HIM Damsyik

Indonesian dancer and actor

HIM Damsyik bin Inci Djafar

Born	Incik Muhammad Damsyik (1929-03-14)14 March 1929 Teluk Betung, Lampung, Dutch East Indies
Died	3 February 2012(2012-02-03) (aged 82) Depok, West Java, Indonesia
Nationality	Indonesian
Alma mater	Rellum Dancing School
Occupation(s)	Dancer, film actor
Known for	Sitti Nurbaya (TV series)
Height	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Spouse	Linda Damsyik
Children	5

Hajji Incik Muhammad Damsyik (14 March 1929 – 3 February 2012), better known as HIM Damsyik or Datuk Maringgih was an Indonesian dancer and actor.

Biography

Damsyik was born in Teluk Betung, Lampung, Dutch East Indies on 14 March 1929.^[1] His father was the director of employees of the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij, a shipping company. In the 1950s, he moved to Jakarta to further his education; at the same time he learning and competing in Ballroom Dance.^[2] After winning a competition, he spent four years studying at the Rellum Dancing School in the Netherlands.^[3]

Upon returning to Indonesia, Damsyik began giving private dance lessons.^[2] In 1959 he was approached by Wim Umboh to do the choreography for Bertamasaya (Picnic); Damsyik ended up acting in the film as well.^[3]

Damsyik became popular in 1992 after playing the antagonist Datuk Meringgih in Dedi Setiadi's serial adaptation of Marah Roesli's novel Sitti Nurbaya (1922).^[3]^[4] Although he first considered not taking the role, after the series' cancellation he continued to identify with it.^[2]

On 12 July 2002 Damsyik was selected as the head of the Indonesian Dance Association, under the National Sports Committee of Indonesia.^[2]

Towards the end of 2011, Damsyik fell ill and in and out of the hospital. A first diagnosis, at Puri Cinere Hospital, was for Dengue. Two weeks afterwards, he was admitted to the Metropolitan Medical Centre (MMC); two weeks after his release, he was back at MMC,^[5] where he began undergoing treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome. Damsyik died at Cinere Hospital in South Jakarta at roughly 2:00 a.m. local time (UTC+7) on 3 February 2012.^[1] He was buried at Karet Bivak the same day.^[6]

Personal life

Damsyik was married to Linda Damsyik, a dance instructor.^[7] Together the couple had five children^[3] and ran several dance studios in Jakarta.^[7] Before his death, Damsyik was 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) tall and weighed 55 kilograms (121 lb).^[2]

References

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b The Jakarta Post 2012, Senior actor HIM.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Sofyan 2012, Dunia Dansa Si.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Krismantari 2012, Obituary: Dancing actor.
^ Eneste 2001, p. 48.
^ Maullana and Kamil 2012, Melemah, HIM Damsyik.
^ Maullana and Kamil 2012, Gerimis Iringi Pemakaman.
^ ^a ^b The Jakarta Post 2000, Dance as if.

Bibliography

"Dance as if nobody is watching you". The Jakarta Post. 9 April 2000. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
Eneste, Pamusuk (2001). Bibliografi Sastra Indonesia [Bibliography of Indonesian Literature] (in Indonesian). Magelang, Indonesia: Yayasan Indonesiatera. ISBN 978-979-9375-17-9.
Krismantari, Ika (4 February 2012). "Obituary: Dancing actor HIM Damsyik". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
Maullana, Ika; Kamil, Ati (3 February 2012). "Gerimis Iringi Pemakaman HIM Damsyik" [Drizzle Accompanies the Burial of HIM Damsyik]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
Maullana, Ika; Kamil, Ati (13 February 2012). "Melemah, HIM Damsyik Dirawat di Rumah Sakit" [Weak, HIM Damsyik is Treated at the Hospital]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
"Senior actor HIM Damsyik dies at 82". The Jakarta Post. 3 February 2012. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
Sofyan, Eko Hendrawan (3 February 2012). "Dunia Dansa Si Datuk Maringgih" [Datuk Meringgih's World of Dance]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.