Question post40

FlyJentayu Fly - International Women's Day. Pictures by Joie Koo

I was aiming that by May 4th 2009,... as I turn 40, I would be back on my feet to make a spectacular comeback by leaping into action and creating a storm in KL. But as the first half of the year passed by, ever so quickly with chaos and continued war, disasters, recession, the world celebrating Barack Obama, political turmoil in calm and harmonious 1 Malaysia, our new Prime Minister,... and the second half is fast moving towards the end of the year, I see more poverty in the news, the tsunami, earth quake and typhoon disasters, H1N1 Flu, the slain lembu, and the world mourning over the lost of MJ, dance losing Merce and Pina, film industry losing Yasmin Ahmad? I am speechless, motionless - I could not find any reason to go on stage, in a black box with light and effects, to present .... intellectual, abstract-lah, neopop, political-lah, serious dance, exclusive high art revolutionary dance -kah... samada modern, post-modern or avant garde ..... must be traditional Melayu dance and making a dance that must represent 1 Malaysia. POoh. ... kiri pooh kanan, bomoh cure and orang masuk rasuk dance. Dance to talk about oneself and ones past. I found it an aimless and empty work task. What was most important to me is whether,

I CAN make A CHANGE and help others through my dance, can I heal the sick, can I save the dying, can I cure and protect ...... can my dance eradicate poverty, how about the babies, .....

or can I make people see beyond their anger, fear and discrimination ..... can I ease the angry earth?

what can i do to make a difference? will i end up dying before i achieve all this? Its a whole lot of work to. So ambitious, yet

Speechless, Motionless. I am 40, i have a lifetime of dance to do and yet so little time to impact a change. Question 40, Where should I StART?

Looking back i started the year after Opera Pasar, working with Gunild Symes of Norden Dance Theater with two Royal Danish Ballet dancers in a Ballet Dance Film project in Copenhagen, followed by The Light Show in KL, Fly Jentayu Fly at the International Women's Day and DaD Phase 1 A Pilot Project for Inclusive Creative Arts Program. And then off to Blind Spot for the Kobenhavn International Theater Metropolis Biennale, Un-Cut Malaysian Art Festival in Copenhagen and Mabok at the Danish Film Institute for a Malaysian Evening, with the Malaysian Danish Association.

And out of all the full year of work, dancing with the children of the shelter home at Shan and Ramakrishna, the Special Need kids, and my typical kids from Ombak Rentak and the possibility to involve my family and children, though so challenging, have touched my heart as well as my artistic passion. So this is it. This will be my second wind in life and art, and so, even how little I can help to make a change, here is where I will StART or continue, at least before i end 40 and move on to 41 ........ and i don't intend to finish just there. As I have more to outreach ......... more than my heart and spirit can travel in one leap. But if I can move, spark and inspire children to share, integrate, to love, to care, protect and have empathy, to help, to be aware, to understand and have tolerance, to activate and support, to be responsible, and more too many. To become the wiser adults of the future. Question Post40,.... do I have more than a lifetime to achieve all this? All I have to say is, Insyaallah.

Let me start by sharing with you the light show we made in April 09. Not so helpful to the welfare of the society but at least it is about up-cycling and re-using thrash for light design - or click on related bloggers above page left;

The Light Show April 09

http://thelightshow09.blogspot.com/

Working with Gunild Park Symes (Nordendanse Teater)

