WHO ARE WE?
Prehistoric Body Theater (PBT) is an Indonesian performance company creating avant-garde paleoart dance-theater. Founded in 2017 by co-artistic directors Dr. Ari Dharminalan Rudenko and Sofyan Joyo Utomo, PBT has grown into a chosen family of 15 artists working collectively in Central Java. The ensemble operates with a democratic ethic rooted in the Javanese concepts of momong (deep caring) and gotong royong (mutual cooperation). Days are spent between intensive paleontology education and experimental dance production; by night the ensemble plays Javanese dangdut music around the bonfire backed by a luscious frog chorus. From 2020 to 2025, the company was based at Sarang (the Nest), a collective jungle studio in Lemah Putih Jungle Park, Solo; following the sale of the property, Prehistoric Body Theater is relocating operations to Yogyakarta in 2026.
The company's work centers on prehistoric animal dance characters brought to life through Prehistoric Body Choreology—a dance notation system developed collectively that synthesizes paleontological science, Indonesian dance inspirations, and observation of living animals. PBT works closely with an international panel of mentor scientists who help shape narratives informed by current paleontological theory and evidence.
In 2025, PBT completed their U.S. debut tour at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Asia Society NYC, followed by a month-long residency with the Hell Creek Project paleontology team in Montana. Other notable performances include TEDxUbud, Salihara Theater Jakarta, Indonesia Bertutur Festival at Borobudur Temple, and ArtJakarta Festival.
Dr. Ari Rudenko, a U.S. citizen based in Indonesia since 2012, grew up in the San Juan Islands with a love for dinosaurs and a pulsing wanderlust. He first articulated Prehistoric Body Theater through an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College, furthered through a doctorate in Dance Creation from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Surakarta. His recognitions include the Bergstrom Award for Art-Science Interface, NEFA National Dance Project, and ISPA Global Fellowship.
Prehistoric Body Theater: Bringing Paleontology Narratives to Global Contemporary Performance Audiences
Published in Oxford University Press “Integrative and Comparative Biology Journal” 2018, in a special section on “Science Through Story: Engaging Broad Audiences.”
The Oxford University Press Integrative and Comparative Biology (ICB) Journal, a leading publication for the biological sciences, released their first ever volume on art-science collaboration in fall 2018. This edition features an article by artistic director Ari Rudenko on the concepts, mission, and history behind Prehistoric Body Theater.
This article is oriented towards the science community, framing GHOSTS of HELL CREEK as an innovative form of global public outreach for paleontology. The invitation to publish was based on a talk Ari Rudenko gave at the 2018 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference (SICB) in San Francisco, USA, as part of a special symposium called “Science Through Narrative: Engaging Broad Audiences.” Ari presented alongside Hollywood companies such as Industrial Light and Magic, Pixar, and Dreamworks, discussing how art can bring scientific ideas and collaborations to the mainstream.
What Can Dinosaurs Teach Humans About Dance?
Prehistoric Body Theater at TEDxUbud 2019
