I have no idea how it was like for you growing up as a child, but for me, my childhood were filled with dreams, fantasies, stories of fairies, princesses, sword fights, elves, wizards... I flew high among the stars, I fought with big evil dragons, I danced with my prince charming... I had it all, I was what I wanted to be, I was basically a nerd. With my nose stuck in books after books of fantasies.
Besides my love for reading passed on to me by my father, I danced too. I took ballet classes since when I could remember. This love was passed down by my mother who said, "When I was young, I always wanted to learn Ballet but we were poor. Now I bring you to learn Ballet".
I remember my first lesson. I was wearing a dress and together with my sister, we went into this huge empty space brightly lit and full of mirrors. We were soon running around and before I knew it, we were taking Ballet classes. One month later would see a little me stubbornly refusing (for reasons that I couldn't fathom even then) to go into class, clingling tightly to my mother. Soon, I was going for Ballet class every Saturday, to sit and watch my sister take classes.
You would think that the teacher and dancer you see now would have taken to dance like ducks to water, but I didn't like dance when I first started. In fact, I refused to take classes. So my very kind teacher then allowed me to sit in the class and watch my sister and her dance mates learn all the steps. It took a year for my mum to coax me back to join the class. I have to thank my teacher, Ms Ho & my dear mum for their determination and persistence to put me into dance school. (in hindsight, I really don't know why they were so persistent, but I'm thankful they were!) After that, I fell in love with Ballet and the rest is history.
You would think that I was a great dancer from young... I was good, but not the best. I was above average but not the best, at least I thought so. I was a strong dancer (ok in terms of technique), but didn't have a clue about how to be expressive when dancing. My teacher used to get a fellow student of mine to demonstrate 'expression' in class, while I was usually amongst those called out to demonstrate technique. I used to look at her and wonder what did she have that I didn't, and why didn't I look like her? It used to puzzle my little mind...
Things changed for me one day when I decided that I would play a little game everytime I danced. I painted my fantasy world around me with each dance. I imagined that I was dancing in the most beautiful places: beautiful meadows, gorgeous waterfalls, etc. The classroom faded out of sight and the music transported me into my fantasy world with sparkling sunshine, lush greenery, astounding snow-capped mountains and pristine lakes. And suddenly, my teacher was praising me for having great expression and I was being called to demonstrate "expression". I thought nothing of it, and was a bit sheepish that I was bored and hence distracted myself in class with this game... "So this is what expression is about?" I asked myself, "just imagine that you have amazing scenery around you and get lost in that?" It seemed so... superficial, I didn't dare say how I did it.
But it brought my dancing into a whole new level. I scored the highest in class that year for exams (first time ever and I had been dancing for 4-5 years then). I also won a junior Ballet competition that very year. I was so young, I didn't even know what happened... All I knew was that I could spin quite well because I had saw the prima donna in the Nutcracker dancing and was happily copying her at home and pretending to be her and doing all her spins and jumps; and I was daydreaming in class, trying to create (in my imagination) the best scenery to dance to. Ahhh... the marvelous thoughts of a little child...
I guess all these experiences (and more) taught me some things about expression... You have to dare to do it; so long as you try, people will give you credit for trying and if you keep checking on your expression, you will get it the way you want it to look eventually.
Also, technique is only half the marks that the judge will give you. You can have perfect technique, but that will only give you 50% of the marks. The rest comes from your expression. The way I see it, our steps are not perfect/complete unless your have the right 'feel' / expression in place. Also, expression is something that is special because it comes from the heart; it's personal and unique. No 2 people will have the same feel (unless they work very hard to look the same).
Many people are scared to express themselves when they dance, feeling vulnerable. But i always tell them this:
1) People will give them credit for trying, and will support you for trying. Your expression doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to try. If you are good, others will compliment you; if it's not that good (yet), others will commend you for trying. I have seen students who are 'favorites' when performing because their faces are so entertaining, and people cheer them on for putting on a good 'face', even though it is not the most perfect.
2) Practice it now, when you are training so that you can have a good guess how it will look like when you try to use it when you perform/ compete. Many people put expression in the back burner, telling themselves that they will smile when they need to, and they always realize that it is not always the case when they see themselves later on video (it's too late by then though).
3) By trying to put at least some kind of expression, you will give me something to work on to correct you. I can't comment, correct or teach you expression if you don't try. If the face just clams up into what I call "zombie" mode, there is nothing to correct; expression is simply not there. It's like me asking them to do a bodywave and them refusing to do it. I can't correct it if I can't see it.
