUCTION, a new performing arts company spearheaded by dancer-choreographer Elhaq Latief, will produce their debut show this month. Titled KINTSUGI, the three-movement ballet performance will run at TEATER KECIL, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, on May 23 starting at 7 PM.

KINTSUGI ( ??? )tells the story of a teenage couple, The Girl and The Boy. Their personal shortcomings make the relationship a toxic one; infidelity and betrayal culminate in physical and mental abuse directed at The Girl. Elhaq Latief chose the theme of abusive relationship due to prevalence of similar cases in Indonesia.

After the performance, Elhaq Latief Production will host a discussion session with a representative from Komisi Nasional Anti Kekerasan Terhadap Perempuan
(National Commission on Violence Against Women) and Soraya Salim, a psychologist from Pulih@thePeak.

"The word KINTSUGI has become such an inspiration to produce this show. KINTSUGI is a Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum," said Elhaq Latief, Director and Choreographer of KINTSUGI.

"The philosophy behind it is that it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something [to] disguise. The flaw is seen, which add to its beauty. There are so many cases of violence in relationships, yet we're unaware. As once a victim, I feel that we all need to speak up and realize that this is not okay."

In addition to directing and choreographing the ballet, Elhaq will also play The Boy. Meanwhile, The Girl will be played by Nadhira Nasution. There are total of 40 people
involved in the production team, with 20 people as additional dancers. The ballet will be set to music by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

KINTSUGI is supported by Djarum Foundation Bakti Budaya and BYS Cosmetics. We are also in partnership with Komnas Perempuan, JPAC, 100% Manusia, Bhinneka Cipta Setara and Magdalene.

Instead of tickets, KINTSUGI will raise donations for abuse survivors with Yayasan Pulih, a non-profit organization assisting survivors in their psychological recovery and empowerment. For more information, follow kintsugidance on Instagram.

Photos provided by Elhaq Latief Production.