Promoting Malaysia through Dance

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Twelve Istana Budaya dancers made waves when they performed in Dubai, recently. They were taken by Tourism Malaysia to perform traditional Malaysian dances at the 2011 Arabian Travel Market, a tourism exhibition held in Dubai, from May 2 to 5. The performances were held in front of a pavilion built to resemble a traditional Malay house, creating the illusion that the performers were in Malaysia.

It was well-received by the audience, who clapped and cheered to every beat of the traditional dances. The performances included dances of the Sabah and Sarawak ethnicities, as well as traditional Indian, Chinese and Malay dances, such as the 'Sewang' and the 'Zapin'.

The audiences were treated to a unique experience when, towards the end of the performances, they were invited to dance along with a performance of 'Joget lambak', a dance that was once extremely popular in Melaka.

They were taught the steps of the dance, and although brief, it was an experience much enjoyed by them.

Proud to Dance for Malaysia

One of the six female dancers in the troop was 25-year-old Nor Sakila Halim. Nor Sakila said dancing with Istana Budaya took her troop to many countries such as London, Shanghai, Paris and Bangkok. She said each experience was as thrilling as the last.

"I am proud to be able to perform Malaysian traditional dances, as it showcases to foreigners the uniqueness of our different cultures," she told Bernama in an interview at ATM 2011.

"This responsibility is bigger than it looks, as we have been entrusted with promoting Malaysia to the world. So, we must do our best," she said.

Another dancer, Muhammad Syaril Che Me, 21, said a dancer has to experience the emotions of the dance, in order to perform with soul.

"I am happy to be part of a crew that promotes my country to the people of the world, through cultural performances," said the dancer, who comes from a family of artists.

Sumazu Dance a Hit

Tourism Malaysia's acting Director-General, Datuk Azizan Noordin, said the tourism body was providing opportunities to cultural bodies from every state to perform overseas.

"Every month, we hold Malaysian food and cultural promotions to attract more tourists to Malaysia," he said, adding this was a good platform for cultural bodies to showcase themselves abroad.

At a dinner organized by Tourism Malaysia, to celebrate tourism agencies and airlines in Dubai, Mohd Zuhairi was tasked with teaching the largely Arab guests to perform the Sumazau dance, a traditional dance of Sabah.

Mohd Zuhairi, who is also an artist and a stage actor, was able to instruct them well, despite the complexity of the dance.

The Sumazau dance captures the movements of a farmer chasing birds away from his paddy crop. Each dancer performs at a distance of a few centimeters from others, without touching them.

The dancer raises both arms shoulder-high, simulating the flight of birds, to the slow and graceful rhythm of the dance.

Source: http://www.bernama.com

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