Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Opera Van Java





Tayang Sejam, Syuting Berjam-jam

Bermula dari tayang seminggu sekali, lalu meningkat seminggu dua kali, kini program komedi Opera Van Java (OVJ) muncul lima kali dalam sepekan. Itu menandakan acara milik Trans7 tersebut makin digemari pemirsa. Seperti apa pembuatan tayangan yang mengandalkan kepiawaian melucu Parto, Sule, Azis Gagap, Nunung, juga Andre Taulany itu?

---

YANG suka nonton OVJ pasti kenal dengan pantun ini. "Di sana gunung, di sini gunung, di tengahnya Pulau Jawa. Wayangnya bingung, lha dalah dalangnya juga bingung, yang penting bisa ketawa. Ketemu lagi di Opera Van Java. Yaa... Eeee...!"

Pantun khas tersebut selalu diucapkan oleh Ki Dalang Parto ketika mengawali pertunjukan. Setelah itu, keluarlah suara merdu sinden cantik yang membawakan lagu-lagu masa kini diiringi musik gendang dan gamelan.

Kamis lalu (8/4), Jawa Pos bertandang ke Studio Guet di daerah Pancoran. Di studio tersebut, tayangan OVJ dibuat. Mengenakan beskap berwarna biru, Parto memulai pertunjukan seperti wayang orang Jawa tersebut. Waktu itu mereka memainkan cerita berjudul Kawin Kontrak. Ketika pengambilan gambar, di dalam studio banyak penonton yang sengaja datang untuk melihat secara langsung.

Syuting OVJ dilakukan seminggu tiga kali, Selasa sampai Kamis. Mulai siang sampai tengah malam. Setiap kali syuting, mereka memproduksi tiga cerita. Kamis itu, menurut jadwal, syuting dimulai pukul 12.00 WIB. Tapi, sampai waktu yang ditentukan, syuting belum dimulai. Pendukung acara belum datang semua. "Itu kan syuting terakhir. Jadi, wajar kalau sedikit telat. Soalnya, syuting kemarin (Rabu, 7/4) sampai malam," tutur salah seorang kru.

Sambil menunggu, Jawa Pos melihat ruang brifing dan kostum. Ternyata, para artis dan kru berebut jam tangan plastik. Ada Andre, Sule, Azis, dan beberapa kru. Rupanya, salah seorang kru membawa satu tas jam tangan plastik berbentuk robot untuk dijual. "Ya begini ini keadaannya. Nggak artis, nggak kru, sama saja kacaunya," ucap Bremoro Kunto, asisten produser OVJ.

Syuting hari itu molor, sekitar pukul 15.00 WIB baru dimulai. Beberapa menit sebelum syuting, para artis membaca naskah cerita yang akan mereka mainkan. Bukan skenario utuh, hanya garis besarnya. Menurut Sule, mereka hanya perlu baca sebentar naskah tersebut, setelah itu semuanya mengalir begitu saja. "Baca naskah ya pas begini ini. Baca sebentar, saya jadi apa di sini. Misal, saya jadi pemuda. Ya pemuda yang lagi ngapain. Soalnya, nanti ada Mas Parto yang jadi dalang. Jadi, dia lebih tahu ceritanya," katanya.

Di OVJ, para pemain memang dibebaskan berimprovisasi. "Misalnya, awalnya jadi tukang dagang, setelah itu jadi tukang lain. Bebas. Yang penting tahu benang merahnya. Jadi, bisa tek tok dengan dalang. Kalau dalang nyuruh, kami sudah hafal," ucap Sule.

Karena diberi kebebasan itu, Parto, Sule, Azis, Andre, maupun Nunung sering ngelantur ke mana-mana. Bremoro mengatakan, salah satu kekuatan OVJ memang itu. Kebebasan. "Sudah biasa deh, durasi tayang satu jam, syuting sampai berjam-jam. Jalan ceritanya sampai ke mana-mana. Lawakan mereka juga sudah nggak keruan. Nggak masalah sih. Memang kami membiarkan mereka. Terserah deh mau ngapain. Mau berapa lama di atas panggung juga terserah. Yang penting, kami kasih tahu. Woi, sudah sepuluh menit. Woi, sudah 20 menit. Gitu saja," tutur Bremoro.

Justru lanturan para pelawak itu menguntungkan kru. Sebab, saat pengeditan, ada lebih banyak pilihan. Makin lama dibiarkan, tingkah lima sekawan tersebut makin aneh-aneh. "Kami yang ngedit kan jadi enak. Oh, yang ini lucu, ini juga, jadikan satu," lanjut dia.

Bremoro menjelaskan, para komedian tersebut memang memiliki talenta alami dalam melawak.