I have been back with Rasmus and Marjaan in Copenhagen for the Winter holidays since mid Dec last year, and was only planning to stay till January 2 if Maya was with us, but since she wasn't given the permission to come with us, we decided to extend our stay as we did not need to rush back. And so Rasmus, Marjaan and I spend wonderful quality time together. While enjoying the woods and the beach at our summer house (in the winter?? ya, since it is warmer with the fire oven than the heaters at home at the Linnesgade apartment). I took the opportunity when I had the chance, to develop some proposals for Ombak-Ombak, arrange some projects with children to work on in Penang, while enjoying my time out with my Malaysian friends, Amir and family, and Aisah. It was great that coincidentally Gunild Park Symes of Norden Danse Teater whom I used to work together in 2004, invited me to help out in her current project - which was to create a Ballet film with two very talented Royal Danish Ballet dancers, Alex and Chris. Before the scheduled date, she was invited by the Kobenhavn Teknisk Skole to present a workshop lecture on Dance and Film, in exchange and collaboration to use their studios, tech equipment - cameras, lights etc and the help of the students to produce the film. I presented a 10 min excerpt of Jadi-an, as a solo work for the students, where they were asked to observe and later discuss how they would film, create scenography and lights for the solo. It was a great workshop and I enjoyed working with the media students through exploring basic dance positions, shapes and use of Laban movement qualities that Gunild introduced and later instructed them to create their own short choreography. It was also wonderful to see Gunild at work and listen to her lecture on camera and film for dance. I did not manage to take pics during the workshop but below are some shots of the Royal Danish Ballet dancers working during their one day rehearsal. They will meet again Feb 15 to do the shooting of the film at the Kobenhavn Teknisk Skole, and unfortunately i will not be able to be part of that process, as Marjaan and I are leaving for home Feb 12 to be with Maya. I found that no matter what we decide to do in life and work, we have to find a comfortable balance where both passion and responsibilities as artist and mother are fulfilled. And this was what I appreciated and learned most from this trip back, and home again.

I was very honored and privileged to have been able to observe and work just a little with the two wonderful dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet. They make every movement look so simple. The marvelous thing about watching them, is their profound commitment and dedication to give in to the essence of dance - making each execution of a movement a new discovery, gives you the sense that nothing in the world is impossible. And so I leave Copenhagen again with lots of faith that, no matter how we keep crashing into dead ends in all the struggles and difficulties we experience in life, we must make it a learning discovery each time, and to believe that it is never ever impossible, to find a solution or resolution out of all challenges.

Sedikit Tulisan Tentang Aida Redza

A new beginning ...


Writing slows us down just long enough to consider our emotions, body sensations and thinking. Clarification helps us live a more spiritual life because we don't have to behave in a knee-jerk reaction in defense. But rather to take flight to a higher knowing. Just to write can give us the pause to take a deeper look into our lives. Writing helps us vent, explore practice, clarify, and even heal feelings. It often helps us act in a way that reflects the spiritual path we have chosen. And it is an art in itself, just as the dances we make.

Writing takes time and a lot of silent contemplation especially for those like me, without the raw and inborn talent for it. Sometimes we must write awhile, read it over, rewrite, delete, thrash and rewrite again to get closer to our truth. Just like in dance. When one is in a position, where writing is rushed between our hectic daily activities and responsibilities, and without time to dwell and ponder on further, these writings are regarded as drafts. And so after nearly half a year since my last entrance on the blog (besides the short info on Opera Pasar and appearing on So You Think You Can Dance) I now have a little time to sit and ponder on my postings again, realizing it has been mostly incomplete drafts when i posted them, and so today, I have started again, learning to write and rewriting, scripting words like choreography. These writing may be changed and reworked or readapted again. As words are so sensitive and when put together into sentences, it can give all kind of wrong meanings and interpretations. So one has to be very wise with choosing the right words to find a creative and honest voice through our writings. And so please consider me a learner, correcting myself as we move along, and minta maaf kalau ada yang tersinggung atas silap dan salah, atau terkasar bahasa.


Below I have included a short tulisan by Dr. Zul Mohamad regarding his perception of me. I am most grateful and honored by his sincere description on where I stand as an artist.


