GENGGAMAN celebrates Malaysia’s multicultural dance heritage

Following its premiere in Klang, collaborative dance production GENGGAMAN will continue its Malaysian tour with performances in Kuala Lumpur from 23 to 25 October, followed by a show in Seremban on 31 October.

The production brings together Sutra Foundation, Dua Space Dance Theatre and DiDance, combining Indian classical dance, Malay traditional and contemporary dance, and Chinese-influenced Malaysian contemporary dance in a shared performance celebrating the country’s cultural diversity.

Jointly choreographed by Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, Anthony Meh, Aman Yap and Zaridah Abdul Mallik, GENGGAMAN explores how distinct dance traditions can retain their individual identities while creating connections through movement, music and performance.

Its premiere took place on 9 October at the Soka Gakkai Malaysia Selangor Culture Centre in Klang. The production featured dancers from the three companies, presenting their respective artistic styles in a collaborative setting.

Rather than merging the traditions into a single form, the production seeks to highlight their distinctive characteristics while exploring their shared cultural connections.

Three dance traditions share one stage

The Kuala Lumpur performances will take place at Sutra House in Titiwangsa at 8.30pm on 23, 24 and 25 October. The production will then move to Auditorium D’Sury at Kompleks Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN) in Seremban on 31 October, also at 8.30pm.

A special lecture-demonstration, titled “Behind the Making of GENGGAMAN”, will give audiences an opportunity to learn about the creative process behind the production. The session will feature the three artistic directors discussing the challenges, decisions and discoveries involved in developing the collaboration.

The project brings together different approaches to dance and choreography, offering audiences an opportunity to experience the range of Malaysian artistic expression within one production.

Organisers have framed GENGGAMAN around the idea that cultural differences need not be erased for communities to find common ground. Through the performance, the participating companies aim to explore how distinct traditions can coexist and contribute to a shared cultural identity.

Dance production supports stray animal welfare

Beyond its artistic programme, GENGGAMAN is supporting the TNVRM Project in the Section 17 and Section 16 areas of Petaling Jaya. The initiative promotes a more humane approach to managing stray dogs and cats through trapping, neutering, vaccination, release and ongoing management.

An auction of paintings celebrating animals will also raise funds for the initiative, extending the project’s community engagement beyond the stage.

The collaboration brings together cultural performance and a local animal-welfare effort, reflecting the organisers’ broader interpretation of connection and shared responsibility.

Tickets for the Seremban performance are available through CloudJoi at https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/7327-genggaman/. For the Kuala Lumpur performances, enquiries and ticket information are available from Sutra Foundation at +6019-333 1092 or [email protected].