Asia Dance Channel

“The perfectly orchestrated tango of strength versus serenity was a testament to the intrinsic diversity of dance.”

Dance Reflections, the yearly celebratorial extravaganza held by NUS Centre for the Arts, exuded fluid grace seamlessly woven into every step. Upon the dais, performances by six NUS Dance groups swayed the audience, with the undergrads and alumni portraying the theme “Body Language” through a blend of traditional and contemporary dance forms. The perfectly orchestrated tango of strength versus serenity was a testament to the intrinsic diversity of dance and made the evening a truly memorable one.

Body Language portrayed the inherent expressiveness which seeps from the core of human nature. From the perspectives of six very different dance groups – Ilsa Tari, Dance Synergy, Chinese Dance, Dance Blast, Indian Dance and Dance Ensemble – the multitudes of communication and globalisation were showcased, and the relationship between people and the technologies mediating their interaction were explored.

Through song and dance, Ilsa Tari portrayed Terperangkap or Entrapment – how one tends to forfeit cultural integrity in favour of global integration. They elucidate the double-edged sword communicative technology brings with its potential to drive people apart as much as it brings them together. With lithe movements, agile footwork and beautiful harmonies, they started off the show with a stellar performance.

(Un)changing Tides by Dance Synergy epitomised synchrony. Their limbs moving in perfect accord while the dancers metaphorically explored the meaning of waves. While continually stunning the audience with grace, poise and dexterity, they subtly challenged the general mood while reiterating the fact that waves connect and bond people and are never ending, always changing and yet inherently constant.

NUS Chinese Dance in their piece Speak Without Words delved into the intricate interactions that words cannot capture, like those between performer and audience as well as that within the soul of a dancer. Through an adroit amalgamation of masculinity and elegance and the captivating movements of the long water sleeves, the dance, a feast to the eyes, was complimented by the lilting melodies and metrical pounding of drums.

The Hip Hop-based Midnight Rendition by Dance Blast was a plethora of strong moves, clean cuts and fast music. Their dance showed how tenderness undergoes metamorphosis to disguised perversion wherein love is ‘mis’ communicated through violence.

Meghadoot by NUS Indian Dance is a depiction of a lyrical Sanskrit poem about a romantic yaksha who tries to send a message to his estranged lover through clouds. The dancers in their traditional costumes illuminated that the complex meaning of dance is the emotion that underlies the poetry. With styles rich in ancient traditions of the Bharatnatyam and Kathak, the dancers with their tinkling anklets and expressive eyes enraptured the audience.

In Conversations by Dance Ensemble mirrored the modern Asian’s face and its importance as a social adhesive is questioned. Fresh energy and uncontained enthusiasm were second nature to the dancers as they portrayed radical moves and unique sequences. Rapid rhythms and quick footwork had the audience cheering throughout the performance.

The finale was a perfect blend of contemporary and traditional and witnessed all six groups merging together as they swayed their way across the stage. The final bows and the unexpected performance by the choreographers which lasted a few ephemeral seconds received a standing ovation while the curtains closed on Dance Reflections 2009.

Glen: The choreographic process was inspiring as it involved a lot of the dancer’s own inputs. For one, the most obvious achievement involves dancing with multimedia projection. This is something NUS Dance Ensemble has never tried before. For me, the obvious challenge is to be able to understand the dance concept on all levels and to be able to translate it to the audience.

Jane: Who came up with the theme? What is the essence of the performance? What do you expect the audience to gauge from the pieces?

Glen: The theme is inspired by our resident choreographer, Zaini Mohd Tahir. The essence of the performance explores the idea of ‘face’ and whether it is paramount as a social adhesive. The concept of the item is complex and not as accessible to the audience. Thus, we do not expect the audience to be able to grasp the idea immediately.

Glen: One of the memorable parts in the show would have to be NUS Dance Blast dancing with music from local artistes. I love how they are giving support to the local music scene through their dances.

Johanna: The rhythms we chose are quite fluctuating. It is essential to use calm soothing gentle tones against fast rapid beats while juxtaposing traditional versus contemporary. With increasing technological advancements we no longer make time for face-to-face conversations – portraying this message was the purpose of our dance.

Jane: How did you guys evolve the ideas for your sequences from the central theme? What do you want the audience to understand from your depictions?

Johanna: We enjoyed working on our theme. Our choreographer came up with brilliant ideas from the top of his head and we ran away with it! We expect the audience to question what modern technology has made us sacrifice in terms of connection to friends and family.

Johanna: There is a pairing part where we form our own steps. It helped us discover our boundaries as dancers and push and strive for excellence. It needs one to communicate with the partner to ensure co-ordination for the stunts and a lot of concentration as well.

Johanna: We see complimentary ways to approach a theme through very different movements. The finesse and theatrical precision of Indian Dance in particular was a delight.

Akshita: Well, there is a silent sequence where there is no music involved at all. It is a conversation in dance so that communication is done only through movement.

Apurva: Instead of following the music in this sequence we follow each other. There is a lot of emphasis on footwork as there is no music to cover up if there is discord.

Apurva: Meghadoot is a very melodious song. The poetry in it is delicate and beautiful. So we do our best to ensure its technical virtuosity is justified. All our steps are light and graceful to ensure that it complements the lyrics.

Akshita: Within the macrocosm of dance, a singular theme is depicted in various other ways based on interpretation. In the end they all fit together to form a whole as dance is merely an expression of the soul and differences only serve to bind.