SINGAPORE DANCE WEEK 2011 – A Very Memorable Opening

Little children from Leap Schoolhouse opened the performance segment with a piece that was "adorable and completely spontaneous with some contemporary elements of stillness!" to quote our MC Chan Sze Wei, who kept the audience regaled with her inimitable brand of spontaneity and wit.

here is the video from Leap Schoolhouse
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2093654298412&oid=110898125646296&comments

Singapore Dance Week 2011, an annual event organised by World Dance Alliance Singapore, was officially launched yesterday at One Fullerton by NMP Viswa Sadasivan. The occasion, ambience, audience and the DANCERS – all came together so beautifully.

Signature Mass Dance:
The creation of the SDW Signature Mass Dance opened the evening. Jackie Lee and Wen Ye coordinated this very special piece that brought together various dance forms – hip hop along with ethnic forms practised in Singapore. Dancers from the different genres lent their talents in creating this piece. Everyone joined in to learn and perform the piece together – GOH included! Over the week, the piece will be fine tuned, shared with school students and will be presented in its evolved state at the Closing at ION Orchard on May 28th.

Guest of Honour & Dance Pioneers:
Viswa Sadasivan encouraged us with his words: “… this has been essentially a ground-up initiative spearheaded by WDAS with active, enthusiastic participation from several dance groups. This sends the right signal – that dance belongs to us, the people”, admitting at the end of his speech that this occasion has given him, a 'closet dancer', a chance to dance! WDAS took the opportunity to honour two dance pioneers of Singapore, Ms Rose Eberwein and Mdm Lee Shu Fen, for their valuable contribution to Dance in Singapore. In appreciation, they were presented sculptures created by students of CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity by the Guest of Honour.

Performances:
The performances that followed by dancers from various dance groups, diverse genres, amateurs, professionals, young and older…. all reflected the vast landscape of Dance in Singapore. The common thread through it all was the Joy and Passion that each dancer brought to the space. It was touching as well as uplifting. The Singapore River providing the perfect backdrop, boats passing by in the background seemingly moving to the strains of the music, dance unfolding in the foreground… traditional dances, hip hop, contemporary Asian, street dance, Bollywood. The Marina Bay Sands as a silent yet imposing witness to it all.

There was this great sense of perfection - of being at the right place, at the right time and with all the right people. Dance brings joy and connects people in ways that nothing else can!

Nirmala Seshadri

As I write this the morning after, there are satellite events happening – an Open House at Nrityalaya and at the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. I just might make my way to Studio Up to try out Bellydance!

Performing at the Opening event were:

• Leap Schoolhouse
• Teater Tari Era
• Jyoti Unni
• NUS Ilsa Tari
• Raffles Institution
• Studio Up
• Kanaka Sabha
• CHIJ Lady of Nativity
• Maya Dance Theatre
• T-Net Club Ang Mo Kio

Team SDW 2011 thanks all these dance groups for sharing their time, talent and passion for Dance at the Opening event.

We thank also our Opening Venue Sponsors, Fullerton Heritage, for believing in us and our cause enough to step forward and support us for the second consecutive year. Thank you, Team Fullerton!