Kirstin Pauka is a scholar, performer, percussionist, and martial artist. Currently she is an assistant professor of Asian Theatre at the University of Hawai'i where she also practices Japanese Taiko drumming, and trains in aikido, tae-kwon-do, and silek.
Listed in: Asian Studies · Southeast Asian Studies · Theater - History and Criticism · Asia · Southeastern Asia · Indonesia · Media Studies
Theater and Martial Arts in West Sumatra
Randai and Silek of the Minangkabau
By Kirstin Pauka
Randai, the popular folk theater tradition of the Minangkabau ethnic group in West Sumatra, has evolved to include influences of martial arts, storytelling, and folk songs. Theater and Martial Arts in West Sumatra describes the origin, development, and cultural background of randai and highlights two recent developments: the emergence of female performers and modern staging techniques.This
