Maria Darmaningsih
Maria Darmaningsih is a prominent Indonesian dancer and educator known for her contributions to contemporary and traditional dance in Indonesia. As one of the co-founders of the Indonesian Dance Festival (IDF) – the oldest international contemporary dance festival in Southeast Asia, and the fifth oldest in the world – she received an award from the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia as the Best Festival Organizer in Indonesia (2014), together with Nungki Kusumastuti and Ina Suryadewi.
Maria Darmaningsih S.Sn., M.Ed.
Maria’s background includes a degree in dance from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta and a master’s in education from the University of Lethbridge, Canada. Throughout her career, Maria has performed and collaborated with renowned Indonesian choreographers such as Ben Suharto, Sardono W. Kusumo, and Retno Maruti. A former educator at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts (IKJ), she also founded Ardhanari Performing Arts Studio, a dance school that focuses on both traditional and contemporary dance forms.
As a former director of IDF, Maria has been instrumental in nurturing young talent and fostering cross-cultural dialogue through dance, helping many Indonesian dancers gain international recognition. Her dedication to the Indonesian dance scene extends beyond performance to education and advocacy for the performing arts. In 2018, she received the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Ministry of Culture of the French Republic.
