ABSTRACT
Malaysian contemporaneous dance is a celebration of her people’s soul and spirit through diverse expressions of identities, embracement of multi-ethnicity, embodiment of artistic politics, empowerment of women, projection of dynamism and versatile dancing bodies. This chapter explains the parallel between the strong woman, feminism and contemporary dance in Malaysia as all three elements create a social meaning at some point. The dance of the strong woman advocates her thoughts, concerns and perceptions by bringing issues that concern women to the forefront through dance. The strong woman as an image created by women choreographers in contemporary dance directly positions woman as the subject by placing her at the centre of analysis. Contemporary dance in Malaysia is the most exuberant dance genre with minimal expectations, has given opportunities for women to express themselves and make powerful statements through the politics of their dance. Re: Lady White Snake, performed from 1996–2002, features two strong women: Lady White Snake and Lady Green Snake.
