Dan Bolton

SHORTLISTED FOR THIS YEAR’S TPMEA AWARDS ENTERTAINMENT MANAGER OF THE YEAR, DAN BOLTON TOOK ON THE ROLE OF ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER FOR THE OPENING AND CLOSING CEREMONIES FOR THE GAMES. TPMEA SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE…

When did you first get involved in the project? I got involved back in December when I spoke with the Creative Producer, Brenton Kewley. We had never directly worked together however, I had worked on a previous project with the Asian Games production company, Five Currents, in 2015 (National Day ceremony in Abu Dhabi) and met Brenton in Dubai not long after that after. Jakarta was a project that really interested me. Indonesia is such a culturally diverse and beautiful country and having been based in Dubai for 11 years, I wanted to take the opportunity to work alongside some of the worlds best when it comes to huge scale ceremonies and push myself further by learning new skills.

What were your main roles and responsibilities for the production? As Associate Choreographer I was working directly under Staging Director Michael Pena. When I first joined back in February, we were the only 2 internationals in the department. We were working alongside 2 very well known Indonesian segment choreographers and their teams. In all there were around 40 choreographers that each specialised in various elements of Indonesian culture and dance. It was our responsibility to help bring all of this together. Essentially taking the creativity out of the minds of the choreographers and placing this on digital charts which is where we plot every single movement of the 4,000 cast members that were performing in the show.

This is a forever changing process and as we commenced rehearsals our team grew with the addition of 2 further international associate choreographers, Barbarana Pons and Kirill Mosunov, both who have a vast amount of experience within the world of ceremonies. When it comes to show time, much of our work should be complete so we spend most of the ceremony in the black zone, on hand should there be any unforeseen dramas (the event is fully live) and principally to help get in and seat the 6000 Athletes of 45 nations that enter the stadium in the parade of nations.

What were the main themes and moments within the opening and closing ceremonies? The opening segment was inspired by a traditional welcome dance from the province of Ache on the island of Sumatra. This was created using 1,650 high school girls, from 18 schools all across the city of Jakarta. Lead by the amazing choreographer Dede Syahputra, this traditional dance was developed to include intricate costume changes that revealed various patterns and colours inspired by traditional Batik fabrics. For the main creative segment of the show it was all developed around a journey through the elements and the natural beauty of the islands of Indonesia. Water, Earth, Wind and Fire with a finale segment named ‘energy’ that represented the modernity of Indonesia, the vibrant and sometimes chaotic city of Jakarta and the immense collective energy of the 250+ million people that make up the nation of Indonesia.

What were some of the main challenges that spring to mind with both events? From the minute the project started there is an immense element of pressure and that built dramatically as the project got closer to show day. Deadlines needed to be met and things need to be built and elements need choreographing. People have input and differing opinions and then the added pressure that you are doing this on behalf and representing a whole nation so you want to ensure that you create work that they can be proud of and that showcases them in the light that they deserve.

I think being based in the Middle East and experienced working with various nationalities set me in good stead for working with our Indonesian colleagues and vast international team. We all work differently and every country that hosts such a mega event will approach things differently. It’s all about being adaptable, communicating, collaborating and working collectively to produce something amazing. We all approach this differently but it comes together in the end.

There were several companies and crew from the Middle East present throughout the event. As an active member in the region, what message does having so many UAE companies working on this large-scale international event send to the global entertainment industry?

I think it reiterates that the there are some amazing companies and people based in the UAE that can deliver elements of global events throughout the world to an exceptional standard. Long was the tradition that international companies would all come into the UAE from more established markets as it was seen that the UAE did not have the talent or infrastructure in place to deliver large events. Now after a decade of development, its great to see those that have set up business in the UAE, invested in the Middle East events industry and call the UAE our home, export and share this knowledge and infrastructure at leading events globally. The strategic importance of the UAE being literally at the centre of the world, its transportation links and its positioning as a live events capital should also not be underplayed. This will only evolve further in the years ahead.

What were your final thoughts from both events? I’m extremely fortunate to have been a part of this historical event. The ability to learn, grow and immerse myself in Indonesian culture is something I am very grateful for. I’m certainly looking forward to possibilities to do it again in other shows and events somewhere around the world and here at home in the UAE as we look forward to our own mega event, welcoming the entire world and it’s culture to Expo 2020.