Starting this month the Malay Heritage Centre kicks (pardon the pun) off a series of cultural performances, starting today (1 May 2006) and Election Day (6 May) with Sriwana.

Sriwana is one of Singapore’s oldest Malay performing arts group, with sections in dance, drama and dikir barat. So it was fitting for them to start of the cultural performances at the Malay Heritage Centre on the Labour Day Holiday.

Do you know that the Malay dance tradition is regionally-based? From what I learnt at today’s performance, Malay dance has five distinct “moods”, like the gentle inang, the arab-influenced zapin and the faster-paced joget. Different regions, and even kampungs, would have their own distinct styles, even when keeping to the five “moods”. Sriwana performed a couple of dances from Karimun, an island some 30km southwest of Singapore that is part of Indonesia today.

At the end of the show, there was even audience participation involved and you’ll be invited up to learn a few moves yourself. It was particularly enjoyable and eye-opening to be introducd to see such a diversity of dance forms within one particular culture. It was a pity the rain washed the performance indoors – it was originally intended to be performed outdoors, and I’d bet that it would be really quite colourful. But fret not, our next public holiday is on 6 May (this Saturday!) and Sriwana will be at the Malay Heritage Centre so catch them there at 5.00pm!

Malay Heritage Centre
85 Sultan Gate
Singapore 198501