Hybridity in Dance by Prof. Dr. Anis

I just listened a talk by Professor Dr. Mohd Anis Mohd Nor, a Professor of Ethnomusicology and Ethnochoreology at the University of Malaya's Cultural Centre. He discusses the concept of hybridity in dance, citing examples found in dances commonly practiced in Malaysia. His talk highlights the events happening at the Asia Pacific International Dance Conference 2011, held in conjunction with the My Dance Festival 2011, which has chosen the theme "Hybridity in Dance: Researching, Performing and Writing Old and New Genres."
 
For one thing that I have learned from his talk 

"Dance is so crucial in the understanding of what the society is or what the people are"

His work focuses on a kind of Malay traditional dance , which was brought to Malay from middle east since 15th century. This performance is a good hybrid form, which is rejected over since 15th century onward. This tradition came with the Arab traders or the Arab community in Southeast Asia. This Arab is not Arabsia but means the Yemen republic. The diaspora of the Arab traders from Yemen as known to be a major factor in the superior of commercialisation trade and it so convinces the many money, very rich people continued their tradition within the community of the Arab. However, Arabs has been regarded in a common society as be of higher level be respected as people coming from the holy land. The association with the personality society intelligent becomes higher and bigger, in fact it regarded as a special for us in the making of tradition.

The local indigenous populace normally would look at tradition as been exemplar from of district tradition. Now, local indigenous community doesn't really borrow. They are not really copy 100%. In fact, they invented the process of assimilation, more the less syncretic in the way because they added the Arabic style with to existing Malay style and develop their own form, which is quite different from the form what it existed before. That I need to say the local indigenous and influence of foreign tradition came in to Malay and Southeast Asia and give us the new product of life and exist new genres with the multi of repertoire.

"Traditional in Southeast Asia is really hybrid because of the trade round from east and west as is Malaysia today. We had gone global long long time ago that probably brought us Malaysia, Southeast Asian  to the front of the global issue far far  better than perhaps people are realising the global local issue. It is not just the Arabic, we had Portuguse, Dutch, English and we are also had American influences after the second world war. So that there are many tradition, plus music, dance existance into the theatre, which had come from trought this patry of the world, through the process of assimilation and sycretisation. Finally, the arts are form in hybridity and syncretisation."

(Continue)

The International Ramayana Festival in Thailand (part 1)

On the December, there was a month of celebration of Thai people in the occasion of our beloved king's birthday anniversary. At The National Theatre (Bangkok),  there was such a great event 'The International Ramayana Festival in celebration of H.M. the King's 7th cycle birthday anniversary", which was taken place during 5-9 December 2011. Regarding to this event, the artists, the national dance troupes from 8 Asean countries consisted of India, Myanmar, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Lao, Cambodia and Thailand were invited to partake in this grand celebration by performing Ramayana with their own traditional style and joint production and performance. Additionally, this event was a free event but the booking ticket in advance was required.

I had a great opportunity attended this events two days on the 7th  and 9th December respectively. On my first day, the performance began with the performance of Singapore. They presented Ramayana in episode "The incarnation of Vishnu" performed by Bhaskar's Arts Academy LTD, Republic of Singapore. Interestingly, Singapore represented their Ramayana story through Bharatanattayam and Kathakali styles. Dancers and musicians almost were Indian, who were Singapore nationality. This scene took time almost an hour, however, all dancers and musicians were very professional. Their energy and the passionate of dance can be passed to me and audiences in the hall. However, with the long peroformance and the  language, the audiences perhaps get bored and lost of attention.

