Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Jurai Sembah

Volume 6, Number 1 (2025) of Jurai Sembah showcases seven scholarly articles that explore intersections of performance, education, heritage, and cultural transformation in Asia. This issue begins with an investigation into how Readers Theatre enhances oral communication among foreign learners, highlighting its potential to build confidence through performative language practice. Another article examines the pressing marketing challenges faced by Malaysian theatre associations, emphasizing financial constraints, digital disruption, and strategic sustainability in the cultural sector. Another study delves into the cultural politics of Tibetan Reba dance, revealing how state-driven notions of authenticity (Yuanshengtai) reshape traditional performance for staged representation under heritage discourse. In Sarawak, a study on ethnic dance instructors uncovers issues of pedagogical content knowledge and teaching confidence, advocating for improved training to ensure the survival of traditional dance forms. Complementing this, a study from Shanxi, China documents the Gaoping Nine Lotus Lamp as a rich traditional dance heritage, analyzing its choreography and community-based performance. A historical analysis of the Shanxi Small Flower Opera tracks its transformation from folk performance to nationalist propaganda during China’s Second Sino-Japanese War, illustrating how state troupes embedded ideology through the arts. The final article offers a pedagogical model for deliberate jazz practice, focusing on trombone improvisation through the works of a pioneering Malay jazz vocalist, contributing to both technical music training and local musical heritage preservation. Together, these articles provide critical perspectives on tradition, innovation, pedagogy, and cultural identity across diverse performance practices in Malaysia, China, and beyond.