LINDA HOEMAR ABIDIN
STATE OF GRACE
“I THINK DANCING IS GOOD FOR CHILDREN IN TERMS OF A WAY TO BUILD DISCIPLINE, COMMITMENT AND SELF-ESTEEM” LINDA HOEMAR ABIDIN
“I think dancing, or any kind of performance art, is good for children in terms of a way to build discipline, commitment and self-esteem”
ALTHOUGH SHE HUNG UP her dancing shoes in 1992, Linda Hoemar Abidin is still a dancer at heart. “I’m lucky that my parents understood me,” she says. “Not many people get the chance to become a professional contemporary dancer. When you learn dancing, you learn about discipline, body coordination and how to listen. You also learn about empathy and tolerance.”
Linda was no ordinary dancer. She studied and performed in New York with two of the world’s most renowned modern dance institutions: The Ailey School of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and the Elisa Monte Dance Company. She was one of the lead dancers at the latter, which was set up by a former principal dancer with the famous Martha Graham Dance Company.
The best dancers start young, and Linda began studying classical ballet in Berlin, Germany when she was just three years old. Her mother enrolled her in a weekly ballet class. Linda liked the class so much that she asked if she could attend twice a week instead. Continuing to dance after her family relocated to Indonesia when Linda was six, the daughter of architect Hoemar Tjokrodiatmo continued doing classical ballet and later on took up Javanese, Minang and modern dance. She studied dance at Nritya Sundara and Sumber Cipta Ballet School in Jakarta. After she graduated from high school, Linda took a dance course at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York. After finishing her studies there, she was accepted as one of the main dancers at Elisa Monte Dance Company.
At the peak of her career in 1992, Linda chose to stop dancing and study arts management instead. She did that by taking a Master’s degree in Arts Management at Teachers College, Columbia University. On returning home after spending 11 years in New York, Linda started her work in supporting the arts as Chair of the Executive Board of Kelola Foundation, whose programmes provide Indonesian arts practitioners with opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge.
“I feel that I achieved my ultimate dream in dancing, which was to dance in New York,” says Linda, whose husband is Reza Abidin, Director of Tunggal Group, one of Indonesia’s pioneering pharmaceutical enterprises devoted to reproductive healthcare. “When I came back home, I felt that it was time to dedicate myself to the Indonesian arts scene - and I’ve never looked back. However, the lessons I learned and connections I made through dancing are something that I shall always carry with me.”
How did she make it to the Big Apple? “When I was in high school, I found out that I could apply for a scholarship in dancing through the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) in the US,” she recalls. Established by the Rockefeller Fund, the ACC is a foundation dedicated to supporting exchanges in the visual and performing arts between Asia and the US, and awards grants to artists, scholars and other arts professionals for research, study and creative work. “So I wrote them a letter, stating my ambition to study contemporary dance. Just before I graduated from high school, the then Program Officer of ACC, Ralph Samuelson, flew to Jakarta to interview me. He explained that every grant application had to go through the board members for formal review.”
Clearly, she convinced him and the board. Nearing her high school graduation, Linda got the good news, via a telegram, that she had been granted a scholarship to study at the Ailey School at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “I was the youngest grantee because ACC usually provides grants for Master’s degree students,” says Linda. “The grant from ACC was not only a financial grant, it also involved constant monitoring. They gave me consultations, made sure I got the resources I needed as a dancer (for instance, they facilitated meetings with some of the top international artists in New York), and provided tickets for me to watch Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey and many other great performances.
“The study grant that I received from the ACC was much more than financial aid. It was long-term and thoughtful guidance that equipped me to be who I am today. It was what inspired me to start Kelola when I came home to Indonesia. I realised that there’s a need for an organisation like ACC in Indonesia. Because of ACC’s work, I realised that Indonesian artists need support and guidance, like I received, for the
country’s arts scene to grow. There needs to be an organisation that builds bridges for arts communities at the national and international levels, so that all arts stakeholders could collaborate and learn from each other.”
