Fostering the love for traditional dance in children

Tunas Tari accepts students from the age of four, but enthusiastic parents have sent even younger children. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, November 23, 2015.Leaving a satisfying 15-year corporate career was surprisingly easy for Fazlin Abu Hassan Shaari, especially when she discovered a calling that tied in perfectly with a passion for the arts and, specifically, traditional dance.

In August this year, Fazlin along with five other high school friends started Tunas Tari, a traditional dance school for children, with the aim to preserve and instill an appreciation for Malaysian culture and heritage.

“It was very challenging for me to find something that can bring me equal or more satisfaction,” said Fazlin of her decision to leave the corporate world.

The dancer, who is rooted in traditional Malay dance, said she realised there was a real need for an integrated traditional dance centre to educate people and to keep the art forms alive.

“There is a perception that the local traditional dance is inferior compared to ballet, dubstep or modern so we are not an obvious choice,” she said.

“If we don't try to increase awareness and interest, it (traditional dance) will slowly die an unsound death.”

Tunas Tari first started offering classes in Malay traditional dance in August, but they are looking to expand into various other types of dance like Chinese, Indian and ethnic dances.

But more than that, they strive to be a hub for programmes that focus on local culture.

These include field trips, craft sessions, folklore readings and traditional games.

“We're slowly trying to build a truly Malaysian syllabus because I think art should transcend all barriers,” Fazlin (pic, left) said in an interview with The Malaysian Insider recently.

“I think we should all learn to appreciate and embrace our multiculturalism.”

Keeping children rooted

Apart from her love for traditional dance, Fazlin said she wanted to target children for her dance centre because she noticed that alot of the young were increasingly becoming introverts and preoccupied with gadgets.

“I think there are not enough enrichment activities out there that can help build interpersonal skills and confidence,” she said.

“At least we can be a centre where for one and a half hours during practice, the phones are away and they get to interact with other children.”

Mona Iryani (pic, right), 40, who enrolled her 10-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter in Tunas Tari, loved the idea of the dance school.

“One, I want to introduce them to our traditional dance. Secondly, I want to instill confidence in themselves,” she said, adding that her kids enjoyed the classes. In fact, they performed publicly in Mid Valley just last month.

While Tunas Tari accepts students from the age of four, enthusiastic parents have sent even younger children. Fazlin recalls a three-year-old attending classes and dancing in her diapers.

Munir Ismail's (pic, left) daughter was only three and a half when she first started. Now almost four, curly-haired Raina Emelda is a familiar face and completely at ease in the centre.

He said the benefit of the classes were the physical exercise.

“The way I see it, my daughter is small so dancing could improve her hand-eye coordination and movement,” he said.

“I think it's also a good thing to expose my children to,” he added.

Fazlin said many parents told her that they saw the dance school as a way of keeping their children rooted in their culture.

“A lot of children go to international schools and they might be limited in their exposure to local culture.

“There are also a lot of parents coming back from overseas who want their children to know their roots," she said.

With schools in Taman Melawati, Country Heights Kajang and Sri Hartamas, those who are interested to find out more about their programmes and classes can visit www.tunastari.com. – November 23, 2015.