Dance competitions, like Festival Tari Malaysia, are one of the best ways to keep the dance tradition in Malaysia alive.
Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin, a familiar figure in the Malaysian dance scene, added there has to be infrastructure and facilities to accommodate and encourage artists to pursue their passion.
Mohamed Ghouse, an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, was the chief jury at Festival Tari Malaysia, held at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur, last weekend.
“Dance competitions are one of the ways of keeping the tradition alive as they provide an incentive for practitioners to practice their art. Without such support, they will no longer become relevant and fade into oblivion,” said Mohamed Ghouse, who is also a Twentytwo13 columnist.
“Competition is one way of preserving the traditional dance heritage as in the Rampaian Tradisional Malaysia segment. At the same time, it encourages creative input in the creative ethnic segment.”
Mohamed Ghouse was once part of the dance jury panel that went nationwide to select the best state-level dancers.
“This was in the 80s and 90s. The technical skills and execution, as well as the dance vocabulary, have improved tremendously over the decades.
“I will not put a caveat on creativity by being dogmatic on creative and technical skills. I welcome whatever mode of expression, for art should not merely conform to personal preferences.”
He admitted more should be done to market and publicise such initiatives.
“But it could also be sensitive because there are groups and political parties that do not subscribe to artistic expressions, such as dance, music, and theatre. Thus, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has to take a low-key stance.”
Although named Festival Tari Malaysia, the dance routines performed were mostly Malay dances, like the Joget and Zapin.
To that, Mohamed Ghouse said that the Chinese and Indian dancers had other platforms to showcase their talents, and that such platforms were supported by the ministry.
“Also, one cannot have a multi-cultural dance competition as each genre has its aesthetic base. How does one judge a Zapin against a Bharatanatyam Jatisvaram? It is like comparing apples to oranges. Each has its own aesthetic and choreographic structure.
“Thus, this competition is confined to Malay traditional and ethnic dance,” added Mohamed Ghouse, who is also a Bharatanatyam dancer.
Eight dance groups competed in the final round of the festival, organised by the National Department of Arts and Culture on Dec 17 and 18.
Sabah-based Pratama Legacy was declared the winner, pocketing RM15,000 for their efforts. Its choreographer, Achai Kiran, was named best choreographer for the ethnic creative category.
Kuala Lumpur’s Nyala Dance Theatre came in second, while Akar Seni Malaysia, representing the East Coast zone, placed third.
A national-level children’s dance competition (Kejuaraan Tari Kanak-Kanak) was also held simultaneously.
Sabah’s Kumpulan Bimbingan Seni Cemerlang came in first, followed by Kumpulan Bimbingan Seni Cemerlang Pahang, while the third spot went to Kumpulan Bimbingan Seni Cemerlang Pulau Pinang.
