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New Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Space and dance' go on nationwide tour
LAST year, Odissi dance maestro Datuk Ramli Ibrahim and Sutra Foundation teamed up for the first time with acclaimed astrophysicist Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Othman for 'Meniti Cakerawala'. This out-of-the-ordinary dance showcase combined science and art, and was well received by Malaysians from all walks of life. STAR-STUDDED Staged at City Hall Auditorium in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur from Dec 4 to 8, 'Meniti Cakerawala was a multimedia dance theatre production incorporating dance, film, art, music and poetry. This star-studded, 90-minute "edutainment" showcase also featured poets Muhammad Haji Salleh and Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, actors the late Mano Maniam and Chacko Vadaketh and artist Jalaini Abu Hassan, with original music by composer and arranger Dr Valerie Ross and a live performance by multi-instrumentalists Kamarul Baisah and Jayalakshmi Sekhar. HIT In a recent interview with NST, Mazlan who served as the main narrator said: "The show received the thumbs-up from many guests, they all loved it. "We did not expect it to be such a hit with arts lovers, and it was memorable for me as I danced and sang in space age costumes designed by Leslie Variyan." Mazlan added that the guests felt that she should "learn to dance better", but her narration was perfect. "My daughter said that I was stiff on stage when I danced, so a second time will make things better. "Our guests also suggested that the show visit other major cities around the country," said Mazlan. VOYAGE Fans of Mazlan and Ramli can once again catch 'Meniti Cakerawala' this year, beginning from July 18 as it is set to embark on its second season and "maiden voyage" around the country. The 8.30pm showcase will be staged at Taman Budaya Melaka on July 18, Ikeda Peace Auditorium of Soka International School Malaysia in Seremban on July 19, Kuala Lumpur City Hall from July 25 to 27, Permaisuri Zarith Sofia Opera House in Johor Bahru on Aug 2, Soka Gakkai Malaysia in Klang on Aug 9, Soka Gakkai Malaysia in Bayan Lepas, Penang on Aug 15, Kuching Lake Park Theatre on Aug 17, and the Culture Arts and Heritage Department in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 7. TIGHTER Ramli said: "It's going to be the same, only tighter, and we're retaining the great New Age music from the first season. "There won't be any new segments, and all the musicians will be back. "The only change is that there will be 7 new dancers, and the number of dancers will now be 12 instead of 15." EXHIBITION Ramli also said that there will be a new exhibition outside each venue, titled Cosmic Connections. This painting exhibition is presented by the Spektra Group. Ramli said: "Many of the guests were very impressed with Mazlan. They thought she was only going to be a narrator, and had glowing praise for her singing and dancing. "It was also her first time singing on big stage, and that duet we had, Tan Sri P. Ramlee's Malam Bulan was splendid." IMPRESSED Mazlan, who described the show as a "cosmic journey that is wholly Malaysian and surreal", learnt that dancing is never easy but "good to try". "I finally did it after five nights, and Ramli was so impressed," she said. "Rehearsals are now going on almost daily, and while I was a bit nervous before the first show, I've learnt to accept my limitations and will strive to do better, for it is always good to learn something new." BOUNDARIES Ramli said that while he and Mazlan (who is also a trustee of Ramli's Sutra Foundation) are "poles apart in work", they are like-minded in that they do not believe in "boundaries". "This show tells us that it is perfectly feasible to combine science and dance or the arts. "It is great to make science part of showbiz as it entertains and need not be fearsome or dry," he said. MESSAGE Mazlan said that fans of the show loved its catchy message "we are all made of star stuff", and praised Sutra's Dance Of Creation as metaphorically beautiful. "The message conveyed by 'Meniti Cakerawala' is deep, and brings lots of questions for us to ponder. It tells us that we have a lot to learn, that we are a speck in the universe and should learn to accept each other," she said. Ramli is optimistic that more Malaysians will attend 'Meniti Cakerawala' this time. "We had about 1,500 guests in the first season, and this time I'm sure there'll be more. "If all goes well, we might take 'Meniti Cakerawala' to Thailand and India at year's end." BRAINCHILD 'Meniti Cakerawala' is the brainchild of Mazlan, and encourages Malaysians to deepen their knowledge of astronomy and learn how the universe came into being. Ramli said: "In her work, Mazlan has always emphasised her strong belief in the notion that art and science are intimately and complementarily related. "Indeed, it will blast off audiences on a cosmic journey of the senses and may even answer their questions on the meaning of life." He added: "There are 10 dance pieces which are inspired by the movements of planets and astral bodies, as well as the creation of the universe.
