Hanuman and Flowering in Transtory@Culver Art Centre, Riverside, California

It has been two months since I came to University of Riverside, California at the Dance Department, teaching Dance Culture-Culture in Dance to undergraduate students. At the same time, I am also working on dance pieces - triple bill as part of collaboration with Wendy Rogers(professor of dance at UCR) entitled TRANSTORY, to be presented at Culver Arts Centre on January 6, 2011. Apart from our collaborative work entitle FLOWERING, I will be presenting another piece called HANUMAN, a work that I started back in Malaysia, presented at MASKARA, GAPENA in January and KL FRINGE FEST@MAPKL in April 2010. The small work in Kuala Lumpur was a collaborative project with voice by Asmidar Ahmad, an award winning singer at various singing competition in Malaysia and also Los Angeles. The original work in KL was a solo dance performance while the HANUMAN here in Riverside would a group choreography. At the moment I am working with 3 in 1 HANUMAN and Rama(Seri Rama) representing the Father Sky and Sita(Siti Dewi) representing the Mother Earth.

Svarnabhumi in The Sun

Tue, 21 Sep 2010

TIME OUT :: Entertainment

Dancing in new pastures Bissme S. Dancer/lecturer Zubin Mohamad’s passion for dance has taken him to foreign shores where he is doing what he loves to do most MALAY contemporary dancer cum lecturer Zubin Mohamad is teaching dance at the University of California in the United States – something he is unable to do back home. He is there for a six-month stint under a Fulbright scholarship. The 46-year-old dancer is also likely to put up performances in several cities in the US, including New York and San Francisco. Most Malay dances require your feet to touch the earth as this creates a special spiritual bond between the dancer and the earth." – ZubinMohamad Zubin had taught dance in two institutions in Malaysia but he ended up in departments that did not directly deal with dance. "In one university, I was transfered to the theatre department and in the other, I was asked to give dance theory lessons," says Zubin, who has a PhD in Political Economy of Contemporary Arts (Malay Dance Theatre). "I wanted to mould young minds. I wanted to do choreography. I wanted to be on the dance floor. But I was not given a chance to do this in my own country. "But nobody can stop me from dancing as it is in my blood." Zubin has won a few prestigious arts awards, such as the Asia Fellow Award in 2002, Unesco’s Artisan of Southeast Asia in 2000 and Rockefeller’s Southeast Asian Islamic Scholars Award 2003. At the age of eight, he learnt zapin, a traditional Malay dance form, and at the age of 13, he picked up silat, a Malay art of self defence. "My uncles are zapin dancers and silat experts," says Zubin, who was born and raised in Kelantan. "They also made drums. We performed at palaces and in front of royalty. Almost every wedding in Kelantan then had zapin and silat performances. "But not any more. Things have changed. Now, people prefer to have Faizal Tahir (Malaysian Idol runner-up) singing at their weddings." One can feel the disappointment in his voice when Zubin laments about Malay traditional dance forms not getting the proper recognition and respect they deserve. Asked if tourism has given a new lease of life to the Malay dance forms, he replies: "Tourism has good and bad effects." He says in Sarawak, "we’ve seen how tourism has revived some dying dance forms". But, he points out, it has also led to some of these dance forms being simplified and commercialised to the extent that their real essence has disappeared. "Sometimes, the tourism industry tends to emphasise more on costumes rather than the essence of the dance forms," he laments. "They’re more interested in glittering outfits and big head gears. Dancing is not about costumes only." Zubin also dislikes the fact that some of the traditional dancers perform in sandals for tourists. "Most Malay dances require your feet to touch the earth as this creates a special spiritual bond between the dancer and the earth," he says. At the moment, he is doing research for a new project, which will touch on the Bujang Valley, an archaelogical site in Kedah, which has unearthed evidence of Hindu and Buddhist influences in the region. "Malaysian historians have failed to tell us the truth," he says. "I’m sick and tired of people telling us that our country is very young. We’re not and our history didn’t start with the Malacca sultanate." Some people are accusing Zubin of attracting unnecessary controversy by doing the Bujang Valley dance project. "I’m not doing this for sensationalism," he insists. "I’m doing research on my culture and on my dance. We cannot deny that a lot of our art forms have Hindu and Buddhist influences. But they have gone through many Islamic transformation over the past century." Being passionate about dance, he is frustrated that his home state of Kelantan has banned mak yong performances as the state government claims that it goes against certain Islamic teachings. "There’s a lot of misconception about this dance form," Zubin says. "There should have been some kind of discussion before any decision was taken to ban mak yong." SOUNDBITES ON DANCE FORMS "Dance should not be about looking beautiful and exotic. It should have some meaning and carry a message. You can give any message through dance – from corruption to terrorism. There’s always a message behind my dance. I never dance just to be beautiful and exotic." THE KL FRINGE FESTIVAL "I started this festival in 2007 to give young dancers a chance to become choreographers and to perform solo acts. It aims to add some excitement to the dance scene in Malaysia. The festival is held on April 28, which is also World Dance Day." ON THE PRESENT DAY CHALLENGES "One of the challenges I faced when I started the The KL Fringe Festival was when another organiser held a dance festival in the same month. To make matters worse, they stole dancers from my festival. Of course, they were bigger and had better resources. Their festival got better media coverage too but why did they want to compete with me? As artistes, we should be working together, not against each other." Updated: 11:20AM Tue, 21 Sep 2010 Printable Version | Email to a Friend

Langkasuka Art and Orange!

I am sure you have read my article, Evernescent Kingdom, Everlasting Spirit: Seeking Langkasuka(edited by Alex Kerr of Bangkok Found and Lost Japan), available online for people to read. That article was written after my research on Langkasuka, in North Peninsula and South Thailand, after heated discussion with Late Nik Rashiddin, the woodcarver and Malay Classical Art thinker! I love having conversation with him about the old world, Nusantara (the archipelago).

I would like to continue my writing after that article, but when people stole the piece and made a book "Spirit of Wood", I became less motivated. However, I continued my own research to North of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar - Yangoon, Pego, Mandalap, Bagan, Indonesia, Philippines (except that I have not been to Mindanao and Palawan, but I collected few stuff from there). I wrote few popular writing pieces in Indonesia about my discovery on Majapahit and Sri Wijaya in local papers and magazines. But until now, I have not written anything on that subject since 1999. Having said that, I finally received my phd in 2006, having completed my thesis in 2004. Such as rules and regulations in our world that we have to be patience to receive what deserved.

