'Meniti Cakerawala' dance theatre odyssey sets off on a nationwide orbit

The Star

4 days ago

It was truly a match made in the heavens when an astrophysicist floated the idea to her friend, an Indian classical dance icon, to collaborate on a dance-theatre production.
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.'
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