Understanding Obsession With Women’s Body Through Performing Arts

On April 21, Indonesians celebrated the birth of Kartini, a Javanese writer and educator who started a school for girls on her own porch. Kartini, one of Indonesia’s greatest heroines, continues to uplift Indonesian women’s rights. Kartini’s letters to her friend, which were translated into Bahasa Indonesia from Javanase decades later, revealed what were considered shocking thoughts for a woman during the colonial era, such as her passion for women's education, the desire to end polygamy and her spirit of nationalism. In 2012, the spirit of Kartini still resonates in the lives of many Indonesian women. Cultural performances and events were held to commemorate her birth, one of which was the theatrical performance “Goyang Penasaran” (“Obsessive Twist”).