Dance as a platform for discussion

Every university across the world is alive with ideas and students who are brought together by a mutual love of a particular craft. What makes NUS Centre For the Arts, Arts Excellence Groups different is that they’re charged to go beyond technical excellence to explicitly take on issues and produce works that draw on the wealth of knowledge within NUS. 

For NUS Ilsa Tari and Artistic Director Cikgu Osman Abdul Hamid, this has meant collaborating with Dr Suriani Suratman, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of the Department of Malay Studies, to develop Rantau: Layaran Sukma (Exploration: Voyage of the Soul) for the NUS Arts Festival 2020: Ways of Seeing.

On the surface, the performance is about how the notion of the “ideal woman” is a construct of societal values and principles, but with the assistance of Dr. Suriani, the piece is primed to draw on the latest sociological understandings of Malay culture and more.

We had the opportunity to meet with Dr Suriani, Cikgu Osman Abdul Hamid and the students from the NUS IIsa Tari group to find out what they had learnt from each other and their experience in preparing for this performance.

How universal are the themes that you presented to the dancers from NUS Ilsa Tari? Are they analogous to the experiences of women in other parts of our society? What about other cultures entirely?

The themes on gendered roles, social norms and expectations are universal experiences of women. Even though women in different societies may for example, have varying experiences of employed work, the expectations that these women have to carry out care-giving roles continue to prevail.

Have you ever worked with dancers before? How do you think your research focus will be represented on stage?

This is my first time working with dancers. It is therefore an exciting experience for me to see how for example, social norms that discipline Malay women will be represented on stage in the form of body movements and music.

While this production focuses on the changing roles of women, really such changes must affect all parts of society. NUS Ilsa Tari’s men were also a part of your seminar. How receptive were they to your research?

I am very encouraged by the responses of the men in Ilsa Tari during the discussions we have had. They were very attentive to and reflective of the issues that were raised by the women of Ilsa Tari. More importantly, I found that both the men and women found these sessions a safe space to share their views. This in itself is heart-warming because the theme on women’s roles are not only about women. It must be a shared concern of both women and men.

Your research and insights are a major influence on the development of Rantau: Layaran Sukma. However, the choreography for the performance will be devised by Cikgu Osman. Does this add a further dimension? How do you think this combination will influence the final production?

It is a privilege for me to be working together with Cikgu Osman. In my discussions with Cikgu Osman, I found it fascinating how he would translate my ideas expressed in words to movements of the body. Cikgu Osman’s choreography will certainly add a very big part in representing the theme and pushing the audience to contemplate issues pertaining to the theme!

One reason NUS Centre For the Arts actively pairs faculty with creative projects is that it pushes our academic partners to consider their work in new ways. What part of your research was the most challenging to share with students who aren’t in your field? How did you overcome this?

I think my challenge was how to talk about the sociological concepts and approaches to students who are not familiar with the field. My usual way was to share my own experiences and to use examples that they can relate to.

As a man (Cigku), why did you settle on a theme that’s female-oriented? How do you think this supports the theme of this years’ NUS Arts Festival, Ways of Seeing?

In my life, I am surrounded by many women – families, acquaintances and students, and they are from different races and varied backgrounds. As such, there are many instances where I get to discuss many issues with them. We agree at times, and there are also disagreements. However what is important is that we always respect different opinions and perspectives. I believe that we have our own opinions and how we see and understand different occurrence and phenomena in life.

What are your personal experiences with women who have been told to adopt the more domestic role, etc?

My personal experiences are crafted by the women who are close to me – my mother, my wife, my sister, my sisters-in-law, my nieces and my daughter-in-law. I see how they carry out their responsibilities as a daughter, a wife, a mother and/or a grandmother. Some of them are full time house-wives, some work as a civil servant, others in the private industries. Despite having a lot on their plate, they still execute the traditional duties of a female member in the household willingly. They neither object or demand an equal division of labour and I believe that this can be attributed to the lifestyle within my household where we all understand and appreciate one another for the effort and contributions in maintaining the family.

How did you prepare yourself as a male in developing this theme?