Free Malaysia Today
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
An astrophysicist and dance icon unite for a stellar journey through space
Dancers in a segment dedicated to the sun, the maker of the day. (Sutra Foundation pics) KUALA LUMPUR : Though often seen as separate realms, the arts and sciences are in fact two sides of the same creative coin. Both, after all, seek to explore, understand, and interpret the magic of the world. Often, magic happens when the two come together. This is clearly illustrated by upcoming theatre production 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0', where Malaysia's first astrophysicist Mazlan Othman joins forces with dance legend Ramli Ibrahim and his Sutra Foundation, for an awe-inspiring production combining music, dance, film and art. Prepare for a stellar experience as Mazlan and her team explore the science and romance of the cosmos, and the interconnectedness of art and science. 'In the eyes of the heavens, we are all nothing. We are nothing but a speck of dust, a blink in the lifespan of the universe. So why do we keep on fighting each other?' Mazlan told FMT Lifestyle. 'I think this show has a very timely message, as it calls towards a universal humanity, for coming together in this difficult age the world is facing now.' A segment illustrating the conjoining of male and female principles in the myth of creation. (Sutra Foundation pic) According to Ramli, the show's artistic director, the idea for the show was sparked after the launch of Mazlan's book 'Cosmic Connections' in 2023. Reading it, he was convinced it would make a fine multimedia theatrical adaptation. 'We hope to have as many young people come to watch it, to hopefully inspire them to take a deeper interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),' he told FMT Lifestyle. 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0' will focus on Mazlan's journey and contributions to Malaysia's scientific landscape, including her work with the Malaysian Space Agency and the founding of the Langkawi National Observatory. Mazlan herself will serve as storyteller, aided by 12 Sutra Foundation dancers and musicians Kamarul Baisah and Jayalakshmi Sekhar. 'When Ramli first suggested this, I was frightened! I expected to just be in the background, not upfront on stage! 'But I've more or less overcome that fear now. And I see now why it's important for me to be up there, telling my story and the story of the cosmos,' Mazlan said. Both Mazlan Othman and Ramli Ibrahim hope the audience will feel a deep connection with the universe through the 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0' performance. (Sutra Foundation pics) The first version of the show premiered in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024, receiving rave reviews. Now, 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0' will embark on an eight-city Malaysian tour from next month until September, making stops in Melaka, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Klang, Bayan Lepas, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. For a show centred on stars, it's only fitting that it has a star-studded roster of collaborators on board. 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0' will feature music by avant-garde composer Valerie Ross, fashion design by Leslie Variyan, lighting and set by Sivarajah Natarajan, and photography by S Magendran. Other artistic collaborators are poet laureate Haji Salleh, artist Jalaini Abu Hassan, dramatist Johan Jaaffar, and actors Chacko Vadaketh and the late Mano Maniam, whose performance was recorded before his passing. Transforming astronomical principles into dance choreography sounds like it would be a complicated task, but Ramli gamely decided to take up the challenge. In this segment, Mazlan expresses her dream to be wrapped in the cosmic cloths of the heavens. (Sutra Foundation pic) 'Dance is metaphor. And in the great book of Natya Shastra, it says there is no concept or axiom that cannot be depicted as dance. 'Even the concepts such as creation, polar opposites, or equilibrium can be expressed through movement, sometimes far more effectively than through words,' Ramli said. One highlight of the show will be an exploration of how celestial bodies have influenced the cultural traditions of various ethnic groups. 'We live by the sun, and love by the moon, so to speak. The sun is the maker of the day, the witness of deeds. At the same time, we found there was so much Malay music, especially love songs, that was inspired by the moon,' Ramli said. Mazlan and Ramli said they were hoping to take the show to India, as well as other destinations such as Singapore and Thailand. 'It's a show that will definitely appeal to the thinking public. I hope audiences take the message that they feel materially and physically connected to the heavens. Ultimately, we are all made of 'star stuff',' Mazlan concluded. Stay tuned for more information on the theatre production of 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0'. (Sutra Foundation pic) For more information on 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0', visit the Sutra Foundation's website.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘We're all star stuff': Dance legend Ramli Ibrahim and Malaysia's first astrophysicist unfold the cosmos in ‘Meniti Cakerawala'
