DANCING FOR THE LORD JESUS!

Yeah....You could never imagined it. But ASMARADNA is one of my favourite contemporary Malay dance with Javanese (pre-indonesian) influence. ASMARADANA, song & dance popularized by famous Malaysian actress, Tiara Jacquelina from the motion picture "Puteri Gunung Ledang" (Princess of the Ledang Mountain)

"Puteri Gunung Ledang" is a 2004 Malaysian fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin and based on a Malay legend about a javanese Princess who was sent to marry the Malaccan Sultan but ended up in a forbidden love affair with the Sultan's admiral (warrior) named Hang Tuah. Numerous attempts were made by the Malaccan Sultan to court her whereby she finally agreed only on the condition if the sultan fulfills seven prohibitive conditions:

* A bridge made of pure gold from Malacca to Mount Ledang;
* Another bridge made of pure silver from Mount Ledang to Malacca;
* Seven trays (dulang) of the hearts of mosquitoes;
* Seven trays (dulang) of the hearts of the germs;
* Seven jars (tempayan) of the juice of young betel nuts (
(Note: Young betel nuts do not have juice);
* Seven jars (tempayan) of the tears of the virgins
* One bowl of blood from his fondest and only son, Sultan Ahmad.

Finally the sultan realizes her conditions were in fact an indirect refusal of his proposal. In anger he cursed her stating that from next sunlight whomsoever sees the princess will die coughing blood. Thus she was banished into the Gunung Ledang. The asmaradana song and dance is about the forbidden and tragic love story between the princess and the warrior.


Tiara at Performance at AIM 2005


MTV style:


Another version done by students...


Trailer of the movie:


Clips from the musical done in 2006



Now would'nt you want to see the movie/ musical?
Anyone out there has other interesting contemporary fusion traditional dances? Please share with us!