This traditional performance art from Kelantan captivated audiences at the Festival de l’Imaginaire in Paris.

In the traditional art form known as Main Puteri, the main character, Tok Puteri, dances in a trance-like state. (Pusaka pic)

PETALING JAYA: In a momentous celebration of cultural heritage, Main Puteri – a form of traditional Malay performance art from the east coast of peninsular Malaysia – was gracefully presented in France on Wednesday.

At the Festival de l’Imaginaire in Paris, viewers were transported to Southeast Asia through a mesmerising showcase aimed at bridging the continents while fostering appreciation for Malaysia’s unique art forms.

The performance was made possible by Pusaka, an organisation that preserves and documents ritualistic and traditional arts in Malaysia and the region, upon invitation of the Maison des Cultures du Monde.

Widely recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious festivals of culture and heritage, Pusaka’s presence marks the only representation from Southeast Asia at the 26th edition of the event.

Main Puteri, which is deeply rooted in Kelantan, combines dance, music, and oral poetry, and is considered an ancient healing art form. It is traditionally believed to cure emotional and spiritual illnesses through a mix of rituals and artistic expression.

The 14-member entourage, including Kelantanese traditional musicians, made their way to the Festival de l’Imaginaire last Sunday. (Pusaka pic)

During a press conference in Kuala Lumpur last Friday before the troupe left for Paris, Pusaka founder Eddin Khoo expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to bring Malaysian traditional arts to the global arena.

“These kinds of opportunities not only put our cultural heritage in the spotlight, but also inspire Malaysians to pause and truly appreciate the immense talent and cultural heritage that exists within our own country,” he said.

In the performance, the main character, Tok Puteri – played by three Main Puteri practitioners – channels the spirit responsible for their patient’s affliction into their own body.

In a trance-like state, Tok Puteri engages in a dance, while another character, Tok Minduk, questions the spirit to ascertain its identity and understand the reasons behind its restlessness.

Eddin Khoo.

“Culture is meant to be felt, rather than understood,” Khoo pointed out, underlining the emotional impact that Main Puteri evokes.

It is for this reason that Pusaka refrained from offering translations for every line during the Paris showcase, instead encouraging spectators to immerse themselves in the sensorial experience and come to their own conclusions.

Despite this, audience members at the festival were captivated by what they witnessed. One attendee, Algerian poet Habib Tengour, later said: “For me, it was a completely new and unexpected experience. I was impressed with the Tok Puteri, they were so energising and invigorating.

“The performers were extremely professional – the rhythm of the music, the intonations of the voice, the movements of the bodies all came together beautifully and poetically.”

The troupe taking their bows before the enraptured audience in Paris on Wednesday. (Pusaka pic)

This exuberance was felt by the practitioners themselves. “I felt that we gave a powerful performance, we put our bodies and souls into it. The audience was so impressed and, by the end, the whole theatre stood up and danced with us in celebration,” Tok Teri Muhd Noor Arifin, who played Pok Jue, told FMT.

This was Pusaka’s second outing at the Festival de l’Imaginaire, the first being in 2007 with performances of Mak Yong, Menora, and wayang kulit.

In addition to Wednesday’s live show, the NGO hosted “Temu Budaya: A Cultural Soiree” at Rumah Malaysia in Paris yesterday. Presented in collaboration with Asia Society France and the Malaysian Embassy, guests were treated to performances by Kelantanese traditional musicians and Silat Jawi practitioners.

Finally, as is Pusaka’s modus operandi, the organisation is documenting this journey and aims to present a short film, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and the live performance in Paris, to be screened later this year.

Learn more about Pusaka by visiting their website, and follow them on Instagram.