My story with Indonesia began many years before I ever set foot on its land. In 1997, when I was still a band musician playing the French horn, I traveled to the Netherlands as part of a group to participate in an international marching and concert competition. There, the universe wove an invisible thread that would change the course of my life. I met two young Indonesians: Deddy Machdan (R.I.P.) from Borobudur and Desi Eva Carolina from Medan. We stayed in the same residence for musicians, and the connection was immediate. We laughed, shared songs and silences, and a promise was born: “One day, I’ll visit you in Indonesia.”
That promise stayed alive for more than two decades. Over the years, we kept in touch through handwritten letters that I still keep. But the most beautiful part was how that brief encounter ignited a flame in me: a deep curiosity for Indonesian culture. I began to study the language, to explore its music, landscapes, and traditions… and little by little, Indonesia took a very special place in my heart.
In the first picture, you can see Desy and Boetge when we met in Jakarta. Boetge was also part of the story, a very hospitable person, in the second and third photos, Deddy in Alcacer, he came to visit me in Valencia, even before I came to Indonesia for the first time.
Finally, in 2018, I fulfilled the promise I made to myself. I arrived in Java first, then traveled to Sumatra, and eventually found a spiritual home in Bali.
I had the opportunity to dance in Jakarta and Bali, at Shisha Café, special thanks to Daood Debu and Nabila, my gateway to oriental dance in Indonesia. It was as if everything I had dreamed of suddenly came to life. The spirituality of the Balinese people, their connection to nature, and the beauty present in every ceremony, as well as in every frangipani flower (my favorite), deeply embraced me. I felt I was exactly where I was meant to be.
my journey as a nomadic dancer
My artistic path began much earlier, in my youth. For over 24 years, I’ve dedicated myself to belly dance, Latin dances, zamba, oriental flamenco, and fusion styles. I was a university professor for more than a decade, and I’ve danced on stages across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Teaching, sharing, and connecting with other souls through movement is my calling. Dance has been my way of living, loving, and healing.
But it was when I became a nomadic dancer that I truly understood the power of this art. I wanted to bring dance to every corner of the world: to those who can pay for a class and those who can’t; to children, elders, women, men, artists, dreamers. For me, dance is universal. It’s medicine. It’s beauty. It’s a transformation.
Living as an itinerant artist is not easy, but it is deeply enriching. I’ve learned to adapt to cultures, languages, and very different realities. I’ve danced at weddings, on beaches, in luxury hotels, and remote villages. Each place has given me a unique lesson.
dancing in indonesia
Dancing in a country as spiritual and diverse as Indonesia has been an immense blessing. This land has allowed me to connect with a deeper dimension of my art. Here, dance is not an empty spectacle; it is a ritual, a prayer, a communion. I’ve felt welcomed, appreciated, and deeply inspired.
Living in Bali, in particular, has been a magical experience. But that deserves its chapter. Soon I’ll write another, more focused article about what it’s really like to live as a foreign dancer in Bali: legal challenges, event types, life within the local community, and the balance between cultural respect and artistic expression.
For now, I’ll just say that every day here is a lesson from managing my artist visa responsibly to integrating into a community that honors art as a way of life. Bali has shown me that it’s possible to live from the heart and dance.
message to other dancers
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through all these years, it’s that dreams don’t make mistakes. Sometimes they take time, sometimes they test us, but they always call us. So my advice is: go for it. Whether you’re alone, with a partner, with friends, or with family… dare to bet on your passion.
You don’t have much to lose. You can always go back. But if you do it—if you leap—you’ll live an experience that will transform your soul. Dance knows no borders. It is an ancient, sacred language that we all recognize, even if we’ve never taken a class.
I chose to become a nomadic dancer to bring art to every possible corner. Not only to those who can afford it, but to those who never imagined art could belong to them. And so I continue—dancing in streets, schools, theaters, and beaches—with an open heart, sharing who I am.
My life is not perfect, but it is authentic. And that’s enough for me.
Coming soon: “Dancing and Living in Bali as a Foreigner: An Honest Guide for Nomadic Artists”