Beijing Dance Academy also known as Beijing Dance Institute, is the only institute of higher education in dance in China. There are three specialties: performance, choreography and dance studies, which offeres master’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees.
The school was founded on September 6, 1954 and is located in Haidian District, Beijing. There are almost 500 teachers and administrative staff and about 2000 students. Admisssion to the school is competitive; an examination is requited just like all other government-run academies. Some notable alumnis are Li Cunxin, famous male ballet dancer and Zhang Ziyi, world famous actress, just to name a few.
The Qianshou Kaunyin (Bodhisattva with a 1,000 Hands) Dance is a showy dance in which a bunch of dancers stand behind each other, so only the person in front is visible to the audience. The dancers move their arms and hands so that it looks like the person in the front has a multitude moving of arms. In recent years the dance has been performed publically by 21 hearing-impaired Chinese women who move their hands and arms to the rhythm even though they are unable to hear it.
One of the most dramatic forms of Chinese dance is the sleeve or ribbon dance in which a dancer uses long silk sleeves to accentuate her hand and arm movements, whirling then around like banners or ribbons and snapping them like whips. The opening scene of the film House of Daggers features Ziyi Zhang repelling an attack of stones and trying to assassinate a leader with a knife hidden in here long sleeves while doing such a dance.
China's 56 ethnic groups do thousands of folk dances. The Han Chinese alone have 700 different ones. Popular folk dances include the dragon dance, lion dance, yang ge flower-drum dance, rattle stick dance, land boat dance, dragon lantern dance, peace drum dance and stilt dance.
There are many variations of each type of major dance. In the case of the dragon dance, there is the dragon lantern dance, cloth dragon dance, straw dragon dance, section dragon dance, stool dragon dance, paper dragon dance, incense burning dragon dance, carp dragon dance, ox-shaped dragon dance and beheaded dragon dance.
The Lantern Dance, or Flower Lantern Dance, is popular in southern China and is known by a number of other names. It features circular movements of the arms and hands, undulating body motions and accentuated lower back movements linked to the movements of a dragon.
The dragon dance is one of the most well known Han Chinese dances. By one count there are 700 versions performed throughout China, with specific regions often having their own version. The dragon is an important totemic creature to the Han Chinese. According to legend, the great hero Fu Xi and his sister Nu Wa descended from semi-human creatures with snake bodies. Over time these creatures were given animal legs, a horse mane, a rat tail, deer hooves, dog claws and fish scales and they became the dragon were are familiar with today.
According to legend the dragon dance was created to honor a doctor who picked a centipede from a dragon's back. The waving movements of the dance show appreciation by the dragon, who controls natural forces that bring about a good harvest. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world's longest dancing dragon was 5,550 feet from nose to tail. It was made up of 610 people in May 1995.
The lion dance honors a lion who was ordered by the Jade Emperor to remove evil spirits from the world and was later invited to stay in the world to keep them from coming back. The dance often begins with the placing of a drop of chicken blood on the lion mask.
Swan Lake has always been a popular ballet in China. It was the first full-length ballet performed after the founding of the People Republic of China. Chinese have done very well in international ballet competitions. Chinese classical dance and ballet have many similarities and Chinese dance training is in tune with the training required of ballet dancers.
Showing posts with label Performing arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Performing arts. Show all posts
Beijing Opera
Introduction: Beijing Opera (or Peking Opera) has existed for over 200 years. It is widely regarded as the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It is known as one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. Artistically, Beijing Opera is perhaps the most refined form of opera in the world. It has deeply influenced the hearts of the Chinese people. Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei.
Losing Audiences: Beijing Opera was losing its audiences since traditional plays were allowed to stage after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). One of the reason is due to the disappearance of traditional plays during the Culture Revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, Beijing Opera suffered along with other kinds of theatrical arts in China. All the traditional pieces reflecting the Old Societies were banned from performance.