People kinda assume that expression is a given, it's instinct and it's either you have it or you don't. Consider this: expressions (happiness, sadness, mischievousness) are controlled by muscles. If you put in so much effort training your body muscles to perfect your techniques like spins, splits, jumps... Why can't you put in as much effort learning how to control your facial muscles? Sure it doesn't look good when you first start, but neither did your spins or your bodywaves look good at the beginning.
Another food for thought: If expressions are natural and instinctive, then how to actors make a living? Why do they go to acting classes? How do they make themselves cry/ be angry/ meek/ chirpy when they need to do so on screen? Simply put, they practice them. In fact, most acting classes contain a lot of practical exercises that focus on loosing your inhibitions and becoming less self conscious.
Showing posts with label performances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label performances. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31
Tuesday, June 18
Student Performance Jun 2013
Haven't blogged in a long while, let's check out if the writing muscles are still there. We had our latest student recital over the weekend...
Amazingly, after all these years of performing, I can still get excited over our recital and performances. I think it’s because I like doing the choreography and dancing to the music... And the hidden exhibitionist in me is excited to legitimately shed it’s protective covering. Or maybe it’s the fact that I get to immerse myself in dancing and performing rather than just watching, correcting and teaching. Although I really do enjoy teaching, there are times when just dancing happily ‘without a care in the world’ can be so soothing for the soul.
The minor glitch with certain customers before the show helped to feed my emotions as I poured my frustrations in the dance in the first segment. And that’s one of the main reasons why dancing is so addictive. Whatever probelms you’re facing or overwhelming emotions that you are facing that day, you can just throw it away temporarily, forget about past things that happened, and not worrying about the future. Dancing is a very NOW thing. Although it’s less so with the invention of videos, to fully experience and appreciate dance, it must occur in the Now. It’s a very physical and present thing that consumes your energy and focus. It’s a wonderful distraction and if you know how to, a great way to channel excess energies and frustration away.
After these few weeks of feeling slightly overwhelmed and slightly inferior to many people in my life (dun ask why I just do sometimes... Maybe it's to remind me of my humility), even discouraged by my inability to handle things, I realize one thing, that I truly have been blessed and graced in the dance and teaching department. That even though I dun quite know what I’m doing sometimes, it works out great and I’m constantly learning. If anything, teaching challenges me to be a better person, to encourage, support and motivate people to do things that they may not think they would do, but then surprise themselves in the end. That in itself is a great reward and money can’t buy that kind of joy we have. In conclusion, I see this: my world may be small, and my influence not that great, but the lives that I touch, I try my best to nurture and I do see the changes in their lives. If anything, I understand one thing: everyone wants someone to care and someone to love. It may not be romance but it can be family. We may not like each other all the time, but we love and we care for one another and we're willing to sort out our differences. That’s what makes the difference.
Surprisingly, I was excited about the performance tonight. Maybe because I liked the dances I did, or because there were many newbies in the group and I was excited for them, but I felt great: young and new again... or maybe it was that I simply got the chance to show my love of dance to others...
Although the show went by in a flash, the actual performances kinda went like slow motion for me; I actualy had time to think of doing the right expression, the next step, etc. It’s kinda weird that I didn’t feel it go rushing by as I usually do. But it made the fun more complete as I got the time to savor the dances. Role playing was rather fun and I must say that it’s been a while since I did that, making me savor it more.
As a whole, this bunch of students have been a joy to teach and see them grow. We had many great laughs and fun times that I'll cherish... =)
Amazingly, after all these years of performing, I can still get excited over our recital and performances. I think it’s because I like doing the choreography and dancing to the music... And the hidden exhibitionist in me is excited to legitimately shed it’s protective covering. Or maybe it’s the fact that I get to immerse myself in dancing and performing rather than just watching, correcting and teaching. Although I really do enjoy teaching, there are times when just dancing happily ‘without a care in the world’ can be so soothing for the soul.
The minor glitch with certain customers before the show helped to feed my emotions as I poured my frustrations in the dance in the first segment. And that’s one of the main reasons why dancing is so addictive. Whatever probelms you’re facing or overwhelming emotions that you are facing that day, you can just throw it away temporarily, forget about past things that happened, and not worrying about the future. Dancing is a very NOW thing. Although it’s less so with the invention of videos, to fully experience and appreciate dance, it must occur in the Now. It’s a very physical and present thing that consumes your energy and focus. It’s a wonderful distraction and if you know how to, a great way to channel excess energies and frustration away.
