Sisa-Sisa
WORLD PREMIERE
Sisa-Sisa is a moving double-bill of two searingly personal dance solos by Alfira O’Sullivan and Murtala. Grounded in Indonesian culture, thrumming with an original score by Gondrong Gunarto, these works ask: what traces remain when we endure the unendurable?
In Gelumbang Raya, Murtala retraces his time as a volunteer in the aftermath of the 2004 Aceh tsunami, where he spent months pulling bodies from the earth. Through movement and story, he transforms trauma, migration and resilience into a shared act of remembrance and belonging.
In Jejak & Bisik, Alfira alchemises cultural silences around fertility, perimenopause and the shifting female body, exploring the realities as woman, mother, and ageing dancer. Weaving body percussion, soulful song, spoken word and culturally informed movement, she turns private memory into collective ritual.
Together, these works resonate as a raw, poetic meditation on the frailties and strengths of human memory, survival and identity.
Friday 23 January, 7.30pm
Saturday 24 January, 2pm
Saturday 24 January, 7.30pm
(80 minutes including interval)
Credits
Gelumbang Raya by Murtala
Jejak & Bisik by Alfira O’Sullivan
Presented by Sydney Festival and Bankstown Arts Centre
Commissioned by Bankstown Arts Centre with support from Sydney Festival & Create NSW
Alfira O’Sullivan Conceived by, Choreographer and Dancer
Murtala Conceived by, Choreographer and Dancer
Danielle Michich - Creative Associate
Fausto Brusamolino - Lighting Design
Sam James - Visual Design
raymond d blanco - Outside Eye
Katrina Irawati Graham - Dramaturgy
Gondrong Gunarto - Composer
Insite Arts - Producer
Originally from Aceh in North Sumatra, is a well known choreographer in Indonesia, and one of only a few people in Aceh who holds a Masters in dance. Since the age of eleven, he has trained under traditional teachers in Banda Aceh, and was one of the last generations to practice sitting body percussion dances as a Sufi practice. Today, these dances are practiced and performed for entertainment. His primary specialty is in Acehnese body percussion dances, sitting dances and Rapai Geleng - a group sitting dance using Rapai frame drums. Murtala is frequently interviewed as a scholarly reference. Having also trained in West Sumatra, he has learnt and mastered other Sumatran dances and Randai (a form of traditional theater, where dancers wear galembong pants which they use to create rhythmical patterns, as well as using their bodies creating tapuak galembong.)
In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami in Aceh 2004, Murtala returned to his homeland to work on the emergency relief effort. Whilst in the Aceh, he undertook a number of roles and responsibilities in the area of evacuation and logistics. He furthered his contribution by establishing a local NGO where he taught traditional dance, as well as training the teachers of tsunami and conflict victims. He was Director of the NGO until 2006. He went on to study Masters in Dance in Central Java Indonesia and has since traveled around Indonesia and to Australia, Europe, Fiji and Singapore where he has taught Acehnese dance and music to primary school, high school and university students. Murtala is a frequent performer at various festivals around Australia, taught choirs, acted in theater and film. He has a Bachelor of Performing Arts majoring in traditional dance from the Institute of the Arts, Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, Indonesia and holds a Masters of Dance Choreography from the Institute of the Arts Surakarta.
As a choreographer, writer and dancer, Murtala's works includes;
- Gelumbang Raya, development in Aceh 2025
- Bunyi Bunyi Bumi, co-devised for Asia TOPA premiere 2025
- Opening ceremony of PKA -5 The Aceh International Art and Culture Exhibition where he choreographed more than 500 dancers in Aceh's main stadium with Kaka in 2009
- Rantau (journey undertaken by Sumatran men) Belvoir St theatre, Sydney for Coolie, Asian Australian festival Feb 2011
- Rampak Aceh (2007) in Solo & Sydney
- Perkangku Kaki (2005) in Aceh & Padang Panjang
- Hantu hutan, tahun tuhan (2004) in Padang Panjang
- He has also published a book on New Creation dances, titled "Tari Aceh: Yuslizar & Kreasi Yang Mentradisi " (2008)
Katrina Irawati Graham is an Indonesian Australian writer, director and dramaturg working in screen and theatre. She creates in many genres including feminist horror, crime and drama. She is twice ADG nominated for her direction on STAN Originals drama series Bali 2002. Her Indonesian ghost story, White Song, is part of Australia’s first all-female directed horror anthology, Dark Whispers (SBS). Katrina has adapted a feature script of her supernatural play, Siti Rubiyah, with Screen Queensland support. She has written two award winning online crime series and has been in writers’ rooms for ABC and SBS.
She has dramaturged for La Boite, Blakdance, Queensland Theatre and APT. She embeds cultural safety in all aspects of her creative practice.
Katrina is also in demand as a speaker and facilitator who supports deep conversations, community connections, and strong creative outcomes. Cultural safety consultancy has included Queensland Theatre, La Boite, QUT and Endemol Shine. Katrina is represented by BMEG.
Samuel James is a filmmaker and projection designer living on Gundungarra and Dharug land, Blue Mountains. Over thirty years he has collaborated with performance companies focussing on dance movement with digital projection. His work is often seen in Australian festivals as well as internationally in Europe, Canada, South Korea and has participated in seven international residencies; Norway, Czech Republic, Iceland, Finland, The Banff Centre, Calcutta and Berlin. He has been privileged to work with many first nations artists and companies taking the opportunity to develop understandings of sovereignty of country, designing dance and theatre productions, making performance documentaries and video installations. He has won Best Dance Film with choreographer Julie-Anne Long at the Australian Dance Awards in 2006 and has been nominated for two Green Room Awards. In 2012 he completed an MFA from UNSW Art and Design.
Danielle Micich is a highly-awarded choreographer, director and performer of dance theatre. She makes new work for festivals, theatre productions, opera and film, alongside site-specific and community work. After graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts and relocating to Perth as a company dancer for 2 Dance Plus, she was appointed Artistic Director of STEPS Youth Dance Company. Her independent work extends nationally and internationally, working with companies such as Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Perth Theatre Company, Night Train Productions, Steamworks Arts Productions, Dwhani Dance Company (India), Barking Gecko Theatre Company, Pinchgut Opera and Monkey Baa Theatre. Danielle’s ambition is to contribute to making new Australian work through storytelling that reaches audiences by exploring themes and issues relevant to contemporary culture; reflecting, embracing and challenging community attitudes and ideals.