Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Protect Our Cultural Heritage!!!!!!!!!!!

Traditional dance – people who knows me will know how much I love dancing, especially traditional dance. Compared to the modern dance, I think traditional dance has more artistic value. The beauty and the grace of each step will mesmerize me. Zapin, Inang, Joget, Makyong are some of the examples of Malay traditional dance that I ever perform during school and college. I really enjoy performing those dances and every time I was on stage, the feeling of proud and satisfaction will come. I really interested in learning more about traditional dance but time has limited my desire. I started enjoying traditional dance when I watched my mom’s collection on video clip of her performances during college. My mom was really great on stage performing her Makyong steps and when she started to work as a teacher, she took the opportunity to teach traditional dance at school. Then, her skills was inherited by my sister who is now is struggling in training her students for national competition in traditional dance. Maybe I also get the heredity from my mom and now I am trying to control my appetite if not I cannot dream to perform anything. Most teenagers nowadays are more interested in modern dance which just knows how to hop and jump. Well, it is important for them to know about traditional dance since it is our cultural heritage which is full with splendor and magnificence. Each state in our country has its own cultural dance and the community should be proud to learn and practice it. For example, in Johor we have Zapin, Pahang with Joget, Kelantan with Makyong, Melaka with Dondang Sayang and Terengganu with Ulik Mayang. Thus, in a hope to protect my cultural heritage, it would be nicer if there is a course of traditional dance in B.Ed TESL program and I will be the first person who registers it. =)

2 comments:

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  2. Dear Effah,

    Since for the past three years I've known you and all that I can really remember about you is you are a dance addict. Your very blog swayed me back into my memories of being in Blok E in IPTI with you and some of the other coursemates...girls yeah... :)I could still remember the moments...especially on a Sunday, you would turn on Siti Nurhaliza's joget songs and other singer's traditional Malay songs in your room and whenever I would pass by that room of yours, I could see you happily dancing your joget steps and singing the lyrics as well with your beautiful voice. Then, when I would enter at that very moment into your room, you'll start performing and telling me tales about other traditional Malay dance. Great moments were those that I had with you...

    Not only that convinced me about your love towards traditional Malay dances but even the pictures of your performances in your school days showed it all. In fact, I'm pretty impressed to know about your mom and your sister's active involvement in those traditional dances. My salute to both of them for being truly Malaysians in that way. It is like they are working on holding up those traditional dances so that those dances will not die off. Even I don't want such dances to fade away in the eyes of the whole world in time to come soon.

    I totally agree with you about modern dance which I believe is like we Malaysian are merely imitating the Westerners...it is like we are dumping aside our Asian values by labelling it as something 'old fashion'. Indeed, some of us do not realize the fact that how unique it is...the values that are in the dance...it is something so precious because a form of dance that originates from here can be only found here!...as simple as that...but it is only some who can't see it. What a waste...

    Well, I'm sincerely proud that I've known you and had the great opportunity to learn about traditional Malay dances during our stay in Johor. Even I personally felt so proud like you to dance the 'Zapin' dance for the state level National Day celebration in Johor Bahru. It was so unique that when I got to dance it, I could automatically grace the passion and softness of the dance...I felt so in piece, so like what a woman would be...soft and gentle...Amazingly, I discovered myself as a Malaysian in that way. Unlike others who might feel that during their participant in march past or while singing the national anthem. But for me it was when I danced 'Zapin'...

    Thank you Effah, thank you...for such a lovely blog on traditional Malay dances. Really liked it... :)

    Regards,
    Kalmeet K.

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