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Stars may be light years away from us, yet people across the board share the same adoration for them. Stars feature everywhere in human life — right from nursery rhymes, to lovelorn songs and even corny rom-coms. Dance legend Datuk Ramli Ibrahim says the fascination isn't surprising at all since humans and stars are made up of the same thing. This is the story behind Meniti Cakerawala — a multi-media dance-music-theatre production by Ramli's Sutra Foundation and led by Malaysia's first astrophysicist Tan Sri Mazlan Othman. 'There's great romance about the creation of the universe, including the fact that you and I are made of the star-stuff, as Carl Sagan would say,' Ramli told Malay Mail when met recently. Sagan, an American astronomer, wrote in 1973 that humans are 'made of star-stuff' because the elements in our bodies trace their origins to ancient stars. Dance maestro Datuk Ramli Ibrahim said unfolding the story of cosmos through dance was apt since the central theme of creation revolves around 'marriage of the opposites'. — Picture courtesy of Sutra Foundation Mazlan echoes Sagan's theory in her book, Cosmic Connections (2023), which compiles images of celestial objects taken from the Langkawi National Observatory (LNO). In the book, Mazlan describes the birth of stars and how their death gives birth to the cosmos and Malaysia's encounters with celestial objects, including a meteorite strike that had shaped the legendary Mahsuri Rings in Langkawi. 'We are materially connected to space, as Sagan pointed out. 'Imagine this: We are made from the same atoms that make the stars. The atoms are inanimate. So, isn't it a miracle that humans, made from the same inanimate atoms as stars, can consciously think and wonder?' she said. The book also incorporated poems from National Laureate Dr Muhammad Haji Salleh and artworks from award-winning artist Jalaini Abu Hassan. Why dance? Since Mazlan regarded the book as a 'labour of love' of both science and the arts, she wanted to perform the content as part of the book launch. After consulting her friend Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Mazlan roped in Ramli to dramatise the content with dance and music. 'I knew I couldn't fail because Ramli was dancing. There was no room for failure,' Mazlan said. 'Meniti Cakerawala' premiered for a week at the Auditorium Bandaraya in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024. — Picture courtesy of Sutra Foundation The first show took place beneath the star-studded sky at Ambong-Ambong Resort in Langkawi, close to the Tepor Island where the Mahsuri Rings formed after a meteorite strike. Seeing that the performance had a greater potential, Ramli and Johan convinced Mazlan to turn it into a full-fledged stage production, leading to Meniti Cakerawala. This time, however, Ramli wanted to 'look at the cosmos from Mazlan's window' by intertwining her journey into astrophysics with the creation of the cosmos. 'Marrying the opposites' Ramli said unfolding the story of cosmos through dance was apt since the central theme of creation revolves around 'marriage of the opposites'. 'I really feel that the mystics have always realised that something manifests from the un-manifested only when there is a pull of opposites, like positive and negative, purusha and prakriti (in Vedic philosophy) as well as yin and yang (in Chinese philosophy). 'So, I used a lot of metaphors to illustrate this,' he said. The 90-minute production consists of four phases and 12 dancers. Mazlan, as the storyteller, weaves the story of cosmos together with her discovery of astrophysics. The second season will kick off on July 18 in Melaka and will premiere in a total of eight states, including Sabah and Sarawak. — Picture courtesy of Sutra Foundation In the first phase, Mazlan narrates her childhood favourite poem — He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by William Butler Yeats — as dancers re-enact the early days of her fascination for astronomy. The second phase is focused on narrating the origin of the universe while the third phase explores civilisational and cultural beliefs related to astronomy. The show concludes with Mazlan leading the audience to ponder on the larger meaning of life in the universe. Meniti Cakerawala premiered for a week at the Auditorium Bandaraya in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024. The second season will kick off on July 18 in Melaka and will premiere in a total of eight states, including Sabah and Sarawak. Ramli said discussions for a world tour are also underway, with plans to stage the production in India this November. Other countries that could be part of the world tour include Thailand and Singapore. The dance maestro hopes that Meniti Cakerawala will inspire students to pursue STEM-related careers, and dispel the notion that science and arts operate in silos. 'STEM does not necessarily have to be cut-and-dry. As an engineering graduate, I think there is a creative process in the discoveries and innovations that occur in science,' he said.
