Sharing Identities

This anthology celebrates dancing diversities in Malaysia, a multicultural nation with old and not-so-old dance traditions in a synchronicity of history, creativity, inventions and representation of its people, culture and traditions. These articles and interviews document the legacy of dances from the Malay Sultanates to a contemporary remix of old and new dances aspired by a mélange of influences from the old world of India, China, European and indigenous dance traditions. This gives forth dance cultures that vibrate with multicultural dance experiences. Narratives of eclecticism, syncretic and innovative dance forms and styles reflect the processes of inventing and sharing of dance identities from the era of the colonial Malay states to post-independence Malaysia.

Mohd Anis Md Nor is Professor, Ethnochoreology and Ethnomusicology, Cultural Centre, School of Performing Arts, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Stephanie Burridge lectures at Singapore Management University, Singapore and is a dance critic, author and Editor of the Routledge series Celebrating Dance in Asia and the Pacific.

Foreword by Marina Mahathir -- Preface by Stephanie Burridge -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction/Mohd Anis Md Nor and Stephanie Burridge -- 1. Joget Gamelan: The Royal Dance of the Pahang and Terengganu Courts/Marion D'Cruz -- 2. Asyik Dance: From Kelantanese Palace to a National Heritage/Mohamed Tharuwat Ismail Bakti and Mohd Anis Md Nor -- 3. Eclecticism and Syncretic Traditions: The Making of Malay Folk Dance/Mohd Anis Md Nor -- 4. Five-Six-Seven-Eight! . . . Tracing the Malaysian Roots of Jazz Dance/Revathi Murugappan -- 5. Transnationalism among Malaysian Contemporary Dance Choreographers/Bilqis Hijjas -- 6. From Ballet to Modern Dance: Tracing Modernity in Malaysian Dance/Joseph Gonzales -- 7. The Making of Malaysian Contemporary Dance by Chinese Choreographers and Dancers/Leng Poh Gee -- 8. Bharatanatyam in Malaysia/Premalatha Thiagarajan -- 9. Dancing the Strong Woman: Celebrating Women, Feminism and Contemporary Dance in Malaysia/Mumtaz Begum Aboo Backer -- 10. Dance and Ritual in Sabah/Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan -- 11. Dancing with the Pen/Su-Ling Choy -- Artist Voices and Biographies -- Curated by/Joseph Gonzales -- Aida Redza, Anthony Meh, Aris Kadir, Chen Ing Kuan, Dhanya Thurairajah, Farah Sulaiman, Gan Chih Pei, January Low, Jay Jen Loo, Joseph Gonzales, Lee Lee Lan, Lee Swee Keong, Low Ming Yam, Marion D'Cruz, Mavin Khoo, Michael Xavier Voon, Ramli Ali, Ramli Ibrahim, Shafi rul Azmi Suhaimi, Steve Goh, Suhaili Ahmad Kamil, Suhaimi Magi, Umesh Shetty, Vincent Tan Lian Ho, Wong Fook Choon, Wong Kit -- Index.