Peaceful Co-Existence and Yet Often Ignorance by Joseph Gonzales

Peaceful co-existence and yet often ignorance By Joseph Gonzales

Traditional Dance in Malaysia is a sum of Dances inspired by daily and religious rituals indigenous traditions and passing ethnic Kuda Pasu from SabahThe indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak have communities. a rich cultural heritage, which is firmly entrenched in their way of life and traditional animistic beliefs. Their dances are inspired by hunting rituals and Layang Mas - Classical Malay DanceDance in Malaysia has a multitude of seasonal activities, such as harvesting. The placement of the feet and gentle genres – each with its own history and evolution, existing in harmony and yet swaying of the arms that is characteristic of these dances achieves a sublime often also in ignorance of one another. Each strain of dance charts its own quality, while the interventions of the male performers add dramatic accents path and is dependent on its own particular patronage and support. to the dances. The Datun Julud of the Orang Ulu and the Rejang Be’uh of the Bidayuh are magnificent examples of this practice. Some of the dances from Malaysia has been a port of call for passing tradesmen from the East and Sabah, such as the Kuda Pasu and Limbai, have a more robust quality, while the West since the 15th century. Penang, Malacca and Singapore were choice the Kadazan Dusun dance Sumazau, Sumayau and the Orang Suluk’s Tarirai locations for trade, provisioning and settlement. possess a hypnotic quality. These dances were originally performed to invoke or appease the spirits, or to celebrate the Gawai and Keamatan harvest The tradition of dance that exists in Malaysia today is the sum total of its festivals in Sarawak and Sabah respectively. indigenous peoples and of the passing ethnic communities, whose culture and tradition continue to be practiced today. The Malays and their ethnic sub- groups form approximately 60% of the population; 30% of the population is Chinese dances Chinese, while the rest are Indians or belong to other minorities. The Chinese and Indian communities that arrived in Malaysia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought with them traditional dances which featured symbols of rural life, such as sticks, ribbons, fans and drums. Chinese dance is Folk dance and court dance tremendously popular and dance competitions for every age group are staged Traditional dance in all these communities can be broadly divided into three annually. The dances, which are characterised by their circular movement and categories. The folk tradition is a community-based activity reflecting various their distinctive use of props, are regularly performed in religious celebrations. religious occasions and community events. For the Malays, the primary genres of folk dance are the Joget, Zapin, Inang and Asli. The Joget is believed to be a variant of the Portuguese Brundo or Branle, which was popular in 15th century Indian dances Europe, while the Zapin is the oldest syncretic form of Arab culture. The main form of Indian classical dance in Malaysia is bharata natyam, which originates from the state of Tamil Nadu in India. But other forms of dance, such Through the efforts of the Johore State Government and the Johore Heritage as Kathakali, Khatak, Mohiniattam, and Kuchupuddi are also taught. The focus Foundation, and extensive research by Prof. Dr. Mohd Anis Md.Nor, Zapin has of the Indian repertoire lies on the worship of the various Indian gods. Dance come to be viewed as the very symbol of Malay culture. Some traditional master Ramli Ibrahim is responsible for the massive popularity of the Odissi, Malay dances, such as the Kuda Kepang, contain elements of trance. a classical dance form from Orissa. The dances of these minority communities continue to thrive and draw strength from their sense of marginalization and The Inang and Asli are variants of court dances, and feature slower tempi fear of losing their cultural identity and heritage. and more refinement than other folk dances. The genre of Malay court dance, or classical dance, consists of dances with a highly refined style. The Joget Gamelan and Terinai have stylized hand movements and often begin in a seated position, before progressing through a kneeling to a standing position. These dances only enjoyed royal patronage for a short time, during which numbers of dancers were employed by the royal household.

Institutions like ASWARA and the University of Malaya are working to revive several dances that are no longer commonly practiced and have successfully reconstructed the Tari Inai, Terinai, /Joget Gamelan Topeng, and Lambang Sari.

Music The music that accompanies these traditional dances is as varied as the dances The Temple of Fine Arts, established in 1981 by the late gurus Gopal Shetty, themselves. The Malay folk dance musical ensemble includes gendang (goat- VK Sivadas and their spiritual leader, the late Swami Shantanand Saraswati, skin drums), brass gongs, and gambus (lute) for the Zapin repertoire, and the has an enrolment of approximately 2000 students. The Temple offers study violin and accordion. Court dances are accompanied by a gamelan ensemble, programmes covering Indian music and dance. Ramli Ibrahim’s Sutra Dance serunai and a few percussion instruments. Theatre and other schools operated by teachers, such as Apsara Ram Gopal, Krishna Kumari, Sri Ganesan, and Shrimati Indra Manickam, are smaller but no The Chinese dances are accompanied an ensemble of gu (drums), bo (cymbals) less important. and sona (double reed oboe), while accompaniment is also provided by a ‘modern’ orchestra featuring instruments such as the dizi (transverse flute), These genres are rarely brought together, except during large-scale erhu (bowed string instrument) and pipa (flute). extravaganzas and parades in celebration of sporting events or national festivities. These performances are largely a politically-driven show of unity Indian Carnatic music is played using the vina (plucked lute), nagasvaram between the myriad cultures and traditions that exist in modern Malaysia. (double reed pipe), ottu (violin), venu (flute) and the tambura. The main percussion instruments are the mridanga, tabla and tavil (drums), kanjira (tambourine) and the ghattam (a clay pot which is struck with hands and Joseph Gonzales fingers). The sruti (usually a modern electronic /sruti/ box) provides the is Dean of Dance at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage characteristic drone. The dances of Sabah and Sarawak are accompanied on (ASWARA) Malaysia. He is a teacher, performer, choreographer, radio and the sape, kulintangan and seruling. television sports journalist, and a ‘perennial student’.

Contemporary trends Since the 1970s Malay dance forms have been supported by the state through the establishment of Taman Budaya projects in every state and the formation of the national theatre group, Istana Budaya (Palace of Culture). These professional dance companies tailor their performances to match the palate of the current hegemonic leadership, changing essential elements of the performance as necessary. The companies provide entertainment at corporate dinners and represent the national tourism board Tourism Malaysia under the slogan “Malaysia truly Asia”. Their repertoire comprises Malay, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Thai, Indonesian and Arab influenced dances.

Chinese-Fan-DanceTraditional Chinese dance owes its growth to individuals who have established private dance schools, or who work with associations such as The Malacca Chinese Association, Kwantung, Kwangsi, and the Hainan Association through teachers like Liew Chee Sin, Steven Koh, Cheong Lin Poo, and Zhou Gui Xin.