Suara Indonesia Dance, in collaboration with the Sahul and Sunda dance group, presents its new work, ‘Pencelupan’ (Immersion), from August 21 to 23 at the Event Centre, George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, as part of the Darwin Festival (running from August 5 to 23, 2026). How do the dancers express the themes of batik—with their profound philosophies—through their movements? How do they invite the audience to step into and immerse themselves in the world of batik making, a realm that may be unfamiliar to them?
Alfira O’Sullifan is the founder and artistic director of Suara Dance Indonesia. Her new dance piece, titled *Pencelupan* (Dyeing), celebrates the Rifa'iyah batik art form from Batang, Central Java—a tradition deeply imbued with Sufi philosophy, including the concept of *samaran* (concealment or inner immersion).
She views the dyeing process (membatik) not merely as dipping fabric, but as ‘an experience of truly immersing, being present, and absorbing transformation’—an aspect she seeks to convey in the performance.
As a movement artist, she believes she ‘does not need words to tell a story’, ‘ instead she brings narratives to life through her body’ and thematic exploration.
She invites the audience to slow down and immerse themselves in the healing process embodied in the dancers' expressions and movements, as she explained to SBS Indonesian.
She also emphasised that for this performance, in addition to collaborating with the dance group Sahul and Sunda, she is supported by two batik artisans from Batang and by Cahwati - a musician, composer, and performer from Banyumas, Central Java.
