#SHOWBIZ: Silat sizzles up Malay dance drama

IT was an interesting tale of a woman who sacrificed love for the sake of her kingdom.
Then weave good performance synchronicity and evocative music into the mix, and you get a great night at the theatre to remember.
That's what 'Setanggi Tari Melayu' offered at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre in Selangor over a weekend recently.
All this was courtesy of the ASK Dance Company and Faculty of Dance Aswara and the Music and Performing Arts Faculty of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI).
From the 'mengadap rebab' to silat, 'joget', 'inang', the 'piring' (saucer) segment, and the 'zapin', among other dances, the ASK ensemble offered an energetic performance.
I was held in rapt attention by the silat segments. The timing is everything when you do fight scenes.
There was one move where the lead silat dancer leapt backwards into the arms of his warriors, and eventually landed gracefully and safely.
This is not something you watch on YouTube or on your small screen, but live.
It takes lots of training, precision and, of course, luck. It certainly calls for trust in your fellow performers too.
Lion dance troupes are known for such moves, and I really enjoyed the contemporising of silat moves in 'Setanggi Tari Melayu' by young dancers that fine night.
Malaysians of a certain era would have learnt some Malay dances in school, like the 'piring' dance and the candle dance.
The way the ASK male dancers delivered the 'piring' dance that evening was jaunty, with plates being juggled and bounced to each other in time to the beat.
Sure, we may have waited, anxiously, for one to fall, but none did!
The dancers also left the stage to 'joget' up the aisles, offering the audience a more intimate connection to the show.
Kudos to ASK Dance Company founder and artistic director Prof Dr Joseph Gonzales, Azmie Zanal Abdden, Mohd Fauzi Amiruddin, creative producer Imran Syafiq, and Mohd Zulkarnain Zuber, who put together the impressive choreography.
The music held a special place and the programme e-book listed Indonesian groups like Samudra ensemble and Sanggar for additional compositions.
Overall, the music effectively swept the audience up in its aural proceedings and perfectly complemented the various mesmerising scenes onstage.
The main leads in the show — Nadhirah Rahmat as Princess Melati, Wong Shan Tie as the devoted sister Princess Melur and Mohamad Adlan Sairin as Prince Adam — staged well-choreographed moves to deliver the tale.
The dance drama is about Melati and Melur, who are trained in silat, under the tutelage of their loving parents, played by Seth Hamzah and Ezydiyanie Omar (both Aswara faculty members).
A rather modern kingdom that lets women become heirs to the throne, it is rich with a sought-after magical keris that Melati (I guess) would inherit.
Along comes Prince Adam, and they got betrothed, but it is eventually revealed that he has bad intentions.
At the end, in a kick-ass scene, Melati kills him, with Melur's assistance.
The betrothal night scene, when Melati kills the prince, is surreal, even mystical.
Held behind a white gauzy screen, the duo is subtly seen as shadowy characters enacting love and then some wickedness.
Although behind a screen, the expressions on their faces, as well as their body movements are clear. Quite a cinematic scene indeed!
Overall, 'Setanggi Tari Melayu' was an exciting dance drama that featured several outstanding silat sequences.
It was thoroughly an enjoyable watch.

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