After these few weeks of feeling slightly overwhelmed and slightly inferior to many people in my life (dun ask why I just do sometimes... Maybe it's to remind me of my humility), even discouraged by my inability to handle things, I realize one thing, that I truly have been blessed and graced in the dance and teaching department. That even though I dun quite know what I’m doing sometimes, it works out great and I’m constantly learning. If anything, teaching challenges me to be a better person, to encourage, support and motivate people to do things that they may not think they would do, but then surprise themselves in the end. That in itself is a great reward and money can’t buy that kind of joy we have. In conclusion, I see this: my world may be small, and my influence not that great, but the lives that I touch, I try my best to nurture and I do see the changes in their lives. If anything, I understand one thing: everyone wants someone to care and someone to love. It may not be romance but it can be family. We may not like each other all the time, but we love and we care for one another and we're willing to sort out our differences. That’s what makes the difference.
Surprisingly, I was excited about the performance tonight. Maybe because I liked the dances I did, or because there were many newbies in the group and I was excited for them, but I felt great: young and new again... or maybe it was that I simply got the chance to show my love of dance to others...
Although the show went by in a flash, the actual performances kinda went like slow motion for me; I actualy had time to think of doing the right expression, the next step, etc. It’s kinda weird that I didn’t feel it go rushing by as I usually do. But it made the fun more complete as I got the time to savor the dances. Role playing was rather fun and I must say that it’s been a while since I did that, making me savor it more.
As a whole, this bunch of students have been a joy to teach and see them grow. We had many great laughs and fun times that I'll cherish... =)
Thursday, July 5
On Learning Choreography
One common question that students often ask is why does Actfa Dancers all look the same: their variations are the same; their stunts are the same; their styling are the same; the way they spin are the same….?
This must be taken in a positive light that the school has taught its students so well that they look identical when they dance! As a teacher, we proud that we have taught students who have put in so much effort to learn and perfect the steps, stunts and styling that people can tell which school they are from.
Some people may think that it’s silly to have ‘clones’ of Person X dancing on the dance floor; or to have 5 couples performing exact same moves. But there is a reason for doing so.
From the point of view of a teacher, all students need to go through a training process within the school to understand the fundamental techniques of certain steps. Naturally, all schools teach a certain of set variations/ shines/ stunts to its students when it trains its students for a group choreography. At the initial stage, all the students will learn a similar set of variations/ shines/ stunts in the class. Also, at the initial stage, the student will not have enough knowledge in the dance to vary much from what he/she has learnt in the class. Hence, he/she will look similar to the teacher and other students when he/she dances.
Those who comment about looking the same when they dance are missing the essential point in this aspect: When a student begins to learn about a variation, stunt or shine, he is not only learning the steps (on the surface), but is also learning the fundamental techniques to the steps (the underlying aspect). For example, a student learns how to shimmy his shoulders in a particular shine. The teacher may only ask him to shimmy at one point in the shine, but once he has learnt how to shimmy, he can actually put it in anywhere he wants to while social dancing. In the case of a stunt, eg, the death drop, the student is not only learning the technique and execution of the death drop (on the surface), but more importantly, he is learning how to keep his body stable, how to watch out for potential injuries while doing the stunt, how to protect his partner so that she feels safe while doing the trick, how to execute the moves cleanly and with precision, etc (the underlying aspect). Another crucial factor when learning dips and tricks is that the student also learns to believe in himself, and discover that he is actually able to execute such a stunt. Most people don’t believe that they can ever dance like professionals, and teaching the trick is not as important as convincing the student that he can actually do the amazing stuff that professionals do. And once the student believes that he can do these higher-level moves, the door opens for him to try all sorts of things in the dance like other shines, more complex variations, more difficult spins and other dips and tricks.
Actfa teaches its students to perform many shines, stunts and variations and is dedicated in pushing its students to execute them cleanly and precisely so that they look good while dancing. I feel that the school has done its job in opening the doorway for its students to explore the different aspects of dance but it is eventually up to the student to take the initiative to perfect, practice and later on try out new things on their own. The teachers are always there to encourage, teach and guide the students through them, but it is up to the students to decide what they want to learn and try. And if all else fails, the student can at least fall back on what he has learnt from the school.
