TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Renown dancer Sal Murgiyanto, 69 years old, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the 2014 Indonesian Dance Festival (IDF) for his contribution in preserving dance in Indonesia. The award was given at the opening of the festival in Jakarta Theater, Tuesday, November 4, 2014.
Sal is also the initiator of the dance festival.
"He becomes one of the figures who keep the festival existing until today," Maria said.
Sal initiated the festival together with Farida Oetoyo, Sardono W. Kusumo, Maria Darmaningsih, Nungky Kusumastuti, and Melina Surjadewi in 1992. They were inspired by the American Dance Festival that Sal once have visited.
In 1996, the festival hosted the World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific.
The festival promote the development of talents of the young choreographers through the show case that becomes the spirit of the IDF.
"There are creativity, tradition, quality," he said again.
The festival also becomes the bridge that connects local and international choreographers. Sal is hoping that the festival inspires Indonesian society to give more values to a dance.
DIAN YULIASTUTI