The then Eight Model Plays used the standard Mandarin for the arias and conversations except very rare cases for rhyme. When it came to be shown again, the special pronunciation Yun Bai used in the traditional plays soon discouraged a lot of the young Chinese. Most of them are lack of relevant historical and literature knowledge due to the break down of the education systems during Culture Revolution and they did not understand the dialogues of the plays. Its simple stage design and orchestra counted another factor. A third factor is that its pace had been out of the young generation's tolerance, who had been attracted by the modern movies and concerts of romance. The theater policy was also under attack which prohibited the entrance of children under 5. The prohibition eliminated the possibility that children would unintentionally develop their interests in opera like those before.
In the urban there are a variety of entertainment's, from the computer game cities to dancing halls, karaoke music Saloon and pop music concerns. Young people nowadays are the main entertainment consumers. They are more like to go pop music nights and may not have any interest in going a Beijing Opera concert.
Famous Artists and their works:
Mei Lanfang – Farewell my Concubine
Cheng Yanqiu - Injustice to Dou'e
Shang Xiaoyun - Lady Zhaojun Going beyond the Great Wall
Xun Huisheng - Matchmaker
Losing Audiences: Beijing Opera was losing its audiences since traditional plays were allowed to stage after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). One of the reason is due to the disappearance of traditional plays during the Culture Revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, Beijing Opera suffered along with other kinds of theatrical arts in China. All the traditional pieces reflecting the Old Societies were banned from performance.
The then Eight Model Plays used the standard Mandarin for the arias and conversations except very rare cases for rhyme. When it came to be shown again, the special pronunciation Yun Bai used in the traditional plays soon discouraged a lot of the young Chinese. Most of them are lack of relevant historical and literature knowledge due to the break down of the education systems during Culture Revolution and they did not understand the dialogues of the plays. Its simple stage design and orchestra counted another factor. A third factor is that its pace had been out of the young generation's tolerance, who had been attracted by the modern movies and concerts of romance. The theater policy was also under attack which prohibited the entrance of children under 5. The prohibition eliminated the possibility that children would unintentionally develop their interests in opera like those before.
In the urban there are a variety of entertainment's, from the computer game cities to dancing halls, karaoke music Saloon and pop music concerns. Young people nowadays are the main entertainment consumers. They are more like to go pop music nights and may not have any interest in going a Beijing Opera concert.
Famous Artists and their works:
Mei Lanfang – Farewell my Concubine
Cheng Yanqiu - Injustice to Dou'e
Shang Xiaoyun - Lady Zhaojun Going beyond the Great Wall
Xun Huisheng - Matchmaker
The Straits Times’ 6th LIFE! Theatre Awards Shortlist Is Out
FEBRUARY 10, 2006 - The Life! section of The Straits Times yesterday announced its shortlist of 59 nominees for The Straits Times’ 6th Life! Theatre Awards (LTA), which are Singapore’s only national accolades for theatre.
The list was drawn up by a panel of five judges, who also voted in the winners at a roundtable on February 4. The judges this year are National University of Singapore theatre lecturer K.K. Seet; freelance writer Sangeetha Madhavan; Business Times arts writer Parvathi Nayar; and Life! theatre critics Clara Chow and Hong Xinyi.
The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on March 6 at the News Centre Auditorium in Toa Payoh, which was also the venue for the awards ceremony in 2004 and 2005. The judges promise surprises aplenty - for all the right reasons - when the victors are announced.
Second Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim will grace the evening as its guest of honour, while popular and talented actor and past LTA nominee Adrian Pang will host the show, as he has since its inception in 2001.
The organisers have heeded the theatre community’s call at last year’s awards ceremony to put backstage crew on par with producers, directors and casts. So, from this year, there will be full awards - and not just honourable mentions as in past years - for the technical achievement categories of Best Sound, Best Lighting, Best Costumes and Best Use Of Multimedia.
This change takes the total number of awards to 13 in all, up from nine in previous years.
That said, the judges felt no shows employed multimedia effectively enough to be noteworthy this year, and so there are no nominees in this category this time around. Last year, homegrown artist Brian Gothong Tan was the lone multimedia honourable mention.
