'Meniti Cakerawala' dance theatre odyssey sets off on a nationwide orbit
Titled Meniti Cakerawala: The Science & Romance Of The Cosmos , the show explored the cosmic experience and its connection to humanity.
Staged at Auditorium Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur last December, it featured some of Malaysia's most celebrated cross-disciplinary talents.
The show – in English – was created by Prof Emerita Tan Sri Mazlan Othman, Malaysia's first astrophysicist, and Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, founder of Sutra Dance Theatre and a leading figure in Indian classical dance.
Both were all smiles when they took a bow last year – and those smiles returned as they recently announced that Meniti Cakerawala 2.0 will go on a nationwide tour starting this week.
As a multimedia dance-theatre production, 'Meniti Cakerawala' fuses music, dance, poetry, and art into a single, immersive experience – now set to tour the nation. Photo: S. Magendran
At the launch event, Ramli and Mazlan were in high spirits and playful moods – yet just as ready to roll up their sleeves, hosting fundraising events to keep the project moving forward and to fill up halls across the country.
'Few companies get the opportunity to perform beyond major cultural hubs, which are often centred around KL. After last year's successful show – one that both educated and inspired – we felt it was important to bring it to communities across Malaysia,' says Ramli, 72, in an interview, thumbing through a list of 10 performances in KL, Klang (Selangor), Penang, Melaka, Seremban, Johor Baru, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu.
'In terms of its cultural roots, Meniti Cakerawala also represents a meaningful contribution from the Asean region. Drawing from classical Indian dance, regional literature, and contemporary South-East Asian art, it presents a narrative that transcends language and borders,' he adds.
The 75-minute production (with intermission) blends classical dance, film, visual art, music, and poetry into a rich, multi-sensory experience.
It drew on the talents – from narration to music – of National Laureate Dr Muhammad Haji Salleh, Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Dr Valerie Ross, Sivarajah Natarajan, Leslie Variyan, S. Magendran, the late Mano Maniam, Chacko Vadaketh, Jayalakshmi Sekhar, Kamarul Baisah Hussein, and Jalaini Abu Hassan – a constellation of creatives united by their shared awe of the cosmos.
Mazlan (left) and Ramli gear up to ignite eight Malaysian states with 'Meniti Cakerawala 2.0'. Photo: S Magendran
"Mazlan is a kindred spirit and without doubt she is a star that holds the show together. I guess, being the main feature in the production was a novel experience for Mazlan as she had to explore a different facet of her personality - as a storyteller!" says Ramli.
The show's second season tour, running from July 18 to Sept 7, will also feature 11 dancers from Sutra Dance Theatre. Some of the narrators and musicians will join selected upcoming shows, giving the production an extra boost with original cast involvement.
On July 18, Meniti Cakerawala 2.0 begins its tour at Auditorium Panggung Sari, Melaka, before heading to Ikeda Peace Auditorium, Soka International School Malaysia in Sendayan (Negri Sembilan) on July 19, and then returning to Auditorium Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur from July 25-27.
The tour continues at Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House, Johor Baru on Aug 2, and moves to Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) Selangor Culture Centre in Klang on Aug 9.
The stage production first sparked from Mazlan's 2023 coffee table book 'Cosmic Connections: Langkawi', featuring astrophotography from the Langkawi National Observatory. Photo: The Star/Izzrafiq Alias
The next stop is at Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) Penang Culture Centre in Bayan Lepas on Aug 15.
On Aug 17, the production will be staged at MBKS Theatre, Kuching; the tour concludes at Auditorium Kompleks JKKN in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 7.
The big bang
The idea for the stage production first twinkled into being thanks to Mazlan's 2023 coffee table book Cosmic Connections: Langkawi, which showcases astrophotography from the Langkawi National Observatory. These starry snapshots were paired with poems by Dr Muhammad Haji Salleh and paintings by Jalaini Abu Hassan – together laying the poetic and visual groundwork for what would eventually dance its way onto the stage.
For Mazlan, this marks her first time on a performing arts tour. Instead of standing behind a lectern delivering scientific lectures, she now finds herself centre stage – narrating, storytelling, and even bantering with dancers as she brings her cosmic insights to life.
It's a delightful shift from PowerPoint slides to dance and poetry.