AIDA REDZA


Aida Redza adalah seorang koreografer, seorang artis yang digelar seniman kalau di Indonesia, kerana kalau di Malaysia artis itu merujuk kepada artis pop yang menjadi penyanyi atau pelakon televisyen atau filem. Penari pun merujuk kepada yang menarikan tarian-tarian joget, inang, ballet atau penari yang menari di rancangan hiburan televisyen atau di kelab. Sedangkan seniman tari itu seperti seorang pelukis atau lebih tepatnya seniman visual yang bukan hanya menggunakan kanvas, tetapi lebih dari itu, juga mengguna kamera, bahan-bahan lain yang boleh dijadikan skulptur atau instalasi. Seniman mempunyai konsep-konsepnya yang tersendiri yang lebih mendalam pemahamamnya. Begitulah juga dengan Aida Redza, dia seorang seniman visual yang menggunakan tari dan anggota badannya untuk mengekspresikan pemikiran dan falsafahnya. Suasana tari kita di Malaysia masih berada jauh terkebelakang, seperti masih dijajah, seperti tidak membentuk pemikiran seorang warga yang merdeka. Karya-karya Aida Redza dilihat seperti avant-garde di Malaysia dan dia terkenal di Malaysia kerana itu. Karya-karyanya diterima di barat kerana setanding dengan mereka, tetapi berbeza kerana karya Aida Redza masih bersifat Melayu, Islam dan Malaysia, bukan kerana fizikalnya tetapi pemikiran dan falsafahnya. Dia banyak bermain dengan watak-watak yang berbeza yang kadangkala boleh menimbulkan kontroversi yang sengaja dilakukan untuk menimbulkan perasaan-perasaan tertentu di dalam menyampaikan idea, konsep dan falsafahnya. Jadi kita tidak bole melihat karya-karyanya secara terpisah-pisah, seperti apapun juga, termasuk mengambil sesuatu ayat yang tidak lengkap. Kita harus melihatnya secara total untuk mengerti falsafahnya. Kita juga jangan sekali-kali menghukum pandangan dia kerana dia ada konsep, pemikiran dan perasaanya yang tersendiri. Aida Redza seperti sudah menjadi ikon dalam karya-karya tarinya seperti yang digambarkan di dalam rancangan televisyen di 8 TV dan TV 3 yang disiarkan di seluruh Malaysia dan mungkin juga kawasan-kawasan yang sewaktu dengannya. Pemikirannya sudah diterima ramai kerana itulah dia ditampilkan di televisyen Malaysia. Tetapi untuk lebih mengerti pemikiran, falsafah dan idea dalam karya-karya tarinya, dia mengadakan cetusan-cetusan pemikirannya di blognya sendiri di internet agar senang kepada pelajar-pelajar universiti terutamanya untuk membuat rujukan atau juga penganjur festival serta juga teman-teman seniman tari untuk berkongsi pengalaman dan pemikiran. Maka itulah Aida Redza seorang seniman tari yang jarang ditemui, yang sering menampilkan idea tari dari watak-watak kehidupan kita di Malaysia.


Dr.Zulkifli Mohamad - Pensyarah Kanan di ASWARA, Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan, Kuala Lumpur. Seorang seniman tari, aktivis seni, penulis dan kolumnis akhbar KOSMO.

On The Move with the Ombak-Ombak Rentak Kids 2008

Opera Pasar. Ombak-Ombak Rentak Kids - pictures by Edwina Michelle Augustin

I have been back and working on the Rentak Penang New Dance Workshop for the young Ombakians since early August this year. After 2 series of 6 week workshop, the children begin to work towards developing a collection of compositions for the Rentak December workshop showcase based on their tour and impressions of the Campbell Street Market. It has been an enjoyable learning process for the kids. We chose Market as the theme and subject for our final expedition study to explore memory capture of movement and daily working and effort actions of the market to inspire simple dramatic compositions. Market is the thematic direction of the Anak-Anak Kota Music Rentak Workshop proposed by Sooi Beng, and the dance group were asked if we could also develop the workshop showcase towards a similar theme, and the kids and we agreed. So below are pictures of the initial process of developing short compositions for Opera Pasar that was presented on Dec 6 and 7 along the Campbell Street Market and at the Little Penang Street Market.

A TRIP TO THE CAMPBELL MARKET OCTOBER 2008

THE KIDS BEGIN TO CREATE A MINIATURE PASAR WITH PLASTICINE.



WORKING ON OUR FIRST CHICKEN SCENE. The kids were well aware that Chicken Fights are not legal and never conducted in a local Malaysian Market, but they were happy to say that they were representing a scene of a Market in Indonesia for example.... they were very imaginative. We had a wonderful playtime. It is simply fantastic to be able to give our adult self up to Play with children and experience to be the child they are. And it is just awesome, to have absolutely all the time in the world to give, serve, educate, develop and create .... watching and absorbing their learning process, their confidence build and insecurities overcome. Such intimacy, sharing and bonding with the kids about life and struggles, work and survival and about the cycle of birth and death. I was proud of them, like a sports coach, I had to be stern and disciplined,... but like a mother, I engaged them to indulge in appreciating the beauty and benefits of mental, physical and spiritual health thru relating dance with the living nature. Something, a child can never get if left facing the computer, tv or going to the mall daily and living in a world of materialistic values, or drilled only intellectually, without the opportuity for participation or integration of senses and awareness of others.