Last year, 2009, I decided to go back to my own work, looking at Archaeology, combining with my dance, looking at "Lembah Bujang" sites that had been abandoned for many decades since independence. This time is to interpret the space through "feel"(rasa) and "soul"(jiwa) connection with the space. Now I am working on new dance theatre piece "Archaeology of Hidden Memory", hopefully it will be staged in US in the near future.

Recently also I found a Malay art piece, silver triangle to cover the young boys part "Caping" and I was told that they are from Laos, but they were also used in the Malay world, esp my part of country, Kelantan as Kelantan people are originally Mon-Khmer people, coming from the north, believed to be Yunan(South China) and Funan(the first Malay kingdom, older than Champa). Mon people are from north-western part of Peninsula Malaya

HANUMAN HANUMAN STORY OF MONKEY KINGDOM

BUILDING HANUMAN, CHECK OUT THIS PAGE

http://www.sanatansociety.org/indian_epics_and_stories/the_life_of_hanuman.htm

Doa at ANNEX's Caesar Chong Memorial

Annex, Kok Man and Kuan Nam who actually asked if anyone would like to perform for Caesar Chong Memorial at ANNEX Central Market. I quickly said I would like to contribute a small a small performance. Then I decided to choose Kenang Daku Dalam Doamu, by M.Bakri, an old song from the 60s, later performed again by Sharifah Aini. Though I like M.Bakri's version very much, I like to give a different feel to it and managed to get Asmidar Ahmad, Music (Vocal) BA student at ASWARA to agree to sing without music. I tot her rendition was wonderful it managed to caprure the emotion and my feeling at the time. After she finished the song, she came in crying and thanking me for giving her the opportunity to sing and to provide her such emotion in the dance. To me, I feel that were in the situation, feeling sad over the departure of a dear friend, a very talented artist, dancer(butoh dancer with Nyoba Dance). Few days later Dr.Wong Ai Min asked me, do you know him? Have you worked with him? which I thought was a very funy question. Frankly, I have watched him perform since he started dancing with Nyoba. In fact, even before I started KL Fringe Festival, we have talked about making work together, and I asked him again to perform for KL Fringe 2009 but he was not able to do it. But like Pang said at the beginning of the memorial, he has inspired many people with his arts and isn't that what it's all about, giving inspiration to others. Caesar, you have given us beautiful and inspiring memory. God Bless You

Sadly, I was not able to meet up with people attended the affairs as I have to leave for the closing of KL Fringe Film at Menara DBP at 10.30PM.

TANAH SERENDAH SEKEBUN BUNGA

"TANAH SERENDAH SEKEBUN BUNGA" (TSSB) karya tulisan dan arahan oleh Zubin Mohamad a.k.a Zulkifli bin Mohamad telah dipentaskan di Stor Teater, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka pada tahun 2004.

‘Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga’

TSSB adalah sebuah teater tari yang direkonstruksikan dalam persembahan kontemporari berinspirasikan seni pertunjukan klasik, Mak Yong, Wayang Kulit, Main Peteri serta pertunjukan vocal Dikir Barat. Nama TSSB diambil dari cerita-cerita yang dimainkan dalam seni pertunjukan klasik tentang sebuah ibukota kerajaan dahulukala. Kerajaan tersebut yang dipercayai bernama ‘Langkasuka’ adalah kerajaan yang disebut sebagai ‘Golden Kersonese’ dalam catatan-catatan perjalanan para pengembara Eropah. Nama TSSB menjadi popular di Kota Bharu, Kelantan berhadapan dengan Istana Balai Besar, walaupun tempat yang dikatakan bukanlah berada di situ. Dalam kajian Kelantan serta kajian sejarah awal Malaysia, Kerajaan tersebut berada di Ulu Sungai Kelantan yang berkemungkinan adalah di kawasan Sungai Pergau, kerana di situlah juga terdapat lombong-lombong emas yang terkenal. Alkisah, Langkasuka pernah diperintah oleh Raja Perempuan yang bernama Raja Mas Chayam, begitu juga dengan Negeri Kelantan yang pernah diperintah oleh Che Siti Wan Kembang dan Puteri Saadong dalam abad ke 17, sama juga dengan Negeri Pattani di Selatan Thailand sekarang yang pernah diperintah oleh empat orang Permaisuri dalam abad ke 16 dan 17. Langkasuka adalah sebuah kerajaan termashyur meliputi Chaiya di Utara Bahagian Selatan Thailand hingga ke Riau pada abad pertama sehingga abad ke 14, pernah menjadi sebahagian dari Kerajaan Majapahit yang beribukota di Trowulan, Jawa Timur. Kerajaan tersebut juga banyak dipengaruhi Kerajaan Melayu Champa, Funan serta Angkor antara abad ke 6 hingga ke 12.

Cerita Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga mengisahkan perjalanan Raja Perempuan Raja Mas Chayam melawat rakyat jelata dalam negeri baginda dan bertemu dengan seorang lelaki yang sedang sakit. Beliau dikatakan sering bertemu dengan dua orang puteri raja dari daerah benua yang berbeza. Setelah melalui pengobatan tradisi Main Puteri dapatlah berhubung dengan kedua puteri – Puteri Siti Zubaidah Champa dan Ratu Laut Selatan Di Jawa yang memberitahu bahawa Kerajaan Langkasuka akan diserang oleh kerajaan-kerajaan besar nusantara. Raja Mas Chayam segera pulang ke istana baginda dan mengerah menteri-menteri untuk bersedia menhadapi perang yang akan bermula. Tapi malangnya negeri Langkasuka diserang musuh sebelum angkatan perang bersiap sedia. Langkasuka dinodai, kekayaannya dirompak, ramai rakyatnya dibunuh dan dijadikan tawanan perang, manakala raja perempuannya yang turut turun berjuang di medan perang tidak dijumpai mayatnya Langkasuka menjadi ‘Padang Jarak Padang Tekukor’, sejurus itu hujan lebat ribut petir angin tengkujuh melanda Negara Langkasuka, negeri yang kalah perang itu menjadi bertambah kacau bilau dan dikatakan tenggelam dan hanyut ke laut.