'Fortunately, we refined much of the choreography and spatial design, making the production more effective and engaging this season,' says Ramli, adding the upcoming shows will feature many new Sutra dancers. Photo: The Star/Izzrafiq Alias
'Going on a nationwide tour is something I never imagined doing in my lifetime, especially not past the age of 70. It's a completely new experience for me in the performing arts but incredibly exciting,' says Mazlan, 73, with a laugh.
'Strangely enough, it also feels like something I've been building towards all my life. I was encouraged to pursue science from a young age, even though I had a love for poetry.
'So to have performed last year, and now to take this production across the country, truly feels like a culmination of cosmic proportions,' she adds.
A great tapestry
As the production evolves (on the road), it also welcomes fresh talent: seven new dancers will step into roles of their predecessors – a hallmark of Sutra's commitment to nurturing emerging artists.
Alongside the tour, a new visual art exhibition titled Cosmic Connextions will also travel with the show where possible. Organised by the newly formed collective Spektra and the Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, it features works by nine contemporary artists who reflect on the cosmos as concept and metaphor, offering visual meditations on humanity's place in the universe.
Several segments of 'Meniti Cakerawala' feature narration by the late Mano, a poignant reminder of his enduring presence. Photo: S. Magendran
Yet perhaps one of the most poignant aspects of Meniti Cakerawala lies in the voice that helps bind its many elements together – that of Mano Maniam, who died on May 31 aged 79.
A beloved figure in theatre, television and film, Mano's voice appears in three reflective segments of the performance. In what became his final creative work, he describes the heavens as a great tapestry – a metaphor that helped shape the show's emotional and visual tone for Mazlan.
'He was more than a collaborator, he was a dear friend. To hear his voice woven into the production gives it a layer of meaning that feels both personal and universal. It's a tribute that continues to live on,' says Ramli.
'Across Malaysia, audiences can still experience the grace and wisdom Mano brought to everything he touched,' says Mazlan, echoing the same sentiment.
For the renowned astrophysicist, the blending of poetry, performance, and science reflects a lifelong belief in how these disciplines deepen and enrich one another.
As Mazlan puts it, this family- friendly production is 'an exploration of how stars must die for us to exist, and how we are, quite literally, made of star-stuff.'
More info here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
Malaysian author Tash Aw's book 'The South' is longlisted for the Booker Prize
To promote his new book 'The South', Tash Aw appeared at Lit Books, CzipLee Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, in March. Photo: The Star/Raja Faisal Hishan Malaysian author Tash Aw's new book The South is among 13 semifinalists announced on Tuesday for the Booker Prize. The list features writers from nine countries across four continents. Raised in Malaysia and educated in England, Aw has won the Whitbread, Commonwealth and O. Henry Awards, with his work translated into over 20 languages. 'To call The South a coming-of-age novel nearly misses its expanse. This is a story about heritage, the Asian financial crisis, and the relationship between one family and the land,' noted the 2025 Booker Prize judges. Aw, who has been a Booker Prize semifinalist twice before (with The Harmony Silk Factory and Five Star Billionaire ), will be the first Malaysian winner if he takes the £50,000 (RM283,000) prize for The South. Indian author Kiran Desai, who won the Booker Prize and then didn't publish a novel for almost two decades, is also up for the award again with her long-awaited follow-up. The Loneliness Of Sonia And Sunny, the 677-page tale of two young Indians making their way in the United States, is Desai's first novel since The Inheritance Of Loss, which won the Booker in 2006. Indian author Kiran Desai, a Booker Prize winner, is also up for the award again with a long-awaited novel. Photo: AP Two previous finalists are up for the prize again: British writer Andrew Miller, for The Land In Winter, and Hungarian-British writer David Szalay for Flesh. Five of the contenders are from Britain: Miller, Szalay, Natasha Brown ( Universality ), Jonathan Buckley ( One Boat ) and Benjamin Wood ( Seascraper ). Books by US writers in the running include Susan Choi's Flashlight, Katie Kitamura's Audition and Ben Markovits' The Rest Of Our Lives. Also on the list are Misinterpretation by Albanian-American Ledia Xhoga, Love Forms by Trinidad's Claire Adam, and Endling , a debut novel by Canadian-Ukrainian opera librettist Maria Reva. "The 13 longlisted novels bring the reader to Hungary, Albania, the north of England, Malaysia, Ukraine, Korea, London, New York, Trinidad and Greece, India and the West Country,' said Irish novelist Roddy Doyle, chair of a five-member judging panel that includes actor Sarah Jessica Parker. "All, somehow, examine identity, individual or national, and all, I think, are gripping and excellent,' he said. Founded in 1969, the Booker Prize has a reputation for transforming writers' careers and is open to novels from any country published in Britain and Ireland. Last year's winner was Orbital, by British writer Samantha Harvey. A list of six finalists will be announced Sept 23, and this year's winner will be crowned on Nov 10 at a ceremony in London. - AP
