Reflekt RESIDENCY

We are honoered to welcome Otniel Tasman to Berlin for a 3-months stay within the REFLEKT residency programme by Goethe-Institut Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines together with SAVVY Contemporary and TanzFaktur for artists and cultural practitioners from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste. 

Otniel is a choreographer and a Lengger, he describes his practice for us: 
"Through my creative journey within which I have developed contemporary performances, made dance films, produced a Lengger festival, and written a book about Lengger, I have received new values resulting from the exploration process, not only regarding the forms of the artworks, but also through my thought process, academic knowledge, and collisions with other forms of media. Lengger is unique because it is danced by men wearing female costumes and make-up, and the dancers are commonly known as Lengger Lanang (male Lengger). To become a Lengger, one has to equip oneself with traditional Lengger art skills and also practice spirituality in the Lengger cosmology. To this day, I continue to explore Lengger-based ideas and contemporary choreography for my work."

Otniel Tasman  is a choreographer and a Lengger (a cross-gender traditional art practitioner belonging to the Banyumas tradition) from the Banyumas region of Central Java, Indonesia. He is committed to voicing gender justice and exploring the wisdom of the Lengger tradition, which has fluid gender values that align with the philosophy and spirituality of life in the Banyumas tradition. In addition to choreographing dance works both with traditional and contemporary approaches, Otniel initiated the Jagad Lengger Festival as a socio-cultural choreographic practice to excavate, nurture and advance the wisdom of the Banyumas Lengger tradition, as well as produce and promote local knowledge that lives and is lived by the Banyumas Lengger community. His book Lengger is my Religion (2021) is one of Otniel's efforts to share the experience of living life as a Lengger and to dialogue with the public about the body, gender, tradition and spirituality.