Dramatari TSSB digubah dalam beberapa babak:

1. Cerita Titih Nagara Langkasuka ( Wayang, Dalang dan Bayang)
2. Bele Bele Bejalan ( Raja Mas Chayam Melawat Nagara)
3. Puteri-Puteri Turun Menari (Main Peteri)
4. Angkatan Perang Cerang Tegayung ( Silat , Wayang, Dalang dan Bayang)
5. Memanggil (Mengadap Rebab Makyong)

Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga: The Director’s Note

The work is a collaborative in nature. When I expressed my idea of staging TSSB to Hamzah Tahir (dancer-actor, choreographer, director, scenographer, educator), he agreed to work with me and to include another fellow actor Mazlan Tahir, whose works with Silat, also an artistic director and educator. When I wrote the storyline and performance script, it was quite clear that I wanted to include the various forms of Malay performance such as Mak Yong, Wayang Kulit, Silat and Manora. While both Hamzah and Me are very keen on making contemporary work, mixing modern movement, I am especially passionate with classical Malay dance theatre. In TSSB, I was not trying to re-enact the old forms but looking at them as interesting forms that are suitable to various parts in the performance. ‘Bele-bele Bejalan’ dance from Mak Yong performance theatre is used as a dance to represent the journey taken by the Queen. In this performance, the Mak Yong primadonna is not playing the king, but the Queen, the lady ruler of Langkasuka Kingdom. The ‘Mengadap Rebab’ dance from Mak Yong is used as the last dance representing the feel and spirit of longing for the lost kingdom. Manora dance for example is used to represent the victory dance of the enemy which got Langkasuka defeated in a surprise war attack. The pseudo Javanese dance was used as the dance represented the spirit of ‘Ratu Laut Selatan’ who appeared in the dream of Sang Rajuna, a loyal and humble being of Langkasuka. Silat of the martial art nature is used in the scene of Angkatan Perang Cerang Tegayong, closed to its nature, representing the preparation of an army troupe. The first dance in the first scene of Titih Cerita is contemporary and modern in nature, using traditional dance motives in contemporary composition, new world Asian music with fresh sound, wearing white costumes wrapped with clear white plastic as sarong, and at the same time produced the sound of frictions – the displeasure and uneasy feel of losing own culture and heritage, crushed with the idea of development, modernization and globalization. It is a dance of a present day generation, trying to look at old tradition and heritage. The collaboration with the traditional performers of Mak Yong, Wayang Kulit and Manora is a very delicate process, where a lot of time would be needed and they also have a set mind of performance. With that in mind, very little could be engaiged from them, especially within limited time, space and money. Among the three of us, Hamzah, Mazlan and Me, we divided the scenes and rehearsed separately, we discussed the various aspects from the very beginning, including the costumes, set and lighting design. The work could be seen as a juxtaposition of many different styles and forms by traditional theatre practicioners or collages of visual images by purists. For that reason, we decided not to use the ‘true to tradition’ kind of live music, of Wayang, Mak Yong and Manora ensemble but only the sound of them mixed with live vocals from the storyteller – contemporary reading of a poem, singing of excerpt from Mak Yong and Wayang. The poem of TSSB tell the whole story about the kingdom were distributed to the audience, projected on a stone like figure, inspired by the inscripted stone (Batu Bersurat), only part of it was read in the beginning and the end of the performance. The scene of ‘Puteri Turun Bermain’ is a shamanistic dance in nature, inspired by Main Peteri healing performance where its formation is structured improvisation, also taken in the ‘Kuda Kepang’ dance, another shamanistic form. In fact, this part could be seen as the main part, the metaphor of ‘TSSB’ and Langkasuka Kingdom, now only exist in a mystic world.

Babak-babak dalam Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga

Cerita Titah Nagara Langkasuka

Babak permulaan ini akan membuka tirai penceritaan asal usul Nagara Langkasuka dan ibu nagaranya yang bergelar ‘Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga’. Dalam babak ini kita akan menyaksikan penggunaan dalang dan wayang dalam konteks dekonstruksi dan penggunaan tubuh pelakontari yang melahirkan bayang-bayang yang menarik. Gerak-gerak yang dilahirkan lebih menampilkan gerak kontemporari yang berlatarbelakangkan muzik wayang kulit Kelantan.

Bele-bele Berjalan

Babak ini menceritakan perjalanaan Raja Mas Chayam, bermula dari anjung istananya ke marata negeri sehingga bertemu dengan sebuah keluarga yang anak lelakinya sedang sakit dan tidak sedarkan diri. Baginda mencadangkan keluarga tersebut untuk mengadakan upacara pengubatan ‘Main Peteri’ sebagai satu usaha dan mengkhabarkan kepada baginda akan berita tentang si sakit. Babak bele-bele berjalan menggunakan konsep dan muzik Mak Yong, manakala babak si sakit akan menggabungkan repertoire ‘Main Peteri’ serta gerak-gerak kontemporari.

Puteri-Puteri Turun Menari

Babak in merupakan lanjutan daripada upacara ‘Main Peteri’ yang menyaksikan dua orang puteri dari sebelah utara di tanah besar, ‘Puteri Champa’ dan ‘Ratu Laut Selatan’ dari selatan Laut China Selatan, iaitu Laut Jawa tampil bergilir-gilir dalam dialog pengobatan si sakit, memberitahu si sakit tentang berita angkara yang akan melanda negeri Langkasuka dan Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga. Si sakit terus meracau di kelilingi pelakontari korus yang mengekspresi diri dalam gerak kontemporari. Berita angkara yang akan melanda negeri disampaikan kepada baginda Raja Mas Chayam.

Angkatan Perang Cerang Tegayung

Sebelum sempat Angkatan Perang Cerang Tegayung bersiap sedia menghadapi perang, istana dan ibu negerinya diserang dengan hebatnya, kekalahan teruk dalam perang yang tinggal hanya menjadi padang jarak padang tekukor disusuli dengan ribut petir beliong yang menghayutkan segala isi negeri ke laut. Babak ini menggunakan gerak-gerak persilatan yang berlatrbelakangkan muzik wayang kulit serta penggunaan bayang, dalang dan wayang.

Memanggil

Babak penutup dalam Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga ini merupakan sebuah upacara simbolik yang melambangkan kesedihan atas negara, raja dan rakyatnya yang hilang dan hanyut ke laut. Babak ini berinspirasikan geraktari ‘Mengadap Rebab’ dalam Mak Yong.