Malay Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
‘We're all star stuff': Dance legend Ramli Ibrahim and Malaysia's first astrophysicist unfold the cosmos in ‘Meniti Cakerawala'
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Stars may be light years away from us, yet people across the board share the same adoration for them. Stars feature everywhere in human life — right from nursery rhymes, to lovelorn songs and even corny rom-coms. Dance legend Datuk Ramli Ibrahim says the fascination isn't surprising at all since humans and stars are made up of the same thing. This is the story behind Meniti Cakerawala — a multi-media dance-music-theatre production by Ramli's Sutra Foundation and led by Malaysia's first astrophysicist Tan Sri Mazlan Othman. 'There's great romance about the creation of the universe, including the fact that you and I are made of the star-stuff, as Carl Sagan would say,' Ramli told Malay Mail when met recently. Sagan, an American astronomer, wrote in 1973 that humans are 'made of star-stuff' because the elements in our bodies trace their origins to ancient stars. Dance maestro Datuk Ramli Ibrahim said unfolding the story of cosmos through dance was apt since the central theme of creation revolves around 'marriage of the opposites'. — Picture courtesy of Sutra Foundation Mazlan echoes Sagan's theory in her book, Cosmic Connections (2023), which compiles images of celestial objects taken from the Langkawi National Observatory (LNO). In the book, Mazlan describes the birth of stars and how their death gives birth to the cosmos and Malaysia's encounters with celestial objects, including a meteorite strike that had shaped the legendary Mahsuri Rings in Langkawi. 'We are materially connected to space, as Sagan pointed out. 'Imagine this: We are made from the same atoms that make the stars. The atoms are inanimate. So, isn't it a miracle that humans, made from the same inanimate atoms as stars, can consciously think and wonder?' she said. The book also incorporated poems from National Laureate Dr Muhammad Haji Salleh and artworks from award-winning artist Jalaini Abu Hassan. Why dance? Since Mazlan regarded the book as a 'labour of love' of both science and the arts, she wanted to perform the content as part of the book launch. After consulting her friend Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Mazlan roped in Ramli to dramatise the content with dance and music. 'I knew I couldn't fail because Ramli was dancing. There was no room for failure,' Mazlan said. 'Meniti Cakerawala' premiered for a week at the Auditorium Bandaraya in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024. — Picture courtesy of Sutra Foundation The first show took place beneath the star-studded sky at Ambong-Ambong Resort in Langkawi, close to the Tepor Island where the Mahsuri Rings formed after a meteorite strike. Seeing that the performance had a greater potential, Ramli and Johan convinced Mazlan to turn it into a full-fledged stage production, leading to Meniti Cakerawala. This time, however, Ramli wanted to 'look at the cosmos from Mazlan's window' by intertwining her journey into astrophysics with the creation of the cosmos. 'Marrying the opposites' Ramli said unfolding the story of cosmos through dance was apt since the central theme of creation revolves around 'marriage of the opposites'. 'I really feel that the mystics have always realised that something manifests from the un-manifested only when there is a pull of opposites, like positive and negative, purusha and prakriti (in Vedic philosophy) as well as yin and yang (in Chinese philosophy). 'So, I used a lot of metaphors to illustrate this,' he said. The 90-minute production consists of four phases and 12 dancers. Mazlan, as the storyteller, weaves the story of cosmos together with her discovery of astrophysics. The second season will kick off on July 18 in Melaka and will premiere in a total of eight states, including Sabah and Sarawak. — Picture courtesy of Sutra Foundation In the first phase, Mazlan narrates her childhood favourite poem — He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by William Butler Yeats — as dancers re-enact the early days of her fascination for astronomy. The second phase is focused on narrating the origin of the universe while the third phase explores civilisational and cultural beliefs related to astronomy. The show concludes with Mazlan leading the audience to ponder on the larger meaning of life in the universe. Meniti Cakerawala premiered for a week at the Auditorium Bandaraya in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024. The second season will kick off on July 18 in Melaka and will premiere in a total of eight states, including Sabah and Sarawak. Ramli said discussions for a world tour are also underway, with plans to stage the production in India this November. Other countries that could be part of the world tour include Thailand and Singapore. The dance maestro hopes that Meniti Cakerawala will inspire students to pursue STEM-related careers, and dispel the notion that science and arts operate in silos. 'STEM does not necessarily have to be cut-and-dry. As an engineering graduate, I think there is a creative process in the discoveries and innovations that occur in science,' he said.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Sivam Selvaratnam's kaleidoscopic Malay canvas