I did not undergo and specific preparations, but I rely mostly on my past experiences and encounters with the constant changes in culture till today.

Do you see a shift in today’s generation? Are they more or less supportive of women breaking away from expected roles?

Yes, I do. Our living culture is always changing. Life back in the days are rather relaxing and peaceful, but today it is fast-paced and challenging. Adapting is key.

As a traditional Malay dance teacher, how have you used your position to further empower women or educate men in this area?

I take the moderate stance, always respecting every view, and respecting one another. We have to reflect and know ourselves, know the trust that has been given to us. We have to understand our varied responsibilities – responsibility as a son/daughter to our parents, as students to teachers, as well as our roles as men and women.

What are the techniques used to enable the student performers to demonstrate the theme/message effectively, to present an accessible performance?

I encouraged them to undergo different processes to think critically and emote, for them to trigger and bring back their past experiences or imagine certain scenes or incidents in life. This is done by several improvisation practices which are usually outside of the steps and patterns of the traditional Malay dance.

What did you personally bring to this production? Was is the Osman trademark?

I am intrigued with social issues and those pertaining to our lives. Thus, that arena has always been a part of me.

Do you experience the pressure of societal expectations from those around you? Where does it come from (Parents? Contemporaries? The media?)

After plenty deep thinking, I believe that we indeed still experience the pressure of societal expectations albeit subtle and unknowingly. Most of these pressures come from the home; parents, immediate and extended family members. Pressures entail us as women range from being bounded to duties in the household, to the way we should dress and behave in the presence of other people. Even in an age where both women and men have similar busy lifestyles (academics and work), we are still expected to carry out and cope with traditional domestic roles and expectations, with emerging roles and expectations that arise with contemporary times.

Have you tried having a conversation about the pressures you face with those that have un/knowingly placed such pressures on you? How did they go? What did you learn?

We actually did try to strike a conversation with our mothers where we talked about the role of women. While they carefully said that they wished for their daughters to be more than just someone who is confined to the home, we realised that it is still pretty integral to our mothers that we should still adhere to traditional domestic duties. While they claim that labour in a household ought to be shared, they revealed a tendency and inclination to maternal ‘gate-keep’ and still abide by the traditional gendered duties regardless. No matter how laborious household chores can be, it appears that our mothers still believed in carrying them out because it is their duty and responsibility. This includes parenting duties where they believe in their role in caring for children (needs at home, education etc.) because they carry out these roles best meanwhile our fathers are in-charge of the material needs (expenses and education fees etc). These conversations were truly an opportunity for us to rethink about our roles and modern females and what we want to become from now on – a woman who is involved in the home together with our male counterparts and an empowered individual who can make personal achievements and progress outside the home too.

As the latest in a series of works inspired by social commentary, have you seen positive outcomes from previous works to the community to whom you were presenting your works to?

Within the Malay youth community, performing arts as an avenue of social commentary, has shown positive results in increased discussions on the issues. This is seen through social media platforms, or engagements in panel discussions. Topics such as one on the Malay Women, are sensitive and highly contentious. However, more portrayal of such issues through dance and theatre in recent years, shows increased awareness and interest among the community.

In January 2020 alone, the following productions dealt with this similar issue:  P7:isma’s NAK DARA and Bhumi’s Collective’s Mak Mak Menari challenges certain preconceived notions or biasness towards issues like “body” and “roles of the Malay Muslim Mothers, respectively. The increase in the specific themes within the broader spectrum of Malay Women, could possibly relate to a higher understanding and awareness within the audience.

As such, Rantau: Layaran Sukma, as the latest installment in the series of works on the theme of Malay Women, hopes to continue to spur such discussions among youths, in which this awareness will have a significant impact in the choices that they will make in everyday lives. Rantau: Layaran Sukma, also as latest work in the series of productions by NUS Ilsa Tari, aims to pursue excellence in contemporary Malay Dance and provide an avenue for thought-provoking and critical discussions.

How did your collaboration with Dr Suriani help with your interpretation of the Festivals theme and how was this translated into Rautau: Layaran Sukma?

