Dancing

Although small in stature, my body had learned to move with amazing flexibility. At the tender age of five, my increasing enthusiasm for dance led to my initiating self practice in front of the mirror. I twirled and swayed and pranced and kicked; I waved and fluttered my hands in various angles; fascinated myself as I explored the different positions my body could contort into. However, my parents had yet to be convinced that it meant anything at all, let alone believe it to be signs of natural talent. They simply thought it as natural-child-reflexes.

Nevertheless time proved otherwise. As I grew older, my talent became more apparent. Unfortunately, financial difficulties had withheld any opportunity to attend a dance school. Consequently, I grabbed every chance that came along to participate in any dance classes or even performances.

On that fateful September in 1983, I filled in for an audition to perform in the annual 'Malaysian's young talents fiesta' (MYTF).

A man and a woman performing a modern dance.

Saman dance, from Aceh, here performed in Borobudu...

performance

The next week, I received a call from the MYTF organizers to come and try out for my role. I was rather apprehensive of the fact that I had no professional training; but, I rebutted the thought and mustered enough courage to show up.

At the audition, I performed a dance that took me three weeks to choreograph. My last few movements had me prostrate on the floor. I pulled myself together with a gradual and then subtle turn, coiling my body into a ball. Slowly, I released and ascended my leg in the air and made my final leap. I executed my landing with accuracy and gracefulness as I positioned my arms and lifted my head into the air.

On the actual staging of the performance, I was commended to be the most outstanding performer on stage. Impressed, they offered...