Tenaga Produksi ‘Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga’

Produksi ini diterbitkan oleh sebuah organisasi tanpa untung (Non-Profit Organisation), Arts Xchange Asia dengan kerjasama Fakulti Seni Pertunjukan, Universiti Institut Teknologi MARA serta Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Produksi ini akan dipersembahkan oleh sebuah perkumpulan teater yang bergelar ‘Teater Sewarnabumi’ yang menggabungkan tenaga pengajar serta pelajar-pelajar terpilih dari FSP-UiTM. Antara tenaga pengajar yang terlibat termasuklah:

PRODUCER-DIREKTOR

ZULKIFLI MOHAMAD

PENASIHAT

ASOC.PROF. ROSINI

SKENOGRAFER

HAMZAH TAHIR

LIGHTING

AZAHAN ABDUL RANI

SOUND

SYAHARUL

VIDEO

HAFIZ

HISHAM

KOREOGRAFER

MEK NAB

HAMZAH TAHIR

ZULKIFLI MOHAMAD

MAZLAN TAHIR

PERFORMERS

MAZLAN TAHIR

HAMZAH TAHIR

MEK NAB

KIPLI A.RAHMAN

DALANG ZAKARIA

HASANOL

REZAL

ARINA

ARDILLA

KL Fringe: Film - Malaysian Shorts

Soldadu Cinta di Pasar Malam Mimpi, Shah Alam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tNKUq6NCXY

Making Gazelle Rain Petals at MPO 20 Feb 2010

Gazelle

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Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 11:05pm | Edit Note | Delete

Gazelles are known as swift animals – some are able to maintain speeds as high as 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) for extended periods of time. Gazelles are mostly found in the deserts, grasslands and savannas of Africa, but they are also found in southwest and central Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible plants and leaves.

Gazelle is derived from the Arabic ghazăl (Arabic: غزال). Arab people traditionally hunted the gazelle. Appreciated for its grace, it is a symbol most commonly associated in Arabic literature with female beauty. One of the traditional themes of Arabic love poetry involves comparing the gazelle with the beloved, and linguists theorize that ghazal, the word for love poetry in Arabic, is related to the word for gazelle. It is related that the Caliph Abd al-Malik (646-705) freed a gazelle he had captured because of her resemblance to his beloved:

O likeness of Layla, never fear!
For I am your friend, today, O wild deer!
Then I say, after freeing her from her fetters:
You are free for the sake of Layla, for ever!

Currently, the genus Gazella is widely considered to contain about 13 species.Our further species are extinct – the Red Gazelle, the Arabian Gazelle, the Queen of Sheba's Gazelle and the Saudi Gazelle. Most surviving gazelle species are considered threatened to varying degrees. Fossils of genus Gazella are found in Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits of Eurasia and Africa. Gazelles disappeared from Europe at the start of Ice Age, but they survived in Africa and Middle East. Four species became extinct in recent times due to human causes.

www.wikipedia.com

SIX local composers will showcase their original compositions for a chamber ensemble in a special hour-long concert to be held at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in KLCC on 20 February 2010.

These talented composers are Tzu-En Ngiao, Wong Chee Yean, Zihua Tan, Wong Chee Wei, Isaac Chia and Isabella Pek.

MPO Forumplus, an offshoot of the extremely successful and long-running MPO Forum for Malaysian Composers. MPO Forumplus follows on from six years of the MPO Forum activity that has, to date, produced 30 new orchestral works from 12 Malaysian composers.

This non-competitive evolution of the Forum is a unique platform for established and emerging composers to refine their craft, establish new practices, make new contacts and work with the country’s best musicians.

It is hoped that in so doing, they get to create new works that will further enhance Malaysia’s burgeoning art scene.

Running for two years, each composer is assigned to an individual MPO musician who acts as a mentor and advisor.

Each candidate will present a chamber work in this concert before composing for a larger orchestration of some 100 musicians under Stage 2 of the MPO Forumplus, slated for February 20.

Field, who will also be the conductor for the concert, said that Forumplus is a wonderful platform for emerging local talents to engage in knowledge transfer and the exchange of ideas.

“Opportunities like these are rare. Not only do they get to write for a professional orchestra, they will also work closely with MPO musicians for nine months, and have their compositions played at the DFP. It’s a real luxury and this does not really happen anywhere else in the world.”

When asked on the compositions that the six will be presenting for the concert, Brophy, who was also on the panel of the previous MPO Forums, said he had found new things in all the pieces.

“There may be ideas that we have not heard before, especially for me since I’ve listened to many kinds of music scores and compositions. While there is a plethora of influences in their works, which is normal, the style is still Malaysian.”

Rehearsals for the big day started last Tuesday and everyone received the same amount of rehearsal time, regardless of how complex their compositions might be.

While there will be recording for archival purposes, there are also plans to compile the compositions in an album if the demand is there.

For ticket bookings, call DFP BoxOffice at 03-2051-7007.

The six composers include:

Tzu-En Ngiao, 32, from Penang. Ngiao completed his Master’s degree in electronic engineering at Britain’s Hull University, and worked for five years in the semi-conductor design industry. He is pursuing graduate studies in music composition under Johan Othman and, linking it with his engineering background, has developed a composition technique in which ideas are constructed and organised in a mathematically precise manner but imbued with poetic vision and expression. His recent works include Inconsequentials for piano and The Quiet Affinities of Undissolved Lights for flute, piano and woodblock.

(MPO date for six By HIZREEN KAMAL NST 2009/06/12)

Berlari Mengejar Terompah: Dari Annexe-DBP-ASWARA ke Kuala Selangor(UITM)

Ada email dari teman Indoensia yang berada di negeri penuh salji waktu ini, US-Minnesota, yang bertanya apakah dia sudah tersalah cakap atau tersalah laku, tapi ternyata tak ada dan tak pernah, mungkin aku yang ada pernah ngomong yang salah, kerana mulut ku emangnya dibilang "Big Mouth", nothing to hide about what I like and what I don't like. But frankly, in the past few weeks aku sibuk banget, dengan permohonan bantuan kewangan dari kementerian kebudayaan dll yang tidak mudah, kerana banyak yang diperlukan, tempat dance talk yang berubah tarikh dari 4 Nov ke 3 Nov kerana double booking oleh orang2 di Annexe, sehingga aku terpaksa bercakap dengan 3 orang pekerjanya(talking about co-ordination and delegartion!!). Rasanya bukan aku yang harus bercakap dengan 3 pekerjanya. Seharusnya aku cuma bercakap dengan satu orang saja. Worse kepalanya didn't book me, for whatever reason, on top of saying confirmed. Now aku tahu, dalam negeri ini kata tak boleh dipegang sebagai janji, perlu ada agreement, dalam tulisan. Kita semakin jauh menjadi Melayu/ Malaysia, walaupun mereka bukan orang Melayu. Tapi benda yang sama berlaku di organisasi Melayu kerajaan, DBP yang juga double book venuenya, Balai Syed Nasir. Jadi terpaksalah mencari venua lain, walaupun tak sedap hati dengan kawan aku kat situ. Nasib baik jugaklah ASWARA bersetuju dan ada tempat. Terima kasihlah En.Amir Hakim dan Puan Balkis dari Teater. Dapatlah guna Black Box.

