Rianto
dance
Rianto
indonesia/japan
Born in 1981 in Kaliori village, Banyumas, Rianto trained in classical Javanese dance and Central Javanese folk dance from a young age, specialising in the cross gender form of Lengger. Rianto has been based between Indonesia and Tokyo, Japan since 2003 where he founded the Classical Javanese dance company, the Dewandaru Dance Company, to introduce Javanese performing arts to Japan.
He has worked with a spectrum of international choreographers, performance makers and companies whilst remaining dedicated to his training and own voice for contemporary Javanese performing arts.
At the beginning of 2017 Rianto joined Akram Khan company to take on Akram’s role in the feminist re-working of the Mahabharata. He tours Until The Lions from 2017 onwards. Rianto’s acclaimed solo work SoftMachine, under the direction of Choy Ka Fai, continues to be performed extensively across Europe and the Asia Pacific.
He works in additional projects including co-operations with Korean choreographer Sen Hea Ha, performing in Seoul, Singapore, Belgium, Netherlands and Austria. Rianto also performs in The Chen Shi Zheng’s Opera at Schubert Theatre, Boston and London Coliseum with the English National Opera. He’s guest artist for Gulliver & Swift and Garibaba Stange’s World by Japanese dance company Pappa TARAHUMARA.
Rianto perfoms the durational 24 hour dance work at Solo International Dance Day, collaborates with Keiko Nakano on Yumme for Tokyo metropolitan theatre, the Dance Opera Gandari by Tony Prabowo and To Belong choreographed by Akiko Kitamura.
His artist residencies include Nottle Theatre Company, Korea, Attakkalari Biennial, India, Nanyang Academy Fine Arts, Singapore and most recently Staadstheater Darmstadt, Germany, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts, Honolulu, deSingel, Antwerp and Weiwuying Kaohsiung. In 2007, Rianto received an ANA grant to present his own choreographic works in the Asian region.
His first full length Solo work under his own direction, Medium, is premiered in 2016 and following further development in 2018 tours through Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific.
Rianto is dedicated to the support the form of Lengger and the greater artistic communities of Banyumas, he has established an annual village festival with the regional government to support the community and the next generation.
Currently, Rianto embarks on a new research phase into the cross gender traditions and transgender performance across the Indonesian archipelago. This research will develop into an exhibition, pubblication and new stage work.