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Yellow Fin Horse 2.0: Casual, communal dining with a Mediterranean soul
If you walk into Kuala Lumpur's Yellow Fin Horse today, you'll instantly feel a subtle, but tangible shift in energy. The restaurant has undergone a months-long makeover and now that it has reopened, the transformation is instantly noticeable. It begins with the meals themselves – which are less fastidious and more focused on communality, rooted in a series of shared plates that draw from sunny Mediterranean culinary influences. The new lounge is positioned at the edge of the open kitchen – an invitation to relax after a fulfilling meal. This is Yellow Fin Horse Season 2. The eatery now has a lounge where diners can opt to relax during or after a meal. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star 'If you look at the restaurant, there are little modifications here and there, but the drastic change is in the spirit of the restaurant. It's everything that's thought out – it's the music programme, the space, the lighting, all the soft touches. 'Our food has also resonated that change because we want to make it more relaxed. We're focused on Mediterranean flavours, but it's based on small plates and more casual vibes. "You don't feel conformed into a certain format of eating,' explains Jun Wong, Else Kuala Lumpur's culinary director. (Else KL is the hotel within which Yellow Fin Horse is housed.) The eatery's new look has transformed the soul of the restaurant and given it a more casual feel while still retaining an air of sophistication. — Else KL Wong has been with the restaurant since its inception a few years ago and has supervised the food aspect of the eatery's shake-up, incorporating Mediterranean influences whilst still holding true to her stance of making everything from scratch. To ease into a meal here, start with the range of dips and spreads, like the Labneh (RM28). Labneh is a soft Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yoghurt. In Wong's iteration, the yoghurt is made from scratch in-house and infused with salted plums, pistachios, Tualang honey and mint oil in what proves to be a fresh, silken, tangy spread with hints of effervescence veined throughout its internal structure. Then there is the Baba Ganoush (RM28) which is a luxuriant roasted eggplant dip reinforced with pine nuts and given a creative twist with curry leaf oil. The curry leaf oil effects a subtle Indian undercurrent to the dish, lending it a stealthy new identity while still paying homage to its roots and heritage. It's a clever use of something new infused into something old. Wong is the creative juggernaut behind Yellow Fin Horse's new Mediterranean-influenced fare. — Photos: Else KL Perhaps the breakout star of the trio of dips on offer is the Burnt Butter Pumpkin Hummus (RM28) with maple glazed pepita (pumpkin seeds) clusters. This whipped goodie is decadence in a bowl. It's creamy, buttery and utterly seductive. In fact, you'll find yourself side-eyeing it constantly even through the most riveting conversation – as you contemplate treating yourself to yet another mouthful (word to the wise: please do!). Dips and spreads would be nothing without a receptacle to mop it all up with. Of what's on offer, look at the Challah (RM12 per loaf) which is a burnished golden bread with soft, tender insides perfect for soaking up all the flavours of the dips. The restaurant's range of dips (from left: labneh, baba ganoush and pumpkin hummus) are very, very good. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star Move on to more filling fare with the Surf & Turf Crostino (RM48) which is made up of two different kinds of crostinos (fried or toasted bread). The first is topped with smoked trout rillette from Tasmania that has been smoked with charcoal over low heat so that – in Wong's words – 'it is fully cooked but still has that raw sort of bouncy bite'. The trout is divine – slightly smoky like the air that surrounds a barbecue – but without being charred within an inch of its life. Instead, you'll find fish that has retained the spring in its step and the vitality in its flesh. This is enlivened by a lightly pungent wasabi mayonnaise as well as capers to give it a salt-laced edge. The surf and turf crostino serves up both trout (bottom) and duck. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star The turf part of this duo is made up of confit duck leg that has been shredded and enhanced with mustard mayonnaise and spring onions. This is probably going to be the less popular of the two options as it has a sturdier, gamier taste that is only slightly offset by the mustard mayonnaise. If, however, you're a fan of the natural flavours of this avian creature, then you'll enjoy the more unvarnished features of this meal. For more substantial selections designed to be shared, look at indulging in the Grilled Sea Prawns (RM92). The interesting – or some might say – unusual – thing about this dish is the addition of a chilled cannellini bean salad that sits at the base of the platter. Charcoal grilled prawns and cannellini beans may not sound like ideal bedfellows but the two work remarkably well together. — Else KL It might sound ominous and dichotomous in theory but Wong continually succeeds in making the impossible possible. The prawns here are fat and fleshy with a slight char on the surface that lend itself to succulent, tender flesh within. This blistered goodness is countenanced by the fresh bean salad which adds a contrasting element to the meal and takes it to a whole new two-dimensional level. Perhaps the biggest triumph on Wong's new menu is an unassuming pasta dish called Sage Butter Pumpkin Gnocchi (RM45). The sage butter pumpkin gnocchi is a thing of beauty that is both indulgent and addictive. — Else KL Here, the gnocchi has been absolutely saturated with butter (and yes, I do mean saturated) and this unctuousness adds instant hedonism to the dappled plumpness of each gnocchi – which has rich pumpkin nuances. This nirvanic bliss is then given a refreshing twist courtesy of the homemade ricotta and pine nuts swirled into the mix. This is a meal that will linger in your dreams (at least it lingers in mine) long after you've polished the plate clean. In a world of ephemeral pleasures, this meal is a keeper. 'The inspiration for this dish was a sage and pine nut pasta that I had 10 years ago at Melbourne's famous Tipo 00. It was so good that I locked it in the back of my mind and I thought, 'If I ever do put a pasta dish onto my menu, I need to recreate this flavour'. 'The next time I go back to Tipo 00, I'm going to give it another taste. Because now I have a feeling mine is probably better than theirs,' says Wong, laughing. To end your meal and keep the smile on your face going with a sweet, sweet send-off, try the Deconstructed Vegan Pavlova (RM28). The vegan pavlova is fresh and fruity with a tropical underbelly. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star Enhanced with lemon passionfruit, coconut cream and mixed berries, this 100% vegan dish has been strung together out of sheer creativity. For example, the lemon passionfruit curd has been crafted using coconut oil while the pavlova meringue is made out of aquafaba (the cooking liquid from chickpeas). Overall, it's a lively dessert that has hints of acidity, pops of citrus and an underlying tropical quality that gives it a touch of something familiar while couched in entirely new surrounds. Moving forward, Wong says the plan is to keep the chilled-out, laidback vibes she has cultivated through the food programme and enhance this with themed after-hours nights. 'There will be a lot of things that we're going to introduce and then repeat quarterly or monthly or something like that. So there's going to be late-night after-hours music programmes and maybe after-hours food for people in the restaurant industry,' says Wong enthusiastically. Yellow Fin Horse Address: Level 4, Else Kuala Lumpur, 145 Jalan Tun H S Lee, 50000, KL Tel: 018-211 0313 Open Wednesday to Sunday: 6pm to midnight
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
How to make it in India? A New Delhi fashion designer just showed the world how
In June, Kartik Kumra was confronted, for the first time in his life, with a scrum of reporters. His brand, Kartik Research, had just made its runway debut at Paris Fashion Week, showcasing a collection of soft-edged clothing infused with the visual language of India. A pair of beige hand-spun pleated linen pants were spruced up with floral embroidery swirling around the ankle of one leg. And a black blazer was transformed with a flash of gold Banarasi silk peeking through the lapel. It just so happened that Kumra's show had taken place in the middle of a season in which India seemed to be on the mood board of the luxury fashion world. Prada sent models down its menswear runway in footwear that closely resembled Kolhapuri sandals. A few days later, at the Louis Vuitton menswear show, the brand's creative director, Pharrell Williams, re-created the ancient Indian game of Snakes and Ladders as a set for his show. Read more: Made in India next? Will Prada's 'sandal scandal' spark real change? After Kumra's show ended, the assembled reporters peppered him with questions. 'What did you think of the LV show?' he recalled them asking during a recent interview. 