Tapi sebenarnya bagus juga buat kat situ, ramai pelajar yang boleh datang tengok karya2 yang berbeza dari apa yang sering dipertontonkan dalam Jamu DSB di ASWARA. Pelajar2 dari dua kelas Pengajian Budaya 2 dan Sejarah dan Falsafah Seni datang, tapi tak ramai pelajar dari Pemikiran Kreatif dan kritikal yang datang, maklumlah dah besar panjang, ada pemikiran sendiri dan sibuk agaknya. Di facebook aku dok cakap2 kata kawan2 ramai janji nak datang, tapi tak datang, itulah baru tahu, facebook tu cuma tempat bermain kata2 dan janji2 tapi bukan bermakna apa2, begitu juga yang kata kawan dalam atau friend dalam tu, sebenarnya bukan kawan, itulah dalam bahasa Inggeris ada bezanya antara kenalan, rakan, kawan dsb. Apapun aku nak ucapkan terima kasih atas sokongan semua pihak walaupun payah, tapi itulah hakikatnya!

Tapi semuanya berjalan lancar dengan bantuan students, staff dan kawan2. Terima kasih kepada semua koreografer-penari-performer, Ananya yang datang jauh dari Uof Minnesota, US, Pak AGI dari UITM Shah Alam, Mek Nab yang tampil dalam karya aku, juga dari Shah Alam bersama dua pelajarnya yang datang sejak pagi lagi untuk latihan dan jamming session, Suhaili yang sibuk, begitu juga dengan Rathimalar yang membawa rombongan kawan2 dan keluarga, Dayang Mariana yang menampilkan Mohar dalam karyanya(takut aku tak tahu macamana nak bayar dia, tapi dia yang undang, itu bukan soal aku kan!!!), Kuan Nam yang sibuk dengan kelas yoganya di Pahang. Aku sendiri yang kena buat semua benda.

Apapun semuanya berjalan baik, termasuk talk yang walaupun cuma ada 13 orang yang datang, tapi penuh bermakna seperti kehadiran Ramli Ibrahim dan kawan2 lain termasuk Roziana Aziz dari Astro Awani, Reza Zainal Abidin, dalam hujan ribut tuh, serta Fringe Excursion ke Lembah Bujang bersama Ananya.

This weekend aku kena siapkan projek dengan pelajar2 UITM Produksi Teater Moden yang akan menampilkan "Terompah Manik", shooting teater ke dvo, sesuatu yang baru di sini tapi tidak baru di dunia. Ini terjadi kerana katanya pelajar tidak boleh mementaskan karya di luar(sesuatu yang pelikkan). Untuk seorang seniman, kita harus terus mencari peluang dan ruang, itulah lahirnya idea tersebut.

KL Fringe Malam Ini Di ASWARA Black Box ASWARA, 7 Nov, Jam 8.30 Malam

Projek KL Fringe 2/2009 - Metro Ahad

Ahad, 01 November 2009

• MUKA DEPAN
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• INFORMASI
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• I-METRO
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myMetro » Rap Festival seni Rap FESTIVAL seni berskala kecil, KL Fringe, kembali lagi tahun ini. Menggabungkan teater, muzik, filem dan tari, festival ini dilihat sebagai platform untuk pengkarya antarabangsa berkongsi pentas di Kuala Lumpur. Menurut Kurator KL Fringe, Dr Zulkifli Mohamad, Fringe Festival selalunya menjadi festival seni di samping festival besar seperti di Edinburgh, Adelaide dan Minnesota. “Memandangkan keadaan ekonomi tidak memberangsangkan tahun ini, kami hanya mampu mempersembahkan program siri Teater Tari (Danstheater Series) yang menampilkan tujuh pengkarya dalam persembahan 20 hingga 30 minit. “Siri Teater Tari KL Fringe mempersembahkan Cetus pada 6 dan 7 November ini di Aswara. Terlebih dulu, pada 3 November diadakan sebuah persembahan syarahan oleh Prof Ananya Chatterjea dari University of Minnesota, di Annexe Gallery, Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur pada jam 8.30 malam,” katanya. Menurut Zulkifli, KL Fringe ini bakal memeriahkan lagi kegiatan kesenian di Kuala Lumpur, sekali gus mempopularkan genre teater tari serta pengertian Timur dan Barat dalam gaya moden dan tradisi. Apa yang menarik katanya adalah karya yang ditampilkan oleh Zubin Mohamad meletakkan Mak Yong dan Manora bersama. “Danstheater diambil dari kata Tanztheater yang berasal dari Jerman. Ia seterusnya menjadikan persembahan teater tari untuk menarik perhatian penggemar tari kontemporari dan teater,” katanya. Cetus turut menampilkan Rathimalar yang lama bergiat bersama Ramli Ibrahim dan Sutra Dance Theatre, Suhaili Ahmad Kamil yang hangat dalam You Think You Can Dance? musim pertama dan Kie Kuan Nam (Nyoba Dance). Emel Artikel Cetak Artikel

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KL Fringe:Dansteater - CETUS 6 & 7 Nov 2009

CETUS

SIRI TEATER TARI – DANSTHEATER SERIES

PROJEK KL FRINGE 2009

Pengenalan

KL Fringe Festival kembali lagi pada tahun 2009 ini dengan nama yang sedikit berbeza,“Projek KL Fringe” yang sesuai dengan keadaannya yang bersifat projek dan bukan festival, serta untuk mengekalkan kedudukannya sebagai festival kecil yang mulai menumbuh akar sebelum menjadi sebuah pohon rendang, walaupun masih berada di dalam keadaan ekonomi yang muram. Pada tahun lalu festival yang berlangsung pada bulan Julai itu menampilkan empat siri seni – Teater, Muzik, Filem, Teater Tari. Tahun 2008 menyaksikan enam buah karya teater baru dipersembahkan oleh pengarah dan penulis - Hamzah Tahir, Syarul Fitri, Francis (USA), Marlenny Deenerwan, Arifwaran (Jerman) dan Zubin Mohamad. Begitu juga dengan filem, masing-masing menampilkan enam buah filem pendek dan dokumentari serta enam kumpulan muzik independen yang kuratorkan oleh Fathullah Lokman. Manakala Siri Teater Tarinya diadakan pada bulan November 2008 dengan menampilkan dua kumpulan serta dua penari solo dari Jepun serta San Francisco, USA, yang diketuai oleh Katsura Kan dan diadakan di ASWARA Music Hall. Festival Fringe Kuala Lumpur 2008 dipelopori oleh Dr.Zulkifli bin Mohamad selaku Pengarah Artistik dengan kerjasama Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka dan Stor Teater dibawah kelolaan Wahab Hamzah. Memandangkan DBP dan Stor Teater telah menganjurkan 2 festival teater kecil – iaitu teater 10 minit dan satu lagi festival 10 minit sempena Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia 2009, Festival Fringe 2009 mengambil keputusan untuk memfokuskan kepada Siri Teater Tari/ Danstheater Series. Memandangkan kedudukan organisasi nirlaba ini masih baru di dalam menguruskan festival skala kecil, keputusan diambil untuk mewujudkan program-program yang berbeza dalam jangkawaktu satu tahun melalui:

