Ethnicity in motion

THE dance faculty of Aswara (Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan) is presenting a special dance drama that highlights the unique traditional dances of the native communities in Sabah and Sarawak at its Experimental Theatre this Friday to Sunday.
Tandak Mengalai will feature 35 dancers and 10 musicians in a 90-minute performance that centres on two folktales – Sarawak’s famous legend of Puteri Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang, and the legend of Huminodun, which originated from the Kadazandusun ethnic group in Sabah.
According to Aswara’s dean of the dance faculty Norsafini Jafar, many of us in Peninsula Malaysia are not familiar with the traditional dance forms of the ethnic groups in Sabah such as the Murut, Kadazan, Bajau, and Rungus, or those from Sarawak such as the Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, and Orang Ulu.
She says: “We are hoping this production will reduce this gap in our knowledge.”
The show’s artistic director Mohd Yunus Ismail – also a dance lecturer at Aswara – concurs.
He adds that there are many people from Sabah and Sarawak who are working in Kuala Lumpur and will be keen to catch the show.
“They want to watch something that is close to their hearts,” says Mohd Yunus, who was involved in the International Cultural Exchange Programme in New York and Philadelphia in 2009.
Norsafini also feels that the dates of the performances are perfect timing. “September is the month where we celebrate Malaysia Day (Sept 16).”
She adds that often, the people in the peninsula feel detached from those in Sabah and Sarawak.
She thinks an artistic endeavour like Tandak Mengalai is one of the best ways to connect the two parts of the country.
On the dance drama, Mohd Yunus says: “If you look closely, there are some similarities between the two legends.”
The central figures in both legends are strong women, and their themes both deal with power.
He elaborates: “In the first story, the women abused their power, and whenever you abuse your power, it always ends badly. In the second story, the woman [uses her] power in a more positive manner to save the human race from certain death.”
The Sarawak legend features two fairy princesses – Puteri Santubong, who is famous for her weaving skill, and Puteri Sejinjang, who is known for her skill in pounding rice.
The two are sent down to Earth by their king to bring peace between two warring villages, Pasir Kuning and Pasir Putih, which they accomplish.
However, when the two princesses both fall in love with the handsome Putera Serapi, they begin to fight over him.
Sejinjang takes her rice pounder and strikes Santubong’s cheek, causing it to bleed.
Santubong, in retaliation, uses her weaving tool to crack open Sejinjang’s head, which breaks into a million pieces that scatter into the sea, forming small islands.
The king, in his anger over their senseless fight, turns Santubong into Mount Santubong, and Sejinjang’s body into Mount Sejinjang.
In the legend of Huminodun, the story centres on two mystical beings, Kinoingan and Sumundu, who created the Earth and the human race.
When Kinoingan’s son Ponompulan corrupts the hearts and minds of the humans on Earth against his father, he is banished from the kingdom.
A furious Kinoingan then sends seven kinds of plagues to punish humanity, the last one being a severe draught which causes famine on Earth.
Ponompuan, Kinoingan’s only daughter, begs her father to show mercy to the humans. In order to remove the curse, she sacrifices herself to the spirit of the Earth, and turns into rice to feed the hungry.
Ponompuan is often called Huminodun, which means ‘the essence and soul of rice’.
Mohd Yunus adds: “Both stories have contrasting emotions. One deals with jealousy, and the other deals with sacrifice. I believe the contrasting emotions will make the show more interesting to watch.”
And despite a last-minute setback after a sponsor suddenly withdrew funding for the production, Mohd Yunus says that the show will go on, no matter what.
“As artistes, we must not allow setbacks like this to kill our artistic expression.”