DanceMalaysia

As I drive along each morning, from the vantage point of the Old Klang Road, and I must admit a little perilously, I inevitably look out for the progress of a new building along the filthy waters of the Klang River. Standing majestic, slowly clawing its way towards the skyline is a brick-red building that will stand no more than 5 floors high (and a roof terrace) but speaks louder to me (perhaps I am being simple, narrow-minded even) than all of Kuala Lumpur’s sky-scrapers! This building is the new physical realization of the heart and soul of a community with a dream. I remember, for the longest time, that every show I attended was in benefit of this proposed building - this is still on-going! It seemed like it was taking forever to even get off the ground. I must admit that there were times when, like all doubting Thomases, I too, doubted it would ever get built. In the past few years, as my relationship with members of this community has become more profound, and my role as a

The 2nd National Chinese Cultural Dance Competition organized by the Chinese Language Society of Malacca and Multi-Media University was held at the Taman Budaya, Department of Arts and Culture, Malacca from Friday to Sunday, 10-12 Mar 2006. A total of 45 groups, consisting of Chinese dance associations, secondary schools, cultural clubs and private dance schools, including seven from Singapore, took part in the exhausting three-day event. Although I am personally not in favour of competitions, primarily because of issues of judging, or the inevitable feelings of disappointment when dealing with losses, and equally, the inappropriate sense of over-estimating ability when emerging champions. I do understand that there are many benefits and I attempt to stay focused on the potential to develop a sense of teamwork, and improve the performance quality. Therefore, for the first time, I decided to enter the dance students of ASWARA in this event, to gauge the level of achievement and effe

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

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 p

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 enroll 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 in particular, and for the arts in Malaysia in general. It is even more historic as I remember the total enrollment 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 professionalism will develop in Malay

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. This sentence is still sometimes hard for me to utter or believe because this journey has been completely unexpected. I never intended to become a dancer or choreographer or pursue a career in the field of performing arts although I began my involvement in the arts from the age of 10. My teacher at La Salle Primary School, Petaling Jaya, Celine Vincent organized end-of-the-year performances in the classroom. During these sessions, we had to draw, paint, practice elocution and create little skits which nurtured our creativity. However, I suspect that this was primarily designed to keep 45 boys occupied and out of mischief! This exposure to the arts grew to become a large part of my school-life and I indulged in public speaking, acting and directing plays with a passion that I think, was driven by my need fo