Teater Tari

Filem Pendek & Dokumentari

Band Muzik

Teater

Memandangkan keadaan ekonomi yang tidak memberansangkan pada tahun ini, kita hanya mampu mempersembahkan program “Siri Teater Tari” (Danstheater Series) yang akan menampilkan 7 pengkarya yang akan mempersembahkan karya 20-30 minit.

Objektif Program

Objektif utama program “CETUS” Siri Teater Tari – Danstheater Series, Projek KL Fringe ini adalah untuk:

• Memeriahkan lagi kegiatan kesenian di Malaysia khususnya di ibukota Kuala Lumpur, sekali gus menarik pelancung untuk sama-sama menikmati seni dan budaya

• Memperkenalkan dan mempopularkan genre teater tari, gabungan teater dan tari serta pengertian timur dan barat serta moden dan pasca moden

• Mengabungkan kelompok penggiat, teater Melayu, tari kontemporari, puisi dan teater tradisional Mak Yong dan Manora

• Mengabungkan kelompok penonton, teater Melayu, tari kontemporari, puisi dan teater tradisional Mak Yong dan Manora

• Mempopularkan venue baru untuk seni tari kontemporari selain venue yang sedia ada

• Mengadakan satu pertemuan antara timur dan barat, tradisi dan moden serta generasi yang berbeza

• Mempergiatkan cabang seni persembahan iaitu seni tari, selain bentuk lain seperti teater, muzikal dan teater tradisional

• Mengumpulkan sekumpulan penggiat yang terdiri daripada Bangsa Malaysia dari pelbagai kaum yang boleh dilihat sebagai Satu malaysia

“CETUS” Danstheater

Danstheater sebenarnya diambil dari kata Tanztheater yang berasal dari Jerman sejak tahun 1927, yang merujuk kepada Dance Theatre atau mungkin boleh dirujuk sebagai Teater Tari. Pun begitu kata Teater Tari masih berkait dengan istilah Drama Tari dan Taridra, walaupun ianya berbeza dan lebih bersifat kontemporari. Teater Asia sebenarnya mempunyai unsur-unsur drama, tari, muzik, muzikal dan sekaligus bersifat fizikal. Danstheater di sini sebenarnya merujuk kepada gabungan pemikiran, gaya, rupa dan jiwa Timur dan Barat di dalam persembahan teater tari. Ianya menghasilkan gabungan yang dipanggil “CETUS” untuk merepresentasikan pertemuan-pertemuan antara timur dan barat, moden dan tradisi, serta generasi lama dan baru dan seterusnya menjadikan sebuah persembahan teater tari untuk menarik perhatian para penggemar Tari Kontemporari yang seringnya berlandaskan Tari Barat serta para penggemar teater Bahasa Malaysia. Mungkin di sini bukan hanya berlaku satu gabungan penggemar, tetapi juga pemikiran, gaya, rupa dan jiwa yang bersifat Malaysia.

Apa yang menarik kali ini adalah gabungan para karyawan teater tari atau Dansteater yang terdiri daripada koreografer-koreografer pelbagai kaum dalam Bangsa Malaysia – Melayu, India, Cina, Borneo yang sekaligus boleh dilabelkan sebagai persembahan Satu Malaysia – One Malaysia. Hidangan karya pada kali ini juga menampilkan karyawan dari genre pemikiran tari yang berbeza, tradisi dan barat, serta menggabungkan generasi yang berbeza. Selain itu Dansteater juga akan menampilkan A.P. Dr. Ananya Chatterjea dari University of Minnesota, USA, yang juga Pengarah Artistik kumpulannya, Ananya Dance Theatre. Antara yang terpilih untuk menampilkan karya mereka pada tahun ini termasuklah:

AGI IBRAHIM - MALAYSIA

ANANYA CHATTERJEA – USA/INDIA

DAYANG MARIANA – MALAYSIA

KIEA KUAN NAM - MALAYSIA

RATHIMALAR GOVINDRAJOO - MALAYSIA

SUHAILI AHMAD KAMIL– MALAYSIA

ZUBIN MOHD – MALAYSIA

Latarbelakang Ringkas

Agi Ibrahim misalnya bukanlah satu nama baru di dalam dunia seni, terutamanya seni puisi. Seperti Allahyarham W.S. Rendra, Agi Ibrahim terkenal kerana persembahan puisinya yang begitu “animated” dan bersifat fizikal. Beliau yang juga ahli Kumpulan Anak Alam di era teater kontemporari 1970an. Beliau pernah memenangi S.E.A Write Award di Bangkok.

Karya: Tak Tun

Ananya Chatterjea adalah seorang koreografer, penari serta ahli akademik tari dengan buku tarinya “Butting Out” yang menjadikan asas tarinya dari seni tari klasik India, Odissi dari Bengal dan mengenegahkan pemikiran Pasca-Kolonial di dalam persembahan-persembahan teater tarinya di New York dan Minnesota. Kini beliau menjadi pengarah program tari di Universiti Minnesota, USA. Para penarinya terdiri daripada wanita-wanita kulit hitam asal Afrika dan Asia.

Karya: Kali Tandava – Nuclear Winter

Dayang Mariana adalah anak Sarawak yang giat memperjuangkan seni tarinya di persada teni tanah air. Beliau mendapat didikan daripada koreografer Indonesia yang terkenal, Bagong Kusudiarjo. Pernah menjadi pengajar tari di Akademi Seni Kebangsaan dan Universiti Malaysia Sarawak setelah pulang dari pengajian di Amerika Syarikat. Dayang mendapat pendidikan tentang Labanotasi di New York sebelum memenangi pingat Emas dalam pertandingan tarian kontemporari di WCOPA di Los Angeles pada tahun 2004.

