• Commonwealth:
• News:
• News Archive Search:
• Preserving the oral tradition of Malay classical dance

Preserving the oral tradition of Malay classical dance

21 February 2008

Maziah Omar keeps art form alive on the stage

Preserving the cultural splendour of Malay classical dance theatre is a passion of Maziah Omar.

The Malaysian choreographer and artistic director of Nusantara performing arts group which is based in Nottingham, has been working at keeping alive the oral tradition of this ancient dance form for more than 20 years.

“I love the dances from the royal courts where the movements are intricate and the costumes are elaborate, capturing the grandeur of the occasion,” said Ms Maziah Omar, a former dancer and choreographer at the Malaysian National Theatre.

“These dances were very much a part of the ritual of court life centuries ago. Today, some of these dances are still performed in the royal courts and at official ceremonies. We need to keep this dance form alive from generation to generation so that we will not lose this cultural heritage of our forefathers,” said the Middlesex University graduate.

Maziah’s repertoire includes dances from various states of Malaysia where each has its own characteristics in the genre of dance movements and musical accompaniment. The Nusantara dancers, who will be performing at the ComCelebrate! concert held at the Commonwealth Secretariat on 14 March 2008, will stage a court dance depicting a royal romance and a hornbill dance to commemorate the annual bird festival in Malaysia that takes place every June.

The troupe will also perform folk dances, one of which has its origins in Portuguese folk dance that was introduced to Malaysia in the 16th century during the development of the spice trade.

“Folk dances celebrate events such as births, weddings, harvests, so it’s colourful, fun and very uplifting to perform,” said Maziah.

The audience at ComCelebrate! will also be treated to a traditional dance with an Arabic flavour that was brought to Malaysia’s shores by 15th century traders from the Middle East.