Indonesiantalk.com —Rumah Karya Sjuman Revives Nutcracker in Jazz After a Decade. Classical Ballet Meets Jazz in Cross-Generational Collaboration
After a ten-year hiatus, Rumah Karya Sjuman is set to revive Nutcracker in Jazz, a contemporary reinterpretation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet The Nutcracker.
The performance will take place on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at 7 p.m., at the Grand Theater of Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta.
As the title suggests, Nutcracker in Jazz brings together two artistic worlds often seen as contrasting: the rigid discipline of classical ballet and the improvisational freedom of jazz.
Tchaikovsky’s iconic score has been reworked into 22 jazz arrangements, performed live by a jazz ensemble led by pianist Nial Djuliarso.
On stage, dancers from Ballet Sumber Cipta—Indonesia’s oldest ballet school, founded by Farida Oetoyo—present a dialogue between ballet movements rooted in European tradition and the fluid, syncopated rhythms of jazz.
The collaboration goes beyond musical experimentation, offering a fresh artistic language that bridges genres and eras.
Wenny Halim, Ballet Mistress and Artistic Director of Ballet Sumber Cipta, said the contrasting musical structures posed a major challenge for the dancers.
“Jazz does not have the same even counts as classical music. Dancers must maintain clarity and discipline so the choreography does not dissolve into a relaxed jazz mood,” she said.
However, she added that jazz also opens creative possibilities rarely found in classical ballet, allowing greater expressive freedom.
From the musical perspective, Nutcracker in Jazz also highlights artistic regeneration. Aksan Sjuman, Artistic Director of Rumah Karya Sjuman, noted that the production involves alumni of Sjuman School for Music Education.
“Ten years ago, they were still students. Now they return as arrangers, translating Tchaikovsky into an authentic jazz idiom,” he said, describing the performance as evidence of artistic continuity and evolution.
Among the alumni is Nic Edwin, a film composer and music producer, who serves as the show’s Music Director. Their involvement underscores Rumah Karya Sjuman’s long-term commitment to nurturing young musicians and providing them with opportunities on major stages.
The approximately two-hour performance, with one intermission, will be preceded by a Holiday Concert featuring selected students from Sjuman School for Music Education.
Tickets for Nutcracker in Jazz range from Rp350,000 to Rp1.25 million and are available through online ticketing platforms. For Rumah Karya Sjuman, the revival is not merely an exercise in nostalgia, but a statement that cross-disciplinary collaboration remains relevant—and continues to evolve—within Indonesia’s performing arts scene.