Karya: Entangled

Kiea Kuan Nam adalah merupa salah seorang ahli utama di dalam kumpulan teater tari Buto Malaysia terkenal, Nyoba Kan. Sebelum itu beliau pernah menyertai Kwangsi Dance Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur serta pernah belajar dari Lee Swee Keong dan Woon Fok Sen. Beliau pernah bekerja dengan Pappa tarahumara serta Ko Murobushi dan menghadiri collaborative choreographers di Sumatera Barat dan mendapat gelaran Best Choreografer pada tahun 2006 di International Youth Dance Festival in Hong Kong.

Karya: Within the Dark Water

Rathimalar Govindrajoo yang mempunyai asas tari dari tarian Odissi dan Bharata Natyam pernah menjadi salah orang penari utama Sutra Dance Theatre di bawah pimpinan Ramli Ibrahim selama 12 tahun sebelum menari dengan kumpulan tarian kontemporari India di Britain di bawah Shobana Jeyasigh. Apabila pulang ke Malaysia beliau menari dengan Sutra dan menghasilkan karya kontemporarinya sendiri, bermula dari Star Struck. Pernah bekerjasama dengan Bilqis Hijjas dan Suhaili Ahmad Kamil di dalam menghasilkan karya tari kontemporarinya.

Karya: Rebel Without Cause

Suhaili Ahmad Kamil adalah lulusan sarjana muda tari dari Victoria College of Arts di Melbourne pada tahun 2006. Beliau mendapat tempat kedua di dalam pertandingan realiti tv “You Think You Can Dance” pada tahun 2007. Beliau mengajar dan menghasilkan karya tari kontemporari di ASWARA sambil mengajar di Sekolah Tari Aurora dan pernah bekerja dengan Rimbun Dahan, Bilqis Hijjas dan Aida Redza. Pada tahun 2008 beliau kembali ke Melbourne untuk menghasilkan karya baru di dalam program New Wave Festival.

Karya: Satu Sama dengan Dua (Extended)

Zubin Mohamad adalah Zulkifli bin Mohamad, walaupun lebih dikenali sebagai seorang sarjana teater tari dan budaya, beliau pernah belajar tari Melayu kontemporari daripada Azanin Ahmad, tari Bali dari Ibu Ni Wayan Masih, tari Jawa dari Ibu Elly Luthan, teater dari Rendra serta Mak Yong dari Primadona Mek Nab dan pemain rebab, Che Amat. Beliau mula menghasilkan karya kontemporari di Sarawak kemudiannya di Bangkok dan Jakarta. Sepulangnya ke Malaysia beliau banyak menulis dan mengarah teater fizikal serta teater tari yang berasaskan vokabulari tradisi. Terakhir menghasilkan “24102004” di Brown University, USA dan “Ballet of Liggor: Text by Mubin Sheppard” di Asia Conference di Bangkok pada Jun dan July 2008.

Karya: Conversation – Mak Yong & Manora

Program

DANCE TALK - ANANYA CHATTERJEA

4 November 2009

Ahad- Sunday 8.30 Malam

Venue: ANNEX Central Market

“CETUS” Danstheater Series

6 November 2009

Jumaat – Friday 8.30 Malam

Venue: Balai Syed Nasir, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur

“CETUS” Danstheatre Series

7 November 2009

Sabtu – Saturday 8.30 Malam

Venue: Balai Syed Nasir, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur

Ananya Chatterjea

Ananya: based on the Bengali na·anya , "like whom there is no other". Ananya Dance Theatre (formerly Women In Motion ) is a company of women artists of color, diverse in age, race, nationality, and sexual orientation, but uniformly committed to artistic excellence and passionate articulation of our dreams, hopes, and desires.

Ananya Dance Theatre is known for its blending of excellent artistry and high production values with community-building and social change work. Uniquely, it is also noted for seamless blending together the sculpturesque forms, strong footwork, and emotional articulation of the Odissi classical style, the purity of line and breath release of yoga, the efficiency and awareness of the power within human body of Indian martial arts traditions such as Kalarippayattu, the abstract theatrical potential of Indian ritual practices, and the urgent energy of street theater.

Drawing from the passion of women's movements world-wide toward social justice, the choreographic trend of the company's work involves dancing stories of ordinary lives to invoke a broader commentary about social justice and philosophy. Witnessing the political theater created by directors like Badal Sircar and Safdar Hashmi, and by organizations such as the Indian People's Theatre Association and Stree Shakti Sanghatana (a grassroots women's organization), who created and performed political theatre in public forums as consciousness-raising modes, Artistic Director Chatterjea was inspired to search for a dance language that could also articulate a critique. These experiences and the search for a contemporary Indian movement aesthetic started her off on her creative journey that lead to the establishment of Ananya Dance Theatre .

Our mission is to create and stage original works and powerful images inspired by the lives and work of women all around the world. Based on contemporary interpretations of the Odissi dance form, aesthetic traditions of Bengal, and practices of street theater created by women's groups, the company seeks to reach and engage diverse peoples.

Ananya Dance Theatre works with the belief that the search for excellence in artistry forges pathways to galvanize strong communities and generate forces of strength and beauty. With every project we seek to challenge ourselves in terms of artistry, execution, and production values and ultimately to question the widely-held assumption about the lack of artistic excellence in community-based artistic projects.