The next performance was from Republic of Indonesia by Sekar Budaya Nusantara Troupe, which I think this was the highlight of the day for me. They presented in the scene of The final battle and Sita's ordeal (พระรามรบทศกัณฐ์และสีดาลุยไฟ) with the Javanese dance style. In this performance, they showed me that What the professional performers should be. Performers of this performance were high potential, they can play gamelan, they can dance, they can sing and they can acting. All these attributions encouraged a such great production with the flow of performance, which can be communicate and gave art apprecitation to the audience. In addition, I quite admired this performance in part of the concept that they had presented in this show. To looking at this performance, the audiences were not only learnt about the dance style but also Wayang (Shadow puppet) as well. They combined dance movements and the Wayang technique presenting in their show. I got new knowledge from this production as well, such as the distinction between Thai dance custom and Indonesia dance.

The last performance for today was from the Kingdom of Cambodia with the scene Ream Leak and Chup Leak (I think this was a Cambodian language) (กำเนิดพระลพพระมงกุฎ) by The dance troupe of the Department of Performing Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. I appreciated the two girls , who impersonated Phra Lop and Phra Mongkut the most. They were very beautiful and their dance movemets were very finely and gorgeous. It showed  that they needed to practice with the strict disciipline and taking time in dancing.

It was very nice to see the Ramayana in various traditional styles from many Asian countries, and the event had a very celebratory feel to it.

84th anniversary of my beloved king's birthday..

Yesterday, I went to Sanam Luang in Bangkok,a place for celebrating the 84th anniversary of my beloved king's birthday. In this year (5 Dec 2011), it had many activities such as performance on the main stage, exhibition of king's and royal projects and the warship of Buddha's relic from the Kingdom of Putan. All these activities were provided by Thai government, Thai official departments, the Bureau of the Royal Household cooperated with numerous private organisations in both Thai and foreign countries. Surrounding Sanam Luang had Otop boots from many provicn in Thailand. They brough their local products to show and trade in this event as well.

The Sound of Music : The musical never die..

Today, I joined in the eternal musical "The Sound of Music", an annual drama production organised by the secondary students and staffs of Bangkok Pattana International School (BPS). The performance took place in the new theatre hall loacated in the new Art Center building of school.

As a student's production, I was very pleased with this production. The performance consisted of two acts and having the fifteen intermission as well, so that the average time was around two and a half hour. All performers did their job so well. Maria, the main actress in this story performed so well. Her voice was so gorgeous and powerful. However, she just looked like Maria from China  more than Maria from the West as indicated in literature. Acutully, I cannot remember all the character's name in this story, however, I will write in the part that impressed me. The orcrestra was accompanied with this production. In my opinion, the music was acceptable and I think, if they have much more time for practising. They will be a wonderful orchrestra band. Costumes were appropriate to the characters in the play. For the setting, I think this parts required more improvement. The setting and props were quite flat and economical setting. It looked like the old traditional performance, which the performers performed only one side of the stage. They placed scene only in the centre of stage, everything was happened in the centre area of the floor.Additionally, all backstage and lighting team should be more coorperation and stric with the cue. I saw wrong many time. This mistakeshould not happen on the stage. The sound system was not good or bad.

All these comment, I still impress this production. With love and passion in the theatre and drama of students and staffs including the coorperation and friendship, it generates the positive power pushing everything to succeed including this production-I can feel.

First of All....

Actually, this is not a first time that I do try to create my own blog but my IT skill is still primary level. However, at this time, I was inspired from my supervisor and my lovely friend, who are always stand on me all the time when I am falling into the black hold of life. As the researcher, they both had their own blog and using it for expressing ideas, recording memories, making scholar network. Then,I convince that the blog is very useful, not only dose an on-line space on the ciber world, but also a magic tool for expanding knowledge as well.

"What am I expecting from this blog?" If I do answer that No, I do not, I will be a liar that I do not want to be like that. So, I just hope that this blog will be my own space that I can express my thinking, ideas, personal attitudes including my feeling about everything without the barrier of knowledge like "a space of freedom". Additionally, I have strong desire to improve my English skill, so I will do my best to writing this blog in English even though my English is so poor.

Lastly, I do not know that What will be happen in the future (about me and my blog)? Perhaps, my blog is developed or it may disappear because I have not enough time to write the blog. "I do not know", but I will do my best on this blog....Buddha bless me