A picture of zen. This is how most remember the late Malaysian artist Sivam Selvaratnam, a pioneering female voice in the still-growing melting pot that is post-Independence Malayan art. The 'zen' was not just limited to her personality — her canvases spoke of a quiet confidence. Deeply meditative at times, and unpredictable at others, the artist's body of work spanned genres and mediums, resulting in an oeuvre that resonated with many. Over 200 works from Sivam's six-decades-long career, curated by Sivarajah Natarajan and Cyril Periera of Sutra Foundation (dedicated to promoting and preserving traditional and contemporary performing arts), have recently been consolidated into a book. Sivam Selvaratnam: A Life in Art charts the artist and teacher's life, more than 10 years since her passing. 'When I was studying at the Malaysian Institute of Art, I was introduced to art history. We don't have a history like India, but there was a group founded by Sir Peter Harris, an Englishman [in 1952],' says Sivarajah, over a phone call from Kuala Lumpur. 'This was the first art group that was formed, and they would gather every Wednesday and paint.' The Wednesday Art Group attempted to break away from Eurocentric traditions and platformed artists with distinctive, modern styles. Sivam was one of its key members. 'When my lecturer mentioned the name, I was fascinated at how Indian-sounding it was,' says Sivarajah, recalling his first brush with the artist. Into a world of colour Born in Kajang, Malaysia, to parents of Sri Lankan Tamil origins, Sivam grew up surrounded by rubber plantations, tropical sunshine and abundant monsoons. And so, nestled deep in her canvases, be it realist or abstract, were the greens and browns that were hard to miss. But before entering the world of colours, she pursued a degree in teaching in Malaysia, and continued her studies in the Manchester College of Art and Design (now Manchester Metropolitan University) and with a Masters in Art and Design at the University of London. Sivam's early western influences were that of Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky and Swiss-German artist Paul Klee. And from the Indian Modernists, the Bengal School of Art and artist Raja Ravi Varma. In 2012, Sivarajah led a curation of all of the artist's work, marking Sivam's first solo show ever. Titled Rapt in Maya, it was displayed at the Universiti Malaya Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. During the course of the curation, over lemon cream biscuits, Sivarajah and Sivam would talk at length about the creative process behind each work done over years spent in travel with her husband. Some of her most noted works such as the Colour of Rain series, Self Portraits, MetamorphosisandIridescence, and Twilight Raga, are featured in this volume. Her family, whose personal accounts enrich the book, lends insights into the artist's personal life and values. Lakshmi Selvaratnam, her eldest daughter-in-law, fondly shares: 'My earliest recollection of her as an artist was at her home when we were children. They [her paintings] were colourful and abstract, unlike anything that you saw on walls at the time.' For Lakshmi, Sivam's sense of shapes and colour was a point of intrigue. 'Sometimes, some pieces become a blend of sound and colour, and very much an expression of her inner self,' she says. On the other hand, her observational sketches and drawings show her penchant for planning and execution, and perhaps held up a mirror to her love for teaching. Instinctive and curious Sivam was multi-faceted. 'We cannot frame her into one genre. She was very adventurous,' says Sivarajah. She was passionate about textile, jewellery design, and printmaking — dabbling in both linocut and woodcut printing. How she analyses colour theory in her abstracts stayed with Sivarajah. 'A regular to Chennai's annual Margazhi festival, she was influenced by Carnatic music and the ragas.' An educationist, she was always a teacher at heart, which also spoke to her perfectionist approach to art studies. 'She was instinctive, and always curious,' says Lakshmi. The artist's final piece of work titled Curioser (2014) — which reveals her unique exploration of memories through hieroglyphic symbols (and makes up the cover of this book) — is now at the National Art Gallery, along with another work titled Malapetaka (1962). Peppered with artworks and personal essays, the book charts a life well spent in the company of art. 'Sivam Selvaratnam: A Life in Art' is on shelves now. The journalist is based in Chennai.