Ananya Chatterjea, dancer, choreographer, dance scholar, and dance educator, envisions her work in the field of dance as a “call to action” with a particular focus on women artists of color. She is Associate Professor in the Dept. of Theater Arts and Dance and Director of Dance in the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She is also the Artistic Director of Ananya Dance Theatre, a dance company of women artists of color who believe in the powerful intersection of artistic excellence and social justice (www.ananyadancetheatre.org). Trained initially in Indian classical and folk dance traditions, she became a well-known exponent of the Odissi style of classical dance at a young age. However, disillusioned with the commercialization that had become attendant upon Indian classical dance forms, and vitally interested in the creation of a contemporary Indian dance mode, Ananya began her explorations of form and theme in dance in the 1980’s. But, it is through her study of street theater and feminist praxis across the world that she arrived at her fierce commitment to the immediate relationship between bodily artistic practices and social justice movements. Ananya believes in the integral interconnectedness of her creative and scholarly research. Her book, Butting out! Reading cultural politics in the work of Chandralekha and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, was published by Wesleyan University Press in 2004. At the University of MN, she teaches courses on the cultural politics of dance, the bodily production of knowledge, dance historiographies, and the choreographies of social justice art projects. Ananya is the proud recipient of grants from prestigious organizations such as the Asian Arts Initiative, McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation, as well as a prestigious artist fellowship from the Bush Foundation. In 2001, she was featured as an “Artist of the Year” in the City Pages, and in 2005, she was named a “Changemaker” by the Women’s Press in Minnesota. She is also the proud recipient of awards from the BIHA (Black Indian Hispanic Asian) Women In Action organization and from the MN Women’s Political Caucus, and recently the 21 leaders for the 21st Century Award from Women’s E-News (http://www.womensenews.org/21leaders2007.cfm), a national women-centered news organization, for her work weaving together community-building and artistic excellence and creating a space for women’s voices through artistic practices. She was recently honored by the Josie Johnson Social Justice and Human Rights Award at the University of Minnesota. Recent performances include Erasing Borders Festival (New York, 2008), Bates Dance Festival (Maine, 2008); New World Theater (Amherst, 2007); Museum Theater (Singapore, 2007); Conwell Theater (Philadelphia, 2007); Contemporary Asian Dance Festival (Osaka, 2006); Indonesian Dance Festival (Jakarta, 2006); Women Artists for Peace Festival (Delhi, 2004); Harborfront Theater (Toronto, Cananda, 2003, 2004); Habitat Center (Delhi, India, 2003); National Center for Performing Arts (Bombay, India, 2003); Philippines Cultural Center (Manila, Philippines, 2003) Theaterlabor (Bielefeld, Germany, 2002); Under the Stars Festival (Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, 2002); and Nehru Center (London, UK, 2002). She has been artist-in-residence at Univ. of Surrey (2005), Performing Arts School (Singapore, 2003), and MIT’s Dept. of Theater and Dance (2001, 2002). She was selected to be a Ford Foundation Delegate to Delhi (2002) and an artist in a creativity pilot project initiated by the UK Arts Council (2001).

Kiea Kuan Nam

Freelance Artist, Administrator & Core Member of Nyoba Kan. Kuan Nam discovered dancing during his university years. He joined the Selangor & Kuala Lumpur Kwangsi Dance Troupe and trained under Mew Chang Tsing, Lee Swee Keong and Woon Fook Sen. In 2002 he joined Nyoba Kan and performed in the following productions:

‘Carmen’, ‘Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom’, ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Qian’s’, ‘A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed’, ‘The Money God Arrives’ and ‘Pheonix Rises’. In 2003/2004 he worked with Koike Hiroshi of Pappa Tarahumara on ‘Spring in Kuala Lumpur’, and Ko Murobushi in the Japan-Malaysia Technical Design Workshop. In 2005 he represented Malaysia at a Collaborative Choreographers Workshop in the West Sumatera Dance Festival. In 2006 he was awarded Best Choreographer and, under his direction, the Malaysian troupe won Best Group Performance in the International Youth Dance Festival in Hong Kong.

Title: within the dark water

Synopsis: Feminine, such a complicated and emotional. Just like a different characters but at the same time pure and gentle as water, and naive like a child.

Rathimalar Govindrajoo

Malaysian born Rathimalar Govindarajoo (Rathi) specialises in Indian Classical Odissi, Bharata Natyam & contemporary dance. One of the lead dancers of Ramli Ibrahim’s Sutra Dance Theatre who partnered Ramli himself from 1990 – 2002, Rathi has been under the wings of Sutra for more than a decade, performing in the Philippines, France, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, India and Australia.

In 1998, Rathi completed the Six Week School of the American Dance Festival (ADF) at Duke University, North Carolina, USA. After obtaining her local Mass Communication (PR) qualifications in Olympia College, PJ, Rathi became one of the pioneer full-time contemporary dancers of the renowned South Asian British-funded dance company, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company (SJDC) in London, UK. For five years, Rathi toured extensively with SJDC in Britain and Europe, contextualizing performances with educational and outreach work. While in the UK, Rathi also revisited Malay traditional dance and music with an upcoming Malaysian choreographer and artistic director, Maziah Omar of Nusantara in Nottingham. Rathi returns home hoping to contribute her dance experience to the flourishing performing arts scene in Malaysia and to venture into new choreographic works. Her first attempt at choreography was Star Struck, created for Sutra dancers in 2006.

Suhaili Ahmad Kamil

Suhali Ahmad Kamil is from Malaysia and graduated with an Honours Degree in dance in 2006, at the VCA where she received the De Gruchy Award(Most Potential Dance, 2004), Elfie Blake Award( Most Achievement Award, 2005) and Most Outstanding Dancer of the VCA Graduate 2005. After gaining her BA Dance (Hons) in 2006, Suhaili returned to Malaysia to teach, choreograph and dance with Malaysia's young up-coming contemporary choreographers such as Bilqis Hijjas, Loh Shee Hoe, Umesh Shetty and Rathimalar Govindalarmajoo. She was the runner-up for a reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance Season 1 in Malaysia in 2007. Suhaili currently teaches at the National Arts Academy of Malaysia(ASWARA), Skills Academy (Academy for the Autistic Children, KL) and Aurora School of Dance, KL. As part of her Honours project Suhali participated in the Sanggar Choreographic Workshop hosted by the National Arts Academy, Malaysia. Suhaili returned to Melbourne in 2008 to perform with Rogue for the Next Wave Festival and in Neil Adam's Vapor Trail as part of the VCA School of DAnce 30th Anniversary celebrations.

Zubin Mohamad

Zubin Mohamad is Zulkifli bin Mohamad, won few awards including Asia Fellow Award 2002 (Indonesia Contemporary Dance), UNESCO's Artisan of Southeast Asia 2000, Asia Research Foundation - Southeast Asian Islamic Scholars in 2003 his research on “Performing Arts and Islam in Malaysia” including few other awards from British Council, Australian High Commission, Goethe Institute, Japan Theatre Institute. He researched on Contemporary Arts (Malay Dance Theatre) through Political Economic theories and Cultural Studies focused on "Artistic Creation Management in Contemporary Malay Dance Theatre in Malaysia" for his doctorate. His research works span from heritage, tradition, contemporary, modern, post-modern to popular arts and culture. Zulkifli is a dance-performance artist, curator, writer and director of performance theatre and media. Recently he performed his post-colonial piece called “Ballet of Ligor: Text by Sheppard” at Asia Conference in Bangkok, and presented his paper thru performance of “24102004” at Brown University, Rhode Island. He is now working on two vdo projects, a dance video, “Flowering” and Wendy Rogers from UC Riverside and theatre for vdo, “Terompah Manik”.