ODISSI maestro Datuk Ramli Ibrahim and Sutra Dance Theatre are back with an out-of-the-ordinary dance showcase that combines science and art this December.
Staged at City Hall Auditorium in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur from Dec 4 to 8, it is 'Meniti Cakerawala — The Science And Romance Of The Cosmos', a multimedia dance theatre production incorporating dance, film, art, music and poetry.
It will be a star-studded, 90-minute "edutainment"and besides Ramli's Sutra dancers, the other stars for the evening will be Muhammad Salleh, Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Mano Maniam, Chacko Vadaketh and artist Jalaini Abu Hassan.
COSMIC
"'Meniti Cakerawala', which promises to take dance fans on a cosmic journey that is wholly Malaysian and surreal, has as its main star prominent astrophysicist Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Othman.
"A gifted storyteller herself, Mazlan, who conceptualised 'Meniti Cakerawala', will unravel the tale of how stars have to die for us to exist and how we are actually made of star stuff," said Ramli.
Ramli added that this production was one of the various local showcases supported by Arts For All Seasons (ArtsFAS) 2024 by Yayasan Hasanah in collaboration with the Finance Ministry.
"'Meniti Cakerawala' was conceived after the launch of Mazlan's book 'Cosmic Connections' at a hotel in Langkawi in 2023.
"It was clear from that launch that 'Cosmic Connections' had the potential of being developed into a full-scale theatre production."
UNIQUE
Mazlan said that as a unique production, 'Meniti Cakerawala' incorporated art by Jalaini, and voices by poet Muhammad Salleh, dramatist Johan and actors Mano and Chacko.
Besides being inspired by her book, the production reveals her contribution to the development of the Malaysia Space Agency and the Langkawi National Observatory.
"It also encourages Malaysians to deepen their knowledge of astronomy and learn how our universe came into being," she said.
CONCEPTS
'Meniti Cakerawala' will have Mazlan herself give an expose on astrophysics, elucidating the scientific concepts behind the creation of our universe.
She will entertain us with how the cosmos has influenced our cultures and beliefs.
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."
Mazlan said it was a first combination of astronomy, poetry, art, music and dance in the country.
"It was never easy to get them together, and it is great that Ramli and I got the right people for the show."
Mazlan has known Ramli since the 1990s and has long been his fan.
However, they only became close friends in the early 2000s.
"My daughter learnt Indian classical dance at Ramli's Sutra Dance Theatre, too," said Mazlan, who has loved music, dance and poetry, since her days as a student in Tunku Kurshiah College, Seremban, Negri Sembilan.
CONVERGENCE
Mazlan said that back then, the country needed scientists and science was her first passion, so she focused on science, letting the arts become her fascinating pastime.
"In the 1990s when I headed the National Planetarium, I introduced a convergence of art and science.
"I got local and international arts practitioners to perform there.
"And there was a memorable space batik contest involving the best of local batik designers.
"This attracted many people to the planetarium," said Mazlan, who will get to perform a song with Ramli in the showcase.
The 90-minute show is actually Mazlan's and Ramli's second season of 'Meniti Cakerawala'.
Last year, the inaugural show was staged in Langkawi as part of the launch of 'Cosmic Connections' there.
Mazlan said: "The Langkawi show was in the open, amid the night sky and stars, and above a lush forest.
"Only 50 people came to the first show and this time it is five nights with 400 people a night."
APPRECIATE
Mazlan said that science and art were actually close and the show was a great way to get Malaysians to appreciate science as it was entertaining.
"We hope to get more Malaysians to appreciate science and take it up as a career," she said.
Guests to the show will learn from the late Carl Sagan, a famous author and astronomer from the United States that the Earth is a small speck of dust in the universe, and humans have no reason to be fighting.
Ramli said that while he was good in science during his schooldays and studied engineering in Australia, he was not really into astronomy, but slowly learnt to appreciate it, after befriending Mazlan.
"The science of creation fascinated me over the years, and I also read a lot about Indian myths of creation and how they are similar to scientific concepts," he said.
Ramli said that there would be 15 dancers, aged from their teens to their 40s in the showcase.
"There are 10 dance pieces which are inspired by the movements of planets and astral bodies, as well as the creation of the universe.
"The dance pieces depict how the cosmos affects and shapes human worldviews," said Ramli who serves as the showcase's artistic director.
"It is great that everyone from the first show is back for the second show."
The showcase's original music is by composer and arranger Dr Valerie Ross, and depicts "spiral movements" of celestial bodies.
"There are two live musicians — Kamarul Baishah and Jayalakshmi Shekhar, both brilliant multi-instrumentalists," said Ramli, adding that the participants would don space-age costumes designed by Leslie Variyan.
"'Meniti Cakerawala' is Sutra's biggest stage performance of the year and its first to delve into the subject of astronomy."