KELOPAK Comes to PJPAC

KELOPAK is the latest traditional-contemporary Malay dance production by Dida Mallik and the Dancers of DiDance, exploring the spirit and cycles of life through a distinctly Nusantaran view. Presented in two parts, the performance seamlessly blends nostalgia, symbolism, and movement - bringing the past to life and giving the present deeper meaning. It is a tribute to heritage, memory, and the many souls that shape our journey.

PART 1: HITAM PUTIH

Hitam Putih opens the evening with a heartfelt tribute to the golden era of Malayan cinema - a time when black-and-white screens lit up with charm, wit, and musical splendour. Set in monochrome, this segment captures the flirtatious elegance, and artistic spirit of the 1940s and ’50s, brought to life through classic melodies and stylised movement.

More than just nostalgia, Hitam Putih is a personal reflection on a time when film, music, and performance intertwined to shape the cultural soul of a generation. It celebrates the brilliance of that era - an era that lives on in memory, in music, and in the hearts of those it touched. Through dance, we revisit the world they once brought to life, and offer it anew for today’s audience to discover, remember, and reimagine.

PART 2: KELOPAK

Kelopak marks the unfolding of the show’s core performance - a poetic and emotional journey inspired by the life of a flower. Led by Dida Mallik, each dancer becomes a petal, a soul, a story. Through movement, they embody the cycles of birth, growth, turmoil, and release - exploring beauty, fragility, and the quiet power of resilience.

Like delicate petals, we each carry a blend of colour, vitality, and grace. We bloom with purpose, revealing our joy, strength, and essence to the world. And as time passes, we inevitably begin to fall - not as loss, but as part of life’s natural rhythm. The falling petal becomes a symbol: a soft reminder to honour the fleeting stages of life, to embrace transformation, and to find meaning even in our surrender.