One common question that students often ask is why does Actfa Dancers all look the same: their variations are the same; their stunts are the same; their styling are the same; the way they spin are the same….?
This must be taken in a positive light that the school has taught its students so well that they look identical when they dance! As a teacher, we proud that we have taught students who have put in so much effort to learn and perfect the steps, stunts and styling that people can tell which school they are from.
Some people may think that it’s silly to have ‘clones’ of Person X dancing on the dance floor; or to have 5 couples performing exact same moves. But there is a reason for doing so.
From the point of view of a teacher, all students need to go through a training process within the school to understand the fundamental techniques of certain steps. Naturally, all schools teach a certain of set variations/ shines/ stunts to its students when it trains its students for a group choreography. At the initial stage, all the students will learn a similar set of variations/ shines/ stunts in the class. Also, at the initial stage, the student will not have enough knowledge in the dance to vary much from what he/she has learnt in the class. Hence, he/she will look similar to the teacher and other students when he/she dances.
Those who comment about looking the same when they dance are missing the essential point in this aspect: When a student begins to learn about a variation, stunt or shine, he is not only learning the steps (on the surface), but is also learning the fundamental techniques to the steps (the underlying aspect). For example, a student learns how to shimmy his shoulders in a particular shine. The teacher may only ask him to shimmy at one point in the shine, but once he has learnt how to shimmy, he can actually put it in anywhere he wants to while social dancing. In the case of a stunt, eg, the death drop, the student is not only learning the technique and execution of the death drop (on the surface), but more importantly, he is learning how to keep his body stable, how to watch out for potential injuries while doing the stunt, how to protect his partner so that she feels safe while doing the trick, how to execute the moves cleanly and with precision, etc (the underlying aspect). Another crucial factor when learning dips and tricks is that the student also learns to believe in himself, and discover that he is actually able to execute such a stunt. Most people don’t believe that they can ever dance like professionals, and teaching the trick is not as important as convincing the student that he can actually do the amazing stuff that professionals do. And once the student believes that he can do these higher-level moves, the door opens for him to try all sorts of things in the dance like other shines, more complex variations, more difficult spins and other dips and tricks.
Actfa teaches its students to perform many shines, stunts and variations and is dedicated in pushing its students to execute them cleanly and precisely so that they look good while dancing. I feel that the school has done its job in opening the doorway for its students to explore the different aspects of dance but it is eventually up to the student to take the initiative to perfect, practice and later on try out new things on their own. The teachers are always there to encourage, teach and guide the students through them, but it is up to the students to decide what they want to learn and try. And if all else fails, the student can at least fall back on what he has learnt from the school.
Friday, May 11
How to Apply Choreography in a Social Context
The benefits of choreography
Many people say that Salsa is a social dance and that the most beautiful aspect of Salsa can be seen on the social floor where the dancers play and dance their moves to the music, all in an impromptu fashion. I agree with that and I have seen some amazing dancing on the social floor. However, I feel that there are certain benefits to choreographing a dance that some people tend to overlook. In my opinion, choreography is important for beginners who are not seasoned dancers as it provides them with a good starting ground in their social dancing for the following reasons:
1) Easy to remember/recall steps while dancing
Many newbies to Salsa have very few moves to execute while dancing because their knowledge in dance is limited. Their variations are often interspersed with a lot of basic steps because they are thinking of the next move to execute. A simple choreography that is taught to them will allow them to constantly practice one variation after another, so that they can train their muscle memory to execute simple steps one after another on the dance floor without worrying about what the next step is.
Some people may think that this will make their dancing boring and repetitive as they constantly repeat the same things. However, I stress that this is for beginners and that doing repetitive steps again and again is better than doing many basic steps while worrying and ransacking your brain over what steps to execute next on the dance floor. Furthermore, the dancers can rearrange the sequence of steps after they are more familiar with the steps.
So beginners out there, put what you learn into a series or combo that you can easily remember. Don’t make it too long as that will be hard to remember. I suggest that you choreograph Combo 1 which comprises of variations A, B, C and D, Combo 2 which comprises of variations E, F, G and H, etc. That way, you also practice how to transit from one move to another!
