By: Sani Firmansyah (Supporter Center Officer)

Alexander Baum Garton defined art as beauty with a positive purpose and Aristotle said that art is the imitation of nature. Meanwhile, conservation is the protection and careful management of the environment and natural resources. These two things are what two high school students, Dwigdi Disksita from Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School and Kirana Nasywadara from SMA Cikal, tried to combine in a dance performance titled "The High Spirited Future Awaits" on Sunday (23/7) at GoetheHaus Jakarta. Both believe that by starting small and encouraging young people to take care of the Earth, it will have a good impact on future generations.

Partnering with WWF-Indonesia's Panda Mobile, the event highlighted the condition of the Sumatran Tiger. The event began with a presentation and discussion about the Sumatran Tiger and its ecosystem in Indonesia. "The world has 9 tiger subspecies. Three of them are in Indonesia, namely the Sumatran Tiger, Javanese Tiger, and Balinese Tiger. However, only the Sumatran Tiger remains today because the other two tigers have been declared extinct," explained Pratama Aditya, WWF-Indonesia's Panda Mobile Coordinator. "This can happen due to rampant poaching where all parts of its body are believed to be traditional medicine. Another threat is the increasing loss of Sumatran tiger habitat due to land conversion into oil palm plantations, mining, industry, and residential areas. There are many easy things that we can contribute to maintain the existence of the only remaining tiger in Indonesia, namely by starting an environmentally friendly lifestyle such as being wise in using paper and tissue," Pratama continued.

After the presentation, the dance performance began with a ballet performance that tells the story of a girl who is sad because she sees her nature damaged. With strong determination, she tries to change the condition of the forest so that it can be better. The girl befriends a black ape. The two of them then try to maintain the balance of nature because the girl believes that if biodiversity in nature can be maintained, human life will be better.

"Art, in this case including dance, also has its own responsibilities. Works of art should be a manifestation of human concern for their environment. Therefore, art should not be creative works that think or intend to become famous or gain money. If art only becomes merchandise, then the environment will lose one of its main mediums in voicing the state of nature. And if our environment deteriorates, so will humanity. Therefore, we always pay attention to activities that can maintain and build relationships between humans and the environment like what our two students, Kirana Nasywadara and Dwigdi Diksita are doing as a joint school program with WWF-Indonesia. Art should enrich thinking and creativity," explains Maya Tamara, Namarina Principal & Artistic Director.