#soultari

Sniggers, scoffs, sarcasms, the folds of frowns on foreheads or the insincere salams/handshakes, shoulder shrugs, eye leers. Such are the embodied dissatisfaction humans have develop to mask our real intentions that we refuse to verbalise. Even the smile, always seen as a facial symbolism of happiness, hides multitudes. "What is behind a smile?"; "What gets hidden by the stretching of cheeks and lips, the reveal of teeth" ... ever heard of the takperlah, kita senyum jer lah" (its okay, lets just smile). I told myself that this new year will be a year of sharing (knowledge, resources, ideas, opportunities). To lead change, however small, and to increase the circle of willing partners. I have become very uninterested in people who personify the proverb, "empty vessels make the most noise". I will no longer be concern by people who are interested to create history yet not read history books nor understand how the sociocircumstances that they live in have come to be. I hope that the smile carved on my visage will be one of sincerity in due time, of hard work that reaps benefits, of friendships that do not thrive on deceit and slander and lastly of genuine gratitude that I am still alive, doing what I do best, impacting people who deserves the best. Thank you January for opportunities to reflect, affect and deflect. #soultari #365soulgrateful #365grateful https://www.instagram.com/p/B70J2fuBwVMl3m7AHzK4hwGWdsdu4CSIc1e4Is0/?igshid=2n0fe3pejmok

Someone asked, "Why are you doing this work?" I grew up with very strong female role models in my life and my heritage as a Minangkabau has always placed the importance of women as leaders in the matters of adat and community. My journey in dance as the only male dancer for a long period of time in Perkumpulan Seni, gave me the opportunity to appreciate my seniors who were mostly female. They became my world growing up in the scene. When Mak Mak Menari was first formed I was intrigued by their initiative to start a group and since 2012, they have become a consistent, yet underlooked, feature of the Malay Dance scene. These are women with the right (niat) intentions. Women who have to negotiate the seemingly patriarchal structures to remember the importance of "care". Behind the scenes, I observed intently as my sisters prepared for rehearsals. Checking in with one another when they each arrive, to the preparation of delicious food and to the sharing of the latest happenings. After a run of the performance, they would share quiet hugs after listening to each other's stories. They knew that everyone have had it hard, but there is no time to judge, only time to provide comfort and "kasih sayang". I am touched that they have offered me a little space in their circle of love allowing my team to present their stories respectfully and being active agents in acknowledging how the arts can also be transformative. I hope my female students see them as role models. I see many potential dancers leaving the scene after marriage/pregnancy. The women in Mak Mak Menari are jugglers, they might not always get the juggling of their many responsibilities right but they never allowed setbacks to stopped them from dancing indefinitely. 36 more days to the premiere of Mak-Mak Menari. Come join us and celebrate the lives of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters -- most valuably, dancers. #soultari #bhumicollective #365soulgrateful @makmakmenari @m1sff https://www.instagram.com/p/B56vA4KBNLWQFDQXmt05DtTYhSfa3OXjAzRA480/?igshid=14f9b693geuv8

25 November 2019, the Interrupted Dream series which have toured 5 asian cities in 3 countries have come to an end. 9 artists from Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China came together in September to work with Danny Yung of @zuni_icosahedron and Xiao Yi of @emergencystairssg to create a work which would evolve into "Journey to a Dream" and "In Search of Dream". It was an eventful journey. There's so much to unpack and evaluate but I am grateful I met these wonderful individuals, in my journey. We started the process in September in Hong Kong, reconvene earlier this month in Singapore and had quite a befitting finale in Indonesia. In Indonesia we toured the work to Jogjakarta - Bali - Jakarta. Did I come out of the experience transformed? A resounding yes. I enjoy being in a perilous position of discomfort and challenge. In Indonesia I found resolution and understood the importance of my value as a practitioner-scholar. I am thankful for the quiet moments I had in Indonesia to reflect. Just a few hours leaving for home, I know I will yearn for moments like these again. I wonder if it will ever come? Then the more important question to ask is, what will I do to make such moments happen? Must I wait? Or can I be the agent to create such moments? #soultari #365soulgrateful 📷 Tomomi @didikninithowok @radykoko79 @jaaaaason_kck @nattapon.wannaun @matsushimamakoto @sngbrina @chaohsinzhaoxin (at Yogyakarta) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Uae41hbt6Pwo-rXstdUhvv_lU9-ufX015Oec0/?igshid=1pczp20mez0ks

"Southernmost Festival" in Singapore, signing out. We see you next, Jogjakarta-Bali-Jakarta. See you soon Indonesian friends. :) #soultari #southernmostfestival @emergencystairssg @zuni_icosahedron @sngbrina @liu_xiao_yi @didikninithowok @radykoko79 @nattapon.wannaun @matsushimamakoto (at Centre 42) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4tgrCMB-lJnF_nBFjANVIbtEVdZugw8nDCBRM0/?igshid=uhqinhutztjp

I had a great opportunity teaching a workshop on embodied memories and collective choreography to NAFA BA Theatre Arts students today. This is an initiative brokered by the nice people of @m1sff and coincidentally too the students are also fellow fringe performers this January. I shared a little bit about the impetus of @bhumicollective's "Mak Mak Menari" (both the work and powerful women @makmakmenari who inspired the story) and the students were equally excited as well to share about their process working on "Contemplating Kopitiam & Kampung Wa' Hassan"! I am happy to say that this current workshop or method of creating movement was inspired by someone whose indigenous Australian rights activism I truly admire, Jacob Boehme who imparted his "Memory in Movement" to dans lab participants a few months back. Thank you Abang Jacob for this knowledge. #soultari #365soulgrateful #365grateful #bhumicollective (at NAFA) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4UkvP7hJzH4zOQv2Meyx6aH4B4XttInp6FrQs0/?igshid=144ow46u487ml

Attended two wonderful days of Malay Heritage Centre's workshops on the Javanese Ronggeng and the Sagayan (Maranao War Dance) Very happy to have the MHC including the Mindanao people into the representation of the Malay world! I was analysing alot the movement structures and ethno-choreomusicology of what I was learning. But when the music starts, the body reminds me to just.... "be". #soultari #365soulgrateful #365grateful (at Malay Heritage Centre) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3f2ugyhs9OBb8YD-shRnV1iMGs_Sj4jJZz8t00/?igshid=jt8irhxotk22

I wonder how else am I able to convince people about the importance of reading and to inculcate a love for books. I am grateful Mak has embedded my love for reading since a young age. Read, read, read. This should be a mantra. #soultari #365soulgrateful #365grateful https://www.instagram.com/p/B3BlBwjBQDaIrrg3P0atUTtQig7ZfORpC_8JJc0/?igshid=qnz3iyydv71q