2) Posture and other tiny details corrected – confidence in the steps obtained
A choreographed routine will ensure that you have executed the moves many times in that sequence. This will make sure that you familiarize yourself with the steps quickly as you repeat them many times. In addition, you will gain confidence in your dancing as you become more secure in your leading and following of the variations. If you have a teacher correcting you in your choreography, this is a plus point as a good teacher will not only correct your lead but also your posture, hands, expression and other tiny details to make you look good on the dance floor. It is easy for the teacher to correct you in such a scenario as you repeat the steps and he/she can check if you slouch in a particular step or if your hands are placed wrongly in a particular step. Once you are sure that you look good, you will get the confidence to dance and enjoy yourself.
3) Students who are less talented can learn about timing and rhythm and how to pose to a particular music through the choreography
A choreography to a particular music also helps students with problems in keeping the timing right while dancing as the fixed music will help them to familiarize themselves with at least one song. Once they learn to keep the count in the song, they can gradually learn to keep the count in other songs. The first song allows them to start ‘somewhere’ in learning about the Salsa beat.
A choreographed routine may also have pauses and different rhythms where the students are taught to pose or dance in response to the music. This teaches students how to play with the different musical styles of Salsa.
4) Finally you can piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle to mix and match moves
After learning the choreography, students who have become more comfortable with their routine can then choose to mix and match the variations or shines to vary their repertoire as they dance.
The benefits of choreography
Many people say that Salsa is a social dance and that the most beautiful aspect of Salsa can be seen on the social floor where the dancers play and dance their moves to the music, all in an impromptu fashion. I agree with that and I have seen some amazing dancing on the social floor. However, I feel that there are certain benefits to choreographing a dance that some people tend to overlook. In my opinion, choreography is important for beginners who are not seasoned dancers as it provides them with a good starting ground in their social dancing for the following reasons:
1) Easy to remember/recall steps while dancing
Many newbies to Salsa have very few moves to execute while dancing because their knowledge in dance is limited. Their variations are often interspersed with a lot of basic steps because they are thinking of the next move to execute. A simple choreography that is taught to them will allow them to constantly practice one variation after another, so that they can train their muscle memory to execute simple steps one after another on the dance floor without worrying about what the next step is.
Some people may think that this will make their dancing boring and repetitive as they constantly repeat the same things. However, I stress that this is for beginners and that doing repetitive steps again and again is better than doing many basic steps while worrying and ransacking your brain over what steps to execute next on the dance floor. Furthermore, the dancers can rearrange the sequence of steps after they are more familiar with the steps.
So beginners out there, put what you learn into a series or combo that you can easily remember. Don’t make it too long as that will be hard to remember. I suggest that you choreograph Combo 1 which comprises of variations A, B, C and D, Combo 2 which comprises of variations E, F, G and H, etc. That way, you also practice how to transit from one move to another!
2) Posture and other tiny details corrected – confidence in the steps obtained
A choreographed routine will ensure that you have executed the moves many times in that sequence. This will make sure that you familiarize yourself with the steps quickly as you repeat them many times. In addition, you will gain confidence in your dancing as you become more secure in your leading and following of the variations. If you have a teacher correcting you in your choreography, this is a plus point as a good teacher will not only correct your lead but also your posture, hands, expression and other tiny details to make you look good on the dance floor. It is easy for the teacher to correct you in such a scenario as you repeat the steps and he/she can check if you slouch in a particular step or if your hands are placed wrongly in a particular step. Once you are sure that you look good, you will get the confidence to dance and enjoy yourself.
3) Students who are less talented can learn about timing and rhythm and how to pose to a particular music through the choreography
A choreography to a particular music also helps students with problems in keeping the timing right while dancing as the fixed music will help them to familiarize themselves with at least one song. Once they learn to keep the count in the song, they can gradually learn to keep the count in other songs. The first song allows them to start ‘somewhere’ in learning about the Salsa beat.
A choreographed routine may also have pauses and different rhythms where the students are taught to pose or dance in response to the music. This teaches students how to play with the different musical styles of Salsa.
4) Finally you can piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle to mix and match moves
After learning the choreography, students who have become more comfortable with their routine can then choose to mix and match the variations or shines to vary their repertoire as they dance.
Thursday, February 22
Check this out for my Salsa video! Hee hee... One of my best so far I think. =) I can't wait for HK Salsa Fest one to come out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45X87eHOKeY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45X87eHOKeY
Thursday, December 21
Dances at Kallang
Believe it or not, we did *drumroll*…. 26 performances on Saturday night at Kallang Theatre!!!! Whew… Fantastic man ppl!
1) Gimme – Rozana
2) Lady social dance at thumper
3) Kyo n Natalie
4) I Have a Dream – Yanling
5) Manfred n Rozana
6) Social dance Rueda
7) Xenbeat – 4 Hiphop gals
8) Tango new
9) Ballet class
10) Belly Salsa
11) Advance Rueda
12) Bachata
13) Funky Monkeys – Hiphop group
14) Sharleen n Natalie
15) Nigel n Grace
16) Ms Ho
17) Jazz
18) Tango Old
19) Terrence n Melanie
20) On2
21) Shines
22) Derek n Lyn
23) On1
24) Pink Panther
25) Melanie
26) Jian Yang n Yanqing
Believe it or not, we did *drumroll*…. 26 performances on Saturday night at Kallang Theatre!!!! Whew… Fantastic man ppl!
1) Gimme – Rozana
2) Lady social dance at thumper
3) Kyo n Natalie
4) I Have a Dream – Yanling
5) Manfred n Rozana
6) Social dance Rueda
7) Xenbeat – 4 Hiphop gals
8) Tango new
9) Ballet class
10) Belly Salsa
11) Advance Rueda
12) Bachata
13) Funky Monkeys – Hiphop group
14) Sharleen n Natalie
15) Nigel n Grace
16) Ms Ho
17) Jazz
18) Tango Old
19) Terrence n Melanie
20) On2
21) Shines
22) Derek n Lyn
23) On1
24) Pink Panther
25) Melanie
26) Jian Yang n Yanqing
Testimonials for the Singapore Salsa Congress 2006...
I had a fabulous time participating in the Singapore Salsa Congress 2006. The overseas instructors and participants had a different style of dancing and it was an eye-opener for me as I saw the way they danced Bachata, Reggaeton, Chacha and of course, Salsa! I love dancing with the overseas dancers because it feels so different from dancing with those in Singapore. It's like the same Salsa, but with a different sauce or flavor to it!
Ministry of Sound was super big! The ambience was different from the smaller clubs that we're used to, and it was so crowded that people even resorted to dancing on the podiums! The music was great, and the people were all clearly enjoying themselves. I had the opportunity to go into the VIP room, and I could see all the salsa dancers strutting their stuff from there; the flavor's hot!
The standard of the Open Salsa competition was great! The top two couples were really proficient in what they did, and I certainly enjoyed watching them perform. It's so cool to watch how creative they are, and the showmanship was vavoomph! It blew me away!
Everyone I spoke to enjoyed the show at Kallang. The performers really enjoyed doing the show too. The energy was so high after that, we all went back to Xenbar, gobbled the food, and resumed dancing till the wee hours of the morning!
I think this congress was truly a once in a lifetime experience for me. It was great to meet new people to dance with, to do all the performances, and to catch up with old friends you don't see often! I'm so proud to be a part of this congress, words can't describe it! Heehee...
I had a fabulous time participating in the Singapore Salsa Congress 2006. The overseas instructors and participants had a different style of dancing and it was an eye-opener for me as I saw the way they danced Bachata, Reggaeton, Chacha and of course, Salsa! I love dancing with the overseas dancers because it feels so different from dancing with those in Singapore. It's like the same Salsa, but with a different sauce or flavor to it!
Ministry of Sound was super big! The ambience was different from the smaller clubs that we're used to, and it was so crowded that people even resorted to dancing on the podiums! The music was great, and the people were all clearly enjoying themselves. I had the opportunity to go into the VIP room, and I could see all the salsa dancers strutting their stuff from there; the flavor's hot!
The standard of the Open Salsa competition was great! The top two couples were really proficient in what they did, and I certainly enjoyed watching them perform. It's so cool to watch how creative they are, and the showmanship was vavoomph! It blew me away!
Everyone I spoke to enjoyed the show at Kallang. The performers really enjoyed doing the show too. The energy was so high after that, we all went back to Xenbar, gobbled the food, and resumed dancing till the wee hours of the morning!
I think this congress was truly a once in a lifetime experience for me. It was great to meet new people to dance with, to do all the performances, and to catch up with old friends you don't see often! I'm so proud to be a part of this congress, words can't describe it! Heehee...
The Singapore Salsa Congress 2006
It was soooo fun!!! I met so many foreign artistes and dancers! Cynthia conducted 6 workshops! Reggaeton was cool… It’s time to introduce that to Singapore. You can tell the differences between the countries: Taiwan is big on Reggae and Afro, and I love their Bachata! The way they merged their traditional folk dance with Salsa is also cool… I wonder if there’s a Singapore dance we can combine into Salsa? Joseph’s songs are to die for… He has a great taste for the music, and there’s lotsa variety in them, and all nice to dance to… Heehee! I can’t wait for Taiwan and Hong Kong Fest next year! *saving money*
I also danced with Sohel from Sydney, Jaxon and Fasil from KL… Very smooth dancers with a certain style of their own… Very charming, I must say. Albert from LA is a great lead, with a unique style of his own. His contrasts of slow and fast moves are my favorite type of dance style to watch, coz you never get bored. He also takes care of the gal very well, so no worries ladies! He very kindly taught a 2 hour Salsa class for us today at Thumper… Oh, did anyone watch his tango? Oohlala *drool*
Although I didn’t get to dance or see much of the dancing, being busy running around, it felt that everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing away. I saw great, big smiles everywhere. MOS was so crowded that people were dancing on the podiums! Yeah, the floor was not the very best of floors to dance, but who cares! We were all there to meet and dance with all the people, and boy did we all dance.
Thumper was great! The music was blaring, and we did a great Rueda performance there, despite not being able to hear properly. There was just barely enough space to perform the moves, haha! I liked that rueda performance… Mel, Terrence, Grace, Nigel, Arvind, Lucy, GeikLee, they all also put on fabulous shows for the competition. I was so proud watching how much effort they put in and how much they had improved!
I think this is one of the greatest accomplishments so far, having put up so many different performances (about 12 group dances in total?) this time around. I have to say, I’m so glad to be a part of this festival, where I can get to meet new friends from all over the world, catch up and dance with old friends from other countries, and dance together with all my Xen buddies in the performances. We put on a great show, and I can’t wait to watch the DVD!
It was soooo fun!!! I met so many foreign artistes and dancers! Cynthia conducted 6 workshops! Reggaeton was cool… It’s time to introduce that to Singapore. You can tell the differences between the countries: Taiwan is big on Reggae and Afro, and I love their Bachata! The way they merged their traditional folk dance with Salsa is also cool… I wonder if there’s a Singapore dance we can combine into Salsa? Joseph’s songs are to die for… He has a great taste for the music, and there’s lotsa variety in them, and all nice to dance to… Heehee! I can’t wait for Taiwan and Hong Kong Fest next year! *saving money*
I also danced with Sohel from Sydney, Jaxon and Fasil from KL… Very smooth dancers with a certain style of their own… Very charming, I must say. Albert from LA is a great lead, with a unique style of his own. His contrasts of slow and fast moves are my favorite type of dance style to watch, coz you never get bored. He also takes care of the gal very well, so no worries ladies! He very kindly taught a 2 hour Salsa class for us today at Thumper… Oh, did anyone watch his tango? Oohlala *drool*
Although I didn’t get to dance or see much of the dancing, being busy running around, it felt that everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing away. I saw great, big smiles everywhere. MOS was so crowded that people were dancing on the podiums! Yeah, the floor was not the very best of floors to dance, but who cares! We were all there to meet and dance with all the people, and boy did we all dance.
Thumper was great! The music was blaring, and we did a great Rueda performance there, despite not being able to hear properly. There was just barely enough space to perform the moves, haha! I liked that rueda performance… Mel, Terrence, Grace, Nigel, Arvind, Lucy, GeikLee, they all also put on fabulous shows for the competition. I was so proud watching how much effort they put in and how much they had improved!
I think this is one of the greatest accomplishments so far, having put up so many different performances (about 12 group dances in total?) this time around. I have to say, I’m so glad to be a part of this festival, where I can get to meet new friends from all over the world, catch up and dance with old friends from other countries, and dance together with all my Xen buddies in the performances. We put on a great show, and I can’t wait to watch the DVD!
Singapore Salsa Congress 2006 - Thank Yous
Yay!!!! We did it! I had great fun at the Singapore Salsa Congress!!! Whew! What a hectic 7 days... As organizers, we were running around so much making sure that things were going as smoothly as possible that my first social dance was on Friday; on the 5th day! And since I was mainly in charge of the performances, I didn't really get to meet the overseas artistes or danced with them until nearly the end of the congress. There were performances every night except on Friday, and I counted... in total, I did 25 performances that week! Heehee...
