Habibi Tuasikal

Why do you like Indonesian dancing?

I love Indonesian Dancing because it's heaps of fun. I like being able to reconnect with my cultural heritage and perform tribal and ethnic dances that Australian people may not have seen before.

Why are you passionate about Indonesia?

I grew up in Ambon, Indonesia for the first 7 years of my life and now that I live in Australia, I am able to appreciate Indonesian culture even more. Growing up, it was normal to see Ambon dances and ceremonies in the village, it didn't seem like anything special but once I moved here it really opened my eyes up to realise how unique and beautiful my culture is.

My favourite style of Indonesian dance

I love dances originating from Eastern Indonesia, because the movements are usually more engaging and more hyped up - Haha. I like that a lot of the Eastern Indonesian dances (from Maluku, Papua etc) use traditional body paint, which is unique and not really seen in other parts of Indonesia.

How long have you been a part of Sanggar Lestari?

Since I was in Australia 11 years ago! I'm part of this family and in turn, feel lucky to be part of Sanggar Lestari Dance & Culture group! I love that our Sanggar represents and unites different cultures and traditions from all over Indonesia. I love that it brings people together to learn about all the diverse parts of Indonesia, not just the popular ones like Bali or Java. It's really important to represent all parts of Indonesia and I love being able to represent my home island of Ambon in Sanggar Lestari Melbourne. We're very friendly - come and join us!