'What about the Prada show?' It became abundantly clear to Kumra, 25, that India's sartorial choices were being repackaged as trendy. And that his brand had found itself at the centre of that moment. Even having a presence at fashion week, alongside what he called 'the big guys', was once unthinkable for Kumra, who started his brand four years ago in his college dorm room as he studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania. At that time, he had no experience in fashion or design. But his brand's ability to reframe Indian crafts in the context of Western fashion has attracted a loyal – or, as Kumra described it, 'sticky' – following and prepared him for the mainstream spotlight. His work has been seen on Kendrick Lamar, Stephen Curry, Brad Pitt, Riz Ahmed, Lewis Hamilton and Paul Mescal. When the brand released a limited run of embroidered Converse sneakers in May, the shoes sold out almost immediately. In 2023, Kumra's brand was a semifinalist for the coveted LVMH Prize for "Young Fashion Designers". Kartik Research is now stocked in 70 locations around the world, including Mr Porter and Selfridges. Next spring, it will arrive at Harrods in London. Kartik Kumra is pictured here walking the runway at the end of his Paris Fashion Week debut show. Photo: Instagram/Kartik Research Kumra will also introduce a line of womenswear at Bergdorf Goodman in March. 'Next season, India is not going to be the reference for them,' he said, referring to companies like Prada and Louis Vuitton. 'But this is our thing. We built a business on it and we're going to keep doing it.' A few weeks after his show in Paris, at the brand's new brick-and-mortar store in the busy Dimes Square neighbourhood in New York City, Kumra was manning the floor. In one corner stood a classic Indian straw daybed. On the wall, there was a painting of Hindu mythology. A live cricket match – India versus England – was streaming on his laptop. A single rack of clothes ran the length of the store. Each garment had made its way through an 'independent universe of small makers', Kumra said. 'The real experts – the master embroiderers, weavers, printers.' Their work isn't scalable, nor can you find their phone numbers online. To work with them requires building on-the-ground relationships. A white shirt on the rack, for example, was handmade by a man in the state of Gujarat, using what is known as bhujodi weaving. That weaver noticed, during one of Kumra's visits to his workshop, that Kumra was wearing handloom denim pants. 'He was like, 'Oh, let me connect you to my handloom denim guys,'' Kumra said. 'And I went and visited them – they were a couple hours away – and now they make our denim pants.' Piece by piece, Kumra has built a network of artisans who aren't easily accessible. That gives Kumra a leg up on brands that parachute in and wax poetic about Indian craft for a season or two, said Julie Ragolia, a New York-based stylist and consultant who became a mentor to Kumra through a programme called Mr Porter Futures. Kumra, who grew up in New Delhi, had a fervent interest in fashion and streetwear as a consumer long before conceiving Kartik Research. Through college and high school, he would resell sneakers. He admired the work of Dries Van Noten, and he was, like so many teenagers, a Supreme enthusiast. He also enjoyed sketching and doodling. When Covid-19 shuttered universities in 2020, Kumra, who had an internship in finance lined up, decided instead to spend his free time in New Delhi putting together a business plan. His mother shuttled him around the country to meet with artisans. Some of the money he earned from reselling sneakers – roughly US$5,000 (approximately RM21,100) – became the startup capital for what was then Karu MFG – 'karu' is the Sanskrit word for 'artisan', and 'MFG' is short for 'manufacturing'. He cold-called factories and found one, on the brink of closing as a result of the pandemic, that agreed to create 22 garments for him. 'The look book cost 1,000 bucks (RM4,220) – a friend shot it, and we got models for 200 bucks (RM844),' he said. 'The location was free, it was 10 minutes away from my house.' Read more: What to know about the Prada 'sandal scandal' and India's Kolhapuri comeback Kumra then jumped into the Discord channel of Throwing Fits , a podcast for menswear enthusiasts, to share his designs and solicit feedback. 'I was just really blown away – this young guy was a fan of us, but when we saw his work we were becoming a fan of him,' said one of the podcast's hosts, Lawrence Schlossman. 'I actually remember my first piece of feedback was just like drop the MFG.' By the time Kumra returned to Philadelphia to finish his degree in 2022, he was running a full-blown business. A stylist messaged him one night about one of his cardigans: 'Yo, Kendrick's wearing it.' As in the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper. That was the first time, in Kumra's recollection, that his friends realised he wasn't lying about having started a brand. As he builds Kartik Research, Kumra is not taking a salary. His mother still helps out, working on the finance and accounting side. It was just in the last year that Kumra hired two designers. In a cheeky acknowledgment of the heightened interest and momentum around Indian fashion, Kumra's own inspirations, and how, he said, work from there could one day be considered 'globally aspirational', the Kartik Research show in Paris in June was accompanied with a look book. Its title? 'How to Make It in India.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
