ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the self-imposed freedom of expression in art performances during Soeharto’s New Order at the Jakarta Art Centre, which was established in 1968. It used a historical approach to collect and analyse data. The study shows that the transformation of some traditional dances into contemporary ones, representing aesthetic values of the time, was possible by making the centre immune to political motives and refrain from criticising the New Order regime. The regime equipped the Jakarta Art Centre with supporting facilities for art performances, allowing the artists to develop their own talents and creativities. This relatively favourable condition led to significant changes in Indonesian traditional arts for their survival at that time. Unlike the Old Order, which used arts—especially dance—as instruments for partly building the national political identity, the New Order saw arts as confined to their basic conviction: to entertain, not to be politicised. This study also finds that the smart strategy for freedom of expression adopted by the Jakarta Art Centre had helped develop contemporary creative arts during that period.