"Mereka, mau di panggung ataupun keseharian, sama saja. Kalau saya bilang, mereka bukan kategori orang lucu lagi, melainkan orang stres," papar dia lantas terbahak. Melihat para komedian tersebut mengobrol pun, terang dia, bisa mengundang tawa. Sebab, mereka sering membicarakan hal yang tidak penting, tapi membahasnya dengan serius. "Pokoknya, dari sononya memang sudah lucu orang-orang itu," lanjutnya.

Mereka juga punya keunikan sendiri-sendiri di lokasi syuting. Jika dibandingkan dengan yang lain, Parto terkesan lebih anteng. Tapi, celotehan dia paling sering membuat orang tertawa. Sementara itu, Sule adalah personel OVJ yang paling lincah dan energik. "Kalau Azis, gimana ya? Dia absurd banget. Paling aneh lah. Tiba-tiba ramai, bentar kemudian dia menyendiri di pojok," imbuh Bremoro lantas tertawa. Sedangkan Andre dikenal sebagai orang yang sangat ceria. Sepertinya, tak pernah ada beban pada hidupnya. Tapi, Andre sering terlambat datang ke lokasi syuting. "Dia paling ceria, tapi juga paling suka telat," tegasnya. (batampos.co.id)

Shine Band

Korean ballerinas shine on international stage
Posted Jul. 26, 2010 Translate Email Print ShareThis
With only a half-century long history, Korean ballet is making rapid progress in the international arena.
Most recently, Korean ballerina Seo Hee has been promoted to a soloist position in the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

This is one of the top five ballet theaters in the world, along with the Moscow-based Bolshoi Ballet and the Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet of Russia, Britain's Royal Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet. These are known as dream ballet theaters which only top dancers can join. (Left: Seo Hee, Yonhap News)

She is the first Korean dancer to become a soloist in the ABT. A soloist is a dancer who plays main parts along with principal dancers.

Seo has previously been in the theater's "corps de ballet," ballerinas who dance in groups, since 2006. Currently, there are only seven soloists in the theatre, including Seo, out of a total of 80 ABT dancers.

Since joining the ABT in 2004, Seo has performed various roles in "Giselle," "La Bayadere," "La Sylphide" and "Swan Lake." In July 2009, Seo played Juliet in the theater’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” which was staged in New York, becoming the first Korean dancer to play a main role in the ABT. This was also a big surprise within ballet circles because it is not usual for a member of the corps de ballet to get a leading role.

Seo was selected as "as one of the most impressive dancers" by U.S. ballet magazine "Pointe" in January 2008 and later became cover girl for the magazine’s October 2009 edition with the heading "A Prima is born."

After beginning ballet at Sunwha Arts Middle School, Seo studied at Kirov Ballet Academy in Washington D.C. In 2003, she ranked fourth in the Prix de Lausanne Award, a world-class ballet competition, and won the 2003 Grand Prix at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York. Seo also won a scholarship to train at the John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart the same year. (Right: Hee Seo (left) performing in "Thais Pas de Deux" in New York, Jun. 29, 2010. Yonhap News, the New York Times)

Seo is not the only Korean ballerina who plays leading roles in world-renowned ballet companies. Other Korean ballerinas who have received international recognition by working in top ballet companies include professor of Korea National University of Arts Kim Yong Geol, who worked as soloist in the Paris Opera Ballet; Bae Joo Yoon, a soloist in the Bolshoi Ballet; and soloist of the Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet of Russia Yoo Ji-yun.

The stronger physical characteristics of Korean dancers over the years and improved ballet instruction, Korean ballet dancers have demonstrated rapid progress and outstanding capability. Thanks to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Russia in 1990, the numbers of Korean students who studied at Russia’s famous ballet schools increased, which advanced the level of Korean ballet. Kim JooWon and Ji-Young Kim, prima ballerinas of the Korea National Ballet, are some of those who have learned world-class ballet techniques at Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy and Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Also, leading dancers of both Bolshoi and Vaganova have taught at Korean arts schools, which raised the level of ballet education in Korea.

These days, Korean ballet dancers are giving winning performances in many international ballet competitions. Last month, 17-year-old Korean ballerina Chae Ji Young surprised the world ballet community by winning a gold medal in the Junior Women round of the USA International Ballet Competition, one of the top three ballet contests in the world.

Currently, there are nearly 80 Korean ballerinas shining on the world stage by actively performing in international ballet companies, including Stuttgart Ballet principal Kang Sue-jin, the first Asian to become a member of a major world-class ballet company, and Hyo-Jung Kang, a soloist in the same theatre, and Kim Seh Yun, soloist of Het Nationale Ballet in the Netherlands.

Among them, three star ballerinas -- Seo Hee, Kang Sue-jin and Kim Seh Yun -- will present a special performance titled the “Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2010” with seven other world-renowned ballet dancers during the “2010 Seoul International Ballet Festival” which will begin on Aug. 8 for a 20-day run. This very special performance, scheduled on Aug. 25, is directed by Hue Young Soon, a Korean-German choreographer and will be held at Seoul Arts Center. (Left: Poster of The Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2010)



By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer