DanceMalaysia

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