I care for the mental health of our kids today. Not so much in producing them to be excellent performers, but to understand the responsibility, commitment, team work spirit, give and take, tolerance, respect and understanding ... and more, the challenges they have to experience to attain the qualities to be a great and successful individual. I am proud when I see my kids growing into a towering personality. To achieve that,... we have to commit ourselves entirely into the mission. Thank you children for being patient, thank you Ombak-Ombak and thank you parents. I wished my son Marjaan was part of the workshop too, but his time will come, soon.

NEVER AGAIN!!! at sytycd,....don't know why I agreed to appear as Guest Judge.

Watch if you have time,... at me babbling....getting nervous by the second that my periodic latah will menjelma tiba-tiba and overwhelm me to bezerk. Which it did happen, and unfortunately - if  you know what latah is,... well, watch aida in the show. I tried very hard to suppress the latah, by enjoying the music and dancing a lil on the sit to relax myself and trying to keep cool. But instead,... the latah kept coming back in electrical jolts. And it did not help that Aishah kept asking me suddenly,... and what do you think Aida?!! ...... , secara terkejut.

Not my kind of space and environment, the crowd, the noise, the camera and lights .... was much too much .... that I could not focus at all on the comments I really wished to say to the competitors, and can you imagine, they wanted me to put on false eyelashes..... (which i am glad i did not), so di dum di dum, everyone has the right to their own opinion - and its always best to be honest. Why i did it?... well, not for the survival factor, nor the glamour or the lime light - actually my husband encouraged me to do so - thank you ras for having faith in me but sorrylah, (memang its not the money nor fame for contemporary performers/choreographers, and especially for guest judge - infact our expenditure to attend this event is more, than the small honorarium they provided) But yes, I wanted to experience the new environment, and to test and challenge myself as an artist, if I am capable, to sit and speak my opinions in a setting such as this popular live broadcasting dance competition. Definitely I was no Paula Abdul, but I did the best I could to entertain, as what the Director had directed me. Make it exciting for the audience and the competitors, and so I did. (although i was wondering - why do we need to entertain?) With my 'terlatah' periods that had to happen especially when the camera was on me,... so uncomfortable. Anyways, it was worth it,... we learn from our discovery and mistakes, if we never try, we will never know how for the next time. Life is a pleasurable learning. 

Well, nothing to do about it now,... so instead enjoy the performance by this talented Top 6 Malaysian dancers at So You Think You Can Dance Season II - Episode 13

http://www.8tv.com.my/Shows/EpHighlight.aspx?MasterID=299&ShowID=332&MenuID=2&SubMenuID=1&TemplateID=1&EpID=10469&VideoID=11798#anchorVid

AIDA REDZA - A SHAKTI DANCES ALONE from 2003 -2005

You can view some old and new works of Shakti Dances Alone from 2003 -2005 at

http://www.youtube.com/user/shaktidancesalone

or check out the Dare to Dream Documentary Part1,2 -3 on the 8 TV Malaysian Program at

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4535350275939905137

and look into my working collaborations with the Ombak-Ombak Artstudio in Penang at

http://www.storminabox.blogspot.com/ or http://www.ronggengmerdeka.blogspot.com/


ENJOY!!!

Jadi-an solo in Vision2020 in Copenhagen

with one foot on earth, and the other menuju kearah syurga (reaching for heaven)

We wish to be the root, the soil, the seed, the fruit that gives life,... and we wish to be the world tree, the leaves, the growing branches, reaching high to reach the skies and heaven.

But we accept, we are only human, with our failings, weaknesses and fragility.

We are only able to serve and bow, humbled to the almighty power of our creator. Dear Mother Earth, Give us strength to see the light.