I'm super duper proud of all our performers. Gosh, they really put in a lot of effort to put on great shows, and they did it! Even staying until 4am in the morning on the day of the performance didn't deter them from turning up at 10am for workshops on Sat and putting on a fabulous show that night! Did I say I'm super proud of them? It's like a mama hen preening her feathers. Haha... Of course, rehearsals were crazy and I felt like a shrew ordering them around the entire 2 weeks, but I think it was a fantastic experience. They really dedicated their 2 weeks to me, and I'm really honoured to have such troopers by my side. These ppl are a bunch of super cool ppl to dance with, and boy can they dance! I'm amazed I survived the week without falling apart at the seams. The week certainly flew by, and I dare say that this congress is one of the most exhilarating times of my life... Guys, I'm sure you'll agree: we put in sweat, blood and bruises into this show. It paid off, and the result was amazing.
To the Performers:
I love you guys. You were really beautiful out there. From the quick costume changes - stripping backstage and all - to the dedication and hard work, and standing by every night for run throughs and performances, you guys are really great! Although I looked constipated and stressed, I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks for such a wonderful time and a fantastic performance!
To the Backstage Crew:
Lighting, sound and backstage manager - AhFu, Bernie, Nat, plus all the runners like Small James, GeikLee, Ariel, etc; Costume ppl - Defelyn, Ivy, Nat, etc... Thanks so much guys, for putting in that extra (last minute) work. You were all amazing. Thanks for screaming at everybody else that day. Haha... It sure paid off! Hugz...
Special Thanks:
Emma, Mary Yatti, Emma's Brother, Big James - for all the supporting work you guys did throughout the week. It didn't go unappreciated!
Mummy, Daddy and Jie - thanks for all your support and SMSes!!! I Looove You lots... My mummy's the best and most supportive mum anyone could have. She's a miracle worker! Haha...
Last but certainly not the Least,
Principal Ong, my amazing teacher - You told me I could do it... & I did it! We did it!!!! Hugz, Muakz, Luv Ya...
Sigh, God's so good.
Yay!!!! We did it! I had great fun at the Singapore Salsa Congress!!! Whew! What a hectic 7 days... As organizers, we were running around so much making sure that things were going as smoothly as possible that my first social dance was on Friday; on the 5th day! And since I was mainly in charge of the performances, I didn't really get to meet the overseas artistes or danced with them until nearly the end of the congress. There were performances every night except on Friday, and I counted... in total, I did 25 performances that week! Heehee...
I'm super duper proud of all our performers. Gosh, they really put in a lot of effort to put on great shows, and they did it! Even staying until 4am in the morning on the day of the performance didn't deter them from turning up at 10am for workshops on Sat and putting on a fabulous show that night! Did I say I'm super proud of them? It's like a mama hen preening her feathers. Haha... Of course, rehearsals were crazy and I felt like a shrew ordering them around the entire 2 weeks, but I think it was a fantastic experience. They really dedicated their 2 weeks to me, and I'm really honoured to have such troopers by my side. These ppl are a bunch of super cool ppl to dance with, and boy can they dance! I'm amazed I survived the week without falling apart at the seams. The week certainly flew by, and I dare say that this congress is one of the most exhilarating times of my life... Guys, I'm sure you'll agree: we put in sweat, blood and bruises into this show. It paid off, and the result was amazing.
To the Performers:
I love you guys. You were really beautiful out there. From the quick costume changes - stripping backstage and all - to the dedication and hard work, and standing by every night for run throughs and performances, you guys are really great! Although I looked constipated and stressed, I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks for such a wonderful time and a fantastic performance!
To the Backstage Crew:
Lighting, sound and backstage manager - AhFu, Bernie, Nat, plus all the runners like Small James, GeikLee, Ariel, etc; Costume ppl - Defelyn, Ivy, Nat, etc... Thanks so much guys, for putting in that extra (last minute) work. You were all amazing. Thanks for screaming at everybody else that day. Haha... It sure paid off! Hugz...
Special Thanks:
Emma, Mary Yatti, Emma's Brother, Big James - for all the supporting work you guys did throughout the week. It didn't go unappreciated!
Mummy, Daddy and Jie - thanks for all your support and SMSes!!! I Looove You lots... My mummy's the best and most supportive mum anyone could have. She's a miracle worker! Haha...
Last but certainly not the Least,
Principal Ong, my amazing teacher - You told me I could do it... & I did it! We did it!!!! Hugz, Muakz, Luv Ya...
Sigh, God's so good.
Tuesday, May 30
Sunday, May 14
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