Art Festival of Malay Dance as the Attempt of Maintaining Malay Art

The fifth Art Festival of Nusantara Malay Dance was organized in Palembang, South Sumatra, on September 5 to 8, 2006. Thirteen groups of participants from variuos districts participate in that event by showing their own traditional and innovative Malay dances.

The event was held in two locations. The grand opening was held on Tuesday, September 5, at Horizon Hotel, and then followed by the performance of festival at Palembang Mall Trade Center on September 6 to 8. Unfortunately, the groups of participant joining the festival of last year were less than that of participants in the last two years, fourteen groups.

Unlike the groups of participants in the last festival that were as the representative of provinces, the participants of the last year were as the delegation of district or city. The participants are: Batanghari district and Jabung Timur district, from the Province of Jambi; Palembang and Banyuasin, from the Province of South Sumatra; Pangkal Pinang and Bangka district, from the Province of Bangka Belitung, and alongside the participants above, the participant also come from Tanah Datar, from West Sumatra, Aceh Tamiang district from the Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the Province of Banten, Riau, Jambi, and Nort Sumatra. Almost all participants who showed dances were teenagers or less than 30 years old.

Marah Adiel, the technical coordinator of the festival asserted that traditional dance and Malay innovative dance shown at the festival were one of attempts of maintaining regularly the Malay art. In addition, this event also aims to strengthen the brotherhood among the Malay ethnict. Marah added, “the performance of innovative dance shown by each participant actually aims to push and to increase the creativity of artists in developing the art of Malay dance.”

In that fantastic festival, Tanah Datar district, North Sumatra, and Jambi were inaugurated as the best performance among all participants. Meanwhile, Aceh Tamiang was chosen as the most favourite one.

Honor also given to those composers who dealt with the arrangement of music, dance and performance. The best arrangement of dance was inaugurated to the dance composer of Bangka district, while the best performance and costum is reached by Banyuasin.

Adhering and clinging to the Malay art, Marah stated hopefully that, in future days, the Malay art is not only shown at big events or festivals, but it should be shown more often at other chances, especially at the events held whether by the society or schools. He argued that, in the present day, the decreased inclination of Malay young generation in appreciating their own culture appeared gradually. The art of dance is no longer popular among them, and thereby the inclination of studying such art more and more decrease.

Marah intentionally organized the festival at Palembang mall in order to stimulate those teenegers who comfortably visit such place. In this modern era, Mall is one of the most favourite places visited by the young people.

Marah`s strategy seems successful. When the festival began all chairs were filled; many people forced themselves to stand in watching the shows; adult people and kids jostle each others on the mall floors to see the performance.

Source: www.kompas.com (2 April 2007)
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