During the initial planning and idea generation process of our production, we worked very closely with Dr Suriani in trying to identify our central themes of the show, in relation to the theme of Ways of Seeing. With her help, we were able to focus better on the direction of the show; ‘Malay Women and Dance’.

In fact, our collaboration with Dr Suriani, moved far beyond just the creative aspects of the production. It also generated creative thinking and direct involvement of all our members following a series of discussions. Short readings were also given prior to the discussion as an introduction to the topic on Malay women – their roles, stereotypes, wants, support and successes. Through the discussion, dancers were made to draw out similarities of these views with their personal encounters, to make their journey in understanding the theme, a much more personalised experience.

In order to portray different perspectives of these issues (as such, the different ways of seeing) to the audience, it is imperative to begin with the dancers, for us to be more aware and sensitive towards such issues, and then translate these emotions and understanding into the performance Rantau: Layaran Sukma.

What would the ideal outcome from your production be?

• For the female dancers: Are you contributing your own experience or that of your family to the research process?

In the research process, which is in consultation with Dr Suriani, we examined excerpts from novels and writings from Malay Muslim women regarding their sufferings in the pursuit of finding their identity while at the same time trying to fit into their role in society and juggling their responsibilities. We easily related to them from our own past experiences and drew out the main unspoken struggles that we all could connect with. By contributing from our own personal accounts, we hope to be able to elevate the intensity and artistic value of our performance by embodying these struggles that we face ourselves face from society’s pressures.

As a part of our research process, we also conducted interviews with elder female family members to gain their insights regarding these issues, which would help us in viewing theses issues from a different point of view, from someone at a different point in life. This will hopefully enable us to garner more sources and understanding, which would help us further in expanding on the content of our production.

• For the male dancers: What are you learning from the production and research process?

One thing I’ve learnt is that the issue of gender struggles is multi-dimensional. There exists multiple social forces acting together that propagate feelings of unfairness and a sense of imbalance when viewed through the lens of Malay women in our society. As a male dancer in this production, there are parts where we introduce tension and stress on our female counterparts by pulling the ‘kain’ or cloth wrapped around them. This can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically where men are using their privileged positions of power to unjustly enforce certain stereotypes toward women. As a result, the women may feel bounded and restricted in their choices due to the overwhelming set of expectations placed upon them.

• Is there anything that you’ve learnt that that you can apply to yourself/your life?

Personally, I resonated most with the common struggle of the expectation of a Malay Muslim woman having to dress more conservatively,  especially since this expectation was derived from a religious standpoint and difficult to contend with. Hearing from my peers regarding their similar frustrations as well as learning from Dr Suriani has helped me widen my views and question the basis of the internal struggles that we all face in the pursuit of seeking individuality. By creating a common empathetic understanding between each other, we are able to garner strength and support from the other Malay Muslim women facing these battles and create opportunities to discard the labels and barricades that society imposes on us.

The students who have shared their experience in these answers are : Suraya Binte Suhairi (Year 2, Malay Studies & University Scholars’ Programme) , Helwah Athiyah Binte Abdul Ghani (Year 2, Food Science and Technology) , Nurfaizzah Namirah Binte Foad (Year 2, Psychology),  Muhd Iqbal Bin Imran (Year 2, Computer Science).

Catch Rantau: Layaran Sukma (Explorations: Voyage of the Soul) at the NUS Arts Festival 2020. The event will be held on 28 March at UCC Hall. Please click here for tickets to this performance.

As part of the development process for Rantau: Layaran Sukma (Explorations: Voyage of the Soul), NUS Ilsa Tari will host a symposium with panels of academics and dance practitioners. The symposium will shine light on portrayals of women in society and dance, as well as the personas women are expected to embody in dance. As we celebrate the successes of the women in championing their art forms, we challenge the stereotypes of female dancers in today’s society. This symposium Rantau: Alunan Samudera (Explorations: The Waves of the Ocean) takes place on Saturday 22 February, 10am at NUS U-Town. To attend the symposium, please register here.