International Wesak Cultural Night 2009

16 May 2009

Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields

By Chan Keed Cheng

The birthday of Lord Buddha has been recently commemorated and honoured with brilliant kaleidoscopic dance performances. Numerous dancers congregated from a long list of countries such as Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal and India provided a cultural eye-opening experience.

The first performance of the evening’s line-up was delivered by the Malacca Tourism Ministry Dance Troupe. The commendable ensemble’s Malaysia Cultural Dance showcased a variety of local cultures we may have taken for granted amidst today’s concrete jungle rat race frenzy. I was brought to a trip down memory lane (of cultural lessons) and was reminded of the rich melting-pot of culture and heritage in our dear country. The upbeat band had the audience in high spirits with their lively Malay traditional dance from the very beginning. They threw the kompang to the air and clapped as parts of their act.

Soon after, a Chinese fan dance was delivered by six ladies from the same troupe. Their demure looks called for astonishment when they skillfully played and turned the fans whilst dancing gracefully.

A combination of four males and a female Bharatanatyam dancer then presented a brief Alarippu with footwork that grasped our attention.

The Malaysia Cultural Dance continued with a Malay traditional piece. Three couples donned in traditional costumes with mirroring moves resembled the reflection of one another.

Later on, an Iban dance illustrated the Sarawakian traditional lifestyle. It started with several women moving about as if they were ploughing the paddy fields and milling rice. Then, a male hunter appeared with a hunting blowpipe, also known as sumpit and amazed the viewers with his accuracy in shooting balloons tied up highly.

The Portuguese and Bollywood dances followed next with a swift tempo in its choreography. Their boundless energy with naturally-plastered smiles made watching the show truly pleasant. Several other Malaysian multi-cultural dances with attractive costumes also displayed the diversity united in our warm culture.

Odissi, a dance originating from the state of Orissa, eastern India, was then presented by the Temple of Fine Arts. It was a mediocre delivery as the show appeared to be in need of more rehearsals.

A traditional Hokkaido dance by the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur had five women in kimono beating drums and marching uphill-like, portraying both hardship and strong will. Some of us chuckled seeing the middle-aged ladies adorably covering their face akin to shade themselves from the blazing sunlight.

Their second routine involving four youths with an elderly woman highlighted how old age is no barrier in living life to the fullest. She was the center of attraction with her punchy movements whereas the rest of the group very much remained at their position.

A Thai dance entitled “A Blessing” was tedious to watch and the dancers’ glum face made the performance more unbearable. Their body movements were rather static and slow but kudos to them for their graceful hand movements.

We were treated to “Happy Day”, a performance by the Buddhist Institute Sunday Dhamma School involving approximately fifteen little kids. Their cheerful and vibrant movements corresponded with the lyrics of the accompanying music. Living life without worries was the theme.

Our eyes feasted on an acrobatic-cum-dance performance by Sri Lanka’s Ranranga Dancing Academy. A male dancer dazzled the spectators with his impressive ability to spin plates using his finger and poles. There was a hint of suspense in the atmosphere when he tried balancing about ten plates in one go!

A Spanish dance by the students of Buddhist Institute Sunday Dhamma School was rather amateurish. The male dancers’ movements were also noticeably subdued, much overwhelmed by their opposite sex’s prowess in ballroom dancing. Regrettably, there was also the lack of pizzazz and chemistry between dancers.

An engaging Korean Taekwondo performance by four teenage black belt holders took place with the combination of martial arts and dance.

Think you may have more than enough by now? Well, the cultural night actually had more to offer and the aforementioned performances are only a fraction of the total.

The enjoyable almost-3-hour event had been a truly multinational and multicultural evening.

”The purpose of this show is to celebrate the different cultures and customs that are present in our world, and also to open the minds of people and educate them on the various cultures of the world,” explains The Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammartana Nayaka Maha Thera, the Chief High Priest of Malaysia.

Parallel to the meaning behind Wesak Day, this event has truly given me a sense of enlightenment. I also wish to applaud the organizer for an event that positions dance as a universal language regardless of colour and creed. As one of the speakers mentioned, it is also utmost rare to have a Muslim (Datuk Yasmin Yusoff) wearing a saree hosting an event in a Buddhist temple. Well done for promoting camaraderie!