The father’s presence in the house is clearly felt—defining and compelling. In silences. In reactions that evade, restrain or, at times, provoke. Everything revolves around a past that has no place, yet still exerts influence on the family. This invisible weight determines the patterns within the household. It affects every touch, every glance, forming an unseen pressure that cannot be escaped.

Through urban contemporary dance and influences from traditional dance and instruments, choreographer Cheroney Pelupessy creates a melancholic and oppressive family portrait in which everything is heightened. But DJANGAN! also shows what can emerge when the next generation decides not only to carry, but also to let go. To move forward, with what has been, and to make space for what is yet to come.

Cheroney Pelupessy is a dancer, choreographer and theatre-maker with Indonesian, Moluccan and Dutch roots. She intertwines traditional and modern dance to tell stories about cultural identity, family and memory.