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DATE
17 OCT 2009, SAT -
18 OCT 2009, SUN
18 OCT 2009, SUN
TIME
8pm
(100mins, with intermission)
(100mins, with intermission)
VENUE
Theatre Studio
PRICE
$30
Concessions: for students: $19
for NSF and senior citizens: $25 Ticket Sales starts : 19 Aug 2009
Concessions: for students: $19
for NSF and senior citizens: $25 Ticket Sales starts : 19 Aug 2009
SYNOPSIS
"Nature blossoms as a guide..."– Eri Mefri
The low-lying coastal plains of Western Sumatra and its hinterland of swamps and volcanic peaks make up their hometown of Padang, Indonesia, where the matriarchal culture of the Minangkabau is both bane and comfort to its community.
The low-lying coastal plains of Western Sumatra and its hinterland of swamps and volcanic peaks make up their hometown of Padang, Indonesia, where the matriarchal culture of the Minangkabau is both bane and comfort to its community.
These lands whisper stories of the villagers’ hopes and dreams, their desire for a better life and the strong bond they have with their families despite their very resentment of the relationships within.
This dance in two parts traces the travels and travails of a migrant community of Padang.
Part One explores the underlying tension that plagues villagers in a small Minangkabau village, namely the desire to leave the matriarchal community to seek their fortune in foreign lands. Part Two presents the experiences of those who have already left their hometown, yet still feel an inexorable pull towards the culture that they left behind.
Choreographer Ery Mefri’s dancers accompany their performance with their own minimalist vocal percussions and weave contemporary movements with typical folkloric motifs of the Minangkabau, most notably, “plate dance” and the pants-slapping rhythms of randai.