Together with Amna Kusumo, a visionary arts leader and pioneering arts manager who is as
The New York Times once put it, “credited with helping to unify what had been a scattered arts scene in Indonesia”, and a few others, Linda co-founded Kelola. This is a non-profit organisation that aims to create as many opportunities as possible for the Indonesian arts community to collaborate and provide them with exposure to international arts communities. ACC is one of their longtime partners. To achieve its mission, Kelola provides opportunities for learning, funding and accessing information for the Indonesian art community. Programmes offered by Kelola include workshops on cultural organisation and festival management, stage management, lighting design and partnering with businesses. There are national and international internship programmes, and competitive arts grants are also offered.
Notes Linda: “I’m thrilled that, from the beginning, Kelola partnered with ACC. That’s one very important connection from my dancing days that has enabled me to do what I do today. Another thing is, of course, the holistic attitude of a dancer. For example, dancing demands good body coordination. As I grew up, I learned that coordinating with people is one of the most important things in work and business.”
During her Cover Story shoot, this driven advocate of the arts reveals herself as statuesque beauty in fashion design masterpieces by Biyan, Ghea Panggabean and Iwan Tirta Private Collection. “I’m proud to be Indonesian,” Linda says in between camera clicks. She slips into a black velvet dress. As she turns her back to the camera, the wonderful tulle detailing shows. It depicts wayang, a traditional Indonesian puppetry art. It truly is a sight to behold in every sense – a gracious beauty, a fashion masterpiece by Ghea amid the lush greenery right outside bustling Jakarta.
Although her dancing days are well behind her, there is no denying that Linda still possesses the qualities of a professional dancer – both physically and mentally. As she strikes a pose, her toes point in a way that only a ballerina could achieve. At other times, her shoulders and waist move in a very coordinated way, accentuating a figure that is still in its best form.
Linda can typically be spotted in antique kain kebaya, one-off batik patterns or tenun ikat creations. Her extensive fabric collection, one that includes a deep red kain songket with gold thread detailing and kain tenun Baron (hand-woven silky fabric with intricate embroideries) is mostly inherited from her mother. Top-notch Indonesian designers, including Biyan describe Linda as one of their most loyal customers. On Linda, traditional clothing does not appear dated or dull. She brings it alive with poise and an apparent passion in her eyes - the passion she feels for Indonesia, especially its arts.
Asked about her favourites among Indonesian designers, Linda declares that “it will be a long list. There is an abundance of untapped resources and creativity here, and these need to be nurtured. That’s why we need good support mechanism and infrastructure in place. What’s also crucial is the appreciation from our fellow countrymen. Indonesia’s arts have yet to receive the attention they deserve within the country. For example, Teater Garasi from Yogyakarta received the Prince Claus Award in 2013, and this year, one of the leading Indonesian contemporary visual artists, FX Harsono, received the same award. Amna was recently in New York to receive the prestigious John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award from ACC for the radical changes she made possible in Indonesian arts and culture. It’s time that more Indonesians joined the worldwide appreciation for the arts of Indonesia.”
Kelola is planning a tour of universities by, among others, a martial arts-based dance group from Padang, Nan Jombang. “To bridge the learning gap due to limited access and geographical distance, Kelola will bring inspiring performances to universities,” says Linda. “Nan Jombang has performed at many prestigious international festivals, but many Indonesians have not seen their mind-blowing performances.”
As the shoot wraps up and she prepares to go on to an evening meeting, hardworking Linda talks about her belief that children should be exposed to the arts as early as possible – just as she was by her parents. “I think dancing, or any kind of performance art, is good for children in terms of a way to build discipline, commitment and self-esteem,” she points out. “More importantly, they’ll learn to regard the arts as a part of life and, eventually, become good art practitioners, audience members or even donors when they grow up.”