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Unearthing a Jewel of Malaysian Chinese Dance – Low Kee Sien (1937-2010)

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A chance conversation by the author with Wong Kit Yaw, a senior Chinese dance lecturer at ASWARA led to the personal discovery of a rarely talked about or never before mentioned-in-writing (in English) teacher of Chinese dance known as Low Laoshi or Teacher Low. At the meeting that was subsequently arranged at his home in the Old Klang Road area, a beautiful gentle man was resting on his chair, weak from innumerable treatments for chronic kidney disease (which was later disclosed as cancer) tended with the tough love of his former school-teacher wife, Madam Mao. Still, when he started talking about dance, his experiences and his journey, his eyes sparkled, he was vibrant, he laughed and was excited. I imagined what an interesting and passionate teacher he would have been in his day. Low Kee Sien was born in 10 November 1937, the third child of 12 in Kuala Lumpur. His mother had apparently said that he danced before he walked! He just loved dancing and there was no clear reason for

Kompilasi by Rumah Anak Teater Enthralls

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The debut production of Rumah Anak Teater (RAT) entitled Teater Komplisasi Vol I , was staged in the Stor Theatre Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka from the 28 Jan – 1 Feb. Quite simply it was precisely the breath of fresh air the Kuala Lumpur theatre scene so desperately needed. Several young theatre graduates of the Diploma Program at ASWARA have gotten together to create the theatre collective under the mentorship and watchful eye of Sahili Abdan or better known as Namron through his Komuniti Kental Project. ‘Kental’ means strength and according to the artistic director’s notes, it is this strength of spirit that he is trying to encourage and nurture to face the challenges of life as a professional theatre practitioner in Malaysia. In Namron, they have found an artistic mentor and an inspiration much like what the late Krishen Jit was to Namron in the late 90s. These young talents are beginning to make their presence felt on the KL stage in an emphatic way through their obvious talent and pa

One small step for man and a giant step for ASWARA!

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I borrow and paraphrase from Neil Armstrong, the words he uttered when he set foot on the moon on 20  July 1969, as 75 young men and women enrol for ASWARA’s first intake of degree program  students on the 6 January 2008. Of these, 18 will pursue a Bachelor of Dance with Honours majoring in either performance or choreography, and the rest in Music, Theatre, Film and Writing. It is a historic day for ASWARA (that began as ASK in 1994) in particular, and for the arts in Malaysia in general. It is even more historic as I remember the total enrolment of merely 10 full-time students 8 years ago in the Dance Diploma program that has now swelled to 80 - how we have grown! While there is a deep sense of awe and satisfaction with the journey thus far and the growing numbers, there comes with it a great sense of responsibility as I look ahead to the delivery of fresh content and subsequently to the finished products of these programs. I ponder the industry and wonder how education and profession

The Dance Pilgrim

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Fig. 1: With peers Wong Kit Yaw, Mohd Seth Hamzah in the opening of Menempa Tari Tradisi. 2022.   I am Dean of the Faculty of Dance at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia, (Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan) better known by its acronym of ASWARA. Although I have done this work since 1998, it is still seems surreal because the journey has been completely  unexpected.  I never aspired to become a performer or choreographer or pursue a career in the field of performing arts although my involvement began incidentally at the age of 10 when my La Salle Primary School, Petaling Jaya (LSPJ) teacher, Celine Vincent organized end-of-the-year performances in the classroom. We had to draw, paint, practice elocution and create short skits that nurtured our creativity, collaborative and leadership skills. However, I suspect it was primarily designed to keep 40 boys occupied and out of mischief! This introduction to theatre  grew to become a large part of my school-li