Four world art heritage share a stage in KL

KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time ever, four world heritage art forms – Malaysia’s Mak Yong, the Saman Dance or Dance of a Thousand Hands from Indonesia, Khmer Classical Dance (Cambodia) and Ca Tru Singing ( Vietnam) – shared a stage at the Live Arts Festival here.

The three- day festival, which began last Friday, was held at the Malaysian Tourism Centre (MaTiC) and was aimed at lifting and upholding these unique cultural heritage as an impetus for continuous preservation efforts.

It was officiated by Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture secretary-general Datuk Rashidi Hasbullah. Also present was Nat ional Culture and Arts Department director-general Tan Sri Norliza Rofli.

The Traditional Malay Mak Yong theatre is a dance- drama which combines elements of rituals, acting, dancing, music, songs and folklore as well as simple dialogues.

In 2005, Mak Yong was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, S ci ent i f i c a nd C u l t u r a l Organisation (Unesco).

Zamzuriah Zahari, who is a lecturer at the dance faculty of the National Arts and Heritage Academy (Aswara) and a Mak Yong activist, said the heritage must be inculcated into the lives of schoolchildren so that it would live on forever.

“This must be inculcated at the primary school level. Modern inf luences have a tendency to ebb and flow. But if we hold on to the roots of tradition, that is our identity. It’s something we can take with us and pass on to our children and grandchildren,” she told Bernama.

The Saman Dance or Dance of a Thousand Hands from Indonesia was also declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco on Nov 24, 2011 and is part of the Gayo community’s cultural heritage in Acheh.

The dance is performed by dancers, who sit cross-legged. The main dancer sits at the centre and presents the opening songs, which are mostly in the Gayo language.

Performed during national celebrations and religious holidays, the dance aims to strengthen ties among villagers.

On Saturday night, the dance was performed by a group from Acheh called Sanggar Inen Manyak Teri.

The Cambodian Art Troupe then performed the Khmer Classical Dance or the ‘ Royal Ballet of Cambodia’, which saw the dancers sway their bodies in a slow and rhythmic manner.

It is a form of dance which honours the enactment of traditional stories and epic poems like Ramayana.

The Khmer Classical Dance achieved its Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco in 2003.

The last performance was the Ca Tru singing, which was performed by Ca Tru Thang Long of Vietnam. It is a complex form of sung poetry found in the north of Vietnam.

The performers rely on breathing and vibrato techniques to produce unique sounds while playing the Phach (wooden box), Dan Day (lute) and Trong Chau (drums).

The variation in the presentation of Ca Tru fulfils the various needs of the society, including religious, entertainment, royal performances and competitions. It was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding in 2009.

The festival also featured other performances, like Isun- isun, Awang Batil, Traditional Chinese Ensemble Music, Joget Gamelan and Inai Dance. — Bernama