By Farah Nadhira Zairi
KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- A dance drama production for children entitled 'Ellie & the Forbidden Fruit' will be staged on Aug 5 at KuAsh Theatre, Pusat Kreatif Kanak-kanak Tuanku Bainun.
Tunas Tari, in a statement said, it was inspired by a masterpiece of a children’s storybook, Gajah Sejati (published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in 1997), and reached out to the author and illustrator, renowned Malaysian artist-cum-writer, Mohd Yusof Ismail, fondly known as Yusof Gajah, to bring a dance drama adaptation of the book to stage.
The story revolves around a curious elephant which, prompted by its stubbornness and perhaps some discontentment with being just an elephant, fails to heed prior cautions and defies ancient lore by eating the forbidden fruit. It finds itself changing from one strange animal to another, inviting challenges along the way.
Tunas Tari Executive Director, Fazlin Abu Hassan Shaari said, "A number of children today are glued to their electronic devices and hand phones. The book Gajah Sejati is chosen to encourage children to appreciate local storybooks with moral values and the works of local authors/ illustrators, such as Pak Yusof, who deserve to be celebrated as our national icon pursuant to the worldwide reach and recognition of his work."
"Due to the present situation where children lack reading habits and are less aware of the treasures we have in local storybooks, Tunas Tari aims to nurture their reading habits, by marrying our love for traditional dance and create awareness on the existence of local storybooks, Malaysian art/ illustrations, celebrating the beauty of the rich Malaysian arts and culture," said Fazlin.
MAJESTIC ELEPHANT
Synonymous with the name, Yusof Gajah’s constant inspiration or muse in his artistic career is the majestic elephant.
He is an advocate of a movement called naive art for decades now, which is a form of creative expression which sees the world in a simplified and idiosyncratic manner, not taking into account the rules of proportions and perspective. He has a deep and abiding love for children’s books and finds solace in working with children.
"Gajah Sejati is a special book to me. Its simple yet engaging storyline is filled with values and lessons. The engaging illustrations have made it an evergreen read even though it has been published as early as 1997," reflected Pak Yusof.
He added, "To me, art is very wide in scope and creativity extends to a number of realms be it paintings, dances, music, handicrafts and it transcends into multiple dimensions."
"Life without art is an empty one. To children and the young ones, be creative and embrace Malaysia’s multi-cultural dynamics to be the best versions of yourselves. To the founders and children of Tunas Tari, keep the arts alive, through your love for traditional dance and the wider context of the arts in general."
VARIETY OF DANCES
A total of 43 children as young as 4 years old to the teens will form the cast and ensemble of Ellie & the Forbidden Fruit. They will be showcasing a variety of dances including traditional, court and creative dances such as Dendang Inang, Ikan Kekek, Joget, Gah Si Jah, Orak Boyak and Layang Ketitir which have been choreographed by their coaches.
In addition, Chinese Dragon Dance entitled Fei Long Zai Tian, Indian Dance inspired piece called Rakshasa and other contemporary pieces shall add a fresh flavour to illuminate the production.
The 60-minute dance drama performance showcases eleven dance segments led by the elephant character called Ellie, which changes into different animal forms and supported by the ensemble dancing as villagers, guardians of the strange tree and other flora and fauna elements to support the story.
Ellie & the Forbidden Fruit will be staged at 3 pm and 5 pm at KuAsh Theatre, Pusat Kreatif Kanak-kanak Tuanku Bainun, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
Ticket prices range between RM35-RM70 (before ticketing agent handling fee) and are available at ticket2u.com.my at the link https://www.ticket2u.com.my/event/11266/ellie-the-forbidden-fruit-by-tunas-tari .
For more information on Tunas Tari, like its Facebook page ‘Tunas Tari’, follow its Instagram account @tunastari’ or email the Tunas Tari team at enquiries@tunastari.com .
-- BERNAMA
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