FUSE#2

Element#2
BAHASA KOREOGRAFI
The Lenggang as Entry
into Cross-Gender
Performance Research
and Practice
by Soultari Amin Farid
I questioned about my queer self in performing the Lenggang
especially since I contend that my effeminate nature gives me
access and competency to perform the gendered variations
of the “Lenggang”. At the same time via an emic lens as a
dancer and choreographer within the Singapore Malay
dance art world, I am very informed about the conventions
and taboos of how the Lenggang should and should not be
performed. The issue of gender takes prominence because
of its gender-rigid conventions and the heteronormative
narrative of the courtship between an adolescent man and
woman.
It is expected that the female Lenggang demonstrates the
qualities of an ideal Malay woman who is demure, fragile and
cautious of her every movement. She consumes smaller
spaces thus her movement should not be big, i.e. not as big
as her male counterpart, she does not look directly at him
but offers occasional glances of interest -- most times her
eyes are directed downwards. Her hips are her most
important asset, she controls it and manoeuvres it at will –
the extent of her hip motion provides labels to be imposed
on her. The subtle hip motions depict a chaste woman as
oppose to vigorous motions which may give the impression
of a woman who is wild and flirtatious.
I showed examples later from dance manual books published in the early 60s of
Malay social dances and choreographed couple dances. Within the book, notation
of ballroom shoe icons showed where the feet should move but there was no
indication about how the upper limbs should be. Instead the descriptions of hand
and arms gestures are written as text.
One of the manuals entitled “Chara Menari Ronggeng dan
Mak Inang” (1965), provides this example. In the book it is
written that,
“when dancing please do not allow hands to be stiff.
Dancing means to move with the whole body gracefully. So
when we move forward with right feet, the right hand must
sway to the back, as if walking. The left then must sway to
the front, when the feet is in front as mentioned. When
swaying hands, the shoulder must follow the direction of the
hand that is swaying. Whenever we sway our hands, ensure
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that the hands are bent a little bit. Do not make it too straight,
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so that it does not look stiff.” (2)
In addition, it is advised too that, “the steps of the ladies are
similar to that of the gentlemen. The only difference is when
the gentlemen’s initial step forward is on the right, the ladies
will step left backwards. It is necessary that the ladies
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perform the dance gracefully” (2).
The male Lenggang is executed big with wider swinging
arms and rigorous feet motions. He focuses is vision on his
female counterpart giving the impression that she is the
apple of his eye. His movements ranges from the sharp
motions found in Silat, Malay martial arts, and turns fluid
when he communicates his affections to her through floral
gestures depicting the blossoming of flowers.
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“Waktu menari jangan-lah di-biarkan tangan kita kaku sahaja. Menari bererti bergerak dengan keadaan seluruh tuboh
kita lemah-gemalai. Jadi apabila kita maju sa-langkah ka-hadapan dengan kaki kanan kita pula hendaklah di-hayunkan
ka-belakang, sa-akan2 kita berjalan. Tangan kiri pula hendak-lah di-hayunkan ka-hadapan menurut langkah kaki
kanan ka-hadapan tadi. Waktu menghayunkan tangan, bahu kita hendak-lah ikut ka-arah tangan yang di-hayunkan.
Apabila kita menghayunkan tangan biar-lah tangan kita di-bengkokkan sadikit. Jangan terlampau lurus, supaya tidak
kelihatan kaku” (2)
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“Gerak langkah bagi penari perempuan pun sama juga dengan gerak langkah untok lelaki. Hanya yang berlainan ia-lah
apabila lelaki memajukan langkah pertama ka-hadapan dengan kaki kanan, penari perempuan mundor dengan kaki
kiri sa-langkah ka-belakang. Hendak-nya penari perempuan melakukan tarian ini dengan lemah lembut” (2)
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