HIM Damsyik

HIM Damsyik
Born Incik Muhammad Damsyik
14 March 1929
Teluk Betung, Lampung, Dutch East Indies
Died 3 February 2012 (aged 82)
Jakarta
Resting place
Karet Bivak Cemetery
Nationality Indonesian
Alma mater Rellum Dancing School
Occupation Dancer, film actor
Known for Sitti Nurbaya (TV series)
Height 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 55 kg (121 lb)
Religion Islam
Spouse(s) Linda Damsyik
Children 5

Hajji Incik Muhammad Damsyik (14 March 1929 – 3 February 2012), better known as HIM Damsyik 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 continued dancing.[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
Bibliography