Now into its sixth year, The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards were first given out in 2001 to laud the best and brightest in Singapore theatre, as well as encourage promising talents. Winners in past years have since found themselves enjoying greater local recognition and being able to travel farther professionally.
Indeed, industry players cite the awards as highlights in their portfolios as Britain would its Oliviers or the United States its Tonys.
Leading the pack this year for the most nominations for a single production is luna-id Theatre, which scored a total of six - including Production Of The Year, Best Director and Best Actor - for the play Quills, which was also one of the most talked about shows of the year with its dark themes and full frontal nudity.
Tied with five nominations each are last year’s big winner The Finger Players (for the HDB upgrading satire Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea), Action Theatre (for the tearjerking drama Everything But The Brain) and The Necessary Stage (for the terrorism spoof What Big Bombs You Have!!!)
Viewed overall, the established Singapore Repertory Theatre and the fledgling The Finger Players are tied for the most number of nominations - that is, seven - for two productions each: SRT for A Twist Of Fate and The Snow Queen, and Finger for Twisted and Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.
While the contest on March 6 is shaping up to be a right proper tussle between theatre’s big boys and hungry independent artists, the most heartening trend on the shortlist this year is the many doffs to cultural diversity. These include Best Original Script and Best Ensemble Cast nominations for Miror Theatre’s Shanmugam - The Kalinga Trilogy; Singapore Arts Festival hit Impenjarament by Teater Ekamatra (two nominations); and Theatre Practice’s Menage a 13 and Lao Jiu: The Musical (three nominations collectively).
There is also a strong showing by Chinese language theatre this year, headlined by survivor troupe Drama Box scooping up an impressive four nominations for Best Original Script, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Set Design for Happy, its play on Oscar Wilde in Mandarin.
You may wish to refer to Appendix A for the full list of nominees and Appendix B for nomination tallies according to drama groups.
Guests this year, who will be the Who’s Who of the arts scene here as always, have been asked to come according to the dress code Spaghetti Western, in keeping with the event’s loopy yearly themes, all meant in wacky good fun.
The list was drawn up by a panel of five judges, who also voted in the winners at a roundtable on February 4. The judges this year are National University of Singapore theatre lecturer K.K. Seet; freelance writer Sangeetha Madhavan; Business Times arts writer Parvathi Nayar; and Life! theatre critics Clara Chow and Hong Xinyi.
The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on March 6 at the News Centre Auditorium in Toa Payoh, which was also the venue for the awards ceremony in 2004 and 2005. The judges promise surprises aplenty - for all the right reasons - when the victors are announced.
Second Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim will grace the evening as its guest of honour, while popular and talented actor and past LTA nominee Adrian Pang will host the show, as he has since its inception in 2001.
The organisers have heeded the theatre community’s call at last year’s awards ceremony to put backstage crew on par with producers, directors and casts. So, from this year, there will be full awards - and not just honourable mentions as in past years - for the technical achievement categories of Best Sound, Best Lighting, Best Costumes and Best Use Of Multimedia.
This change takes the total number of awards to 13 in all, up from nine in previous years.
That said, the judges felt no shows employed multimedia effectively enough to be noteworthy this year, and so there are no nominees in this category this time around. Last year, homegrown artist Brian Gothong Tan was the lone multimedia honourable mention.
Now into its sixth year, The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards were first given out in 2001 to laud the best and brightest in Singapore theatre, as well as encourage promising talents. Winners in past years have since found themselves enjoying greater local recognition and being able to travel farther professionally.
Indeed, industry players cite the awards as highlights in their portfolios as Britain would its Oliviers or the United States its Tonys.
Leading the pack this year for the most nominations for a single production is luna-id Theatre, which scored a total of six - including Production Of The Year, Best Director and Best Actor - for the play Quills, which was also one of the most talked about shows of the year with its dark themes and full frontal nudity.
Tied with five nominations each are last year’s big winner The Finger Players (for the HDB upgrading satire Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea), Action Theatre (for the tearjerking drama Everything But The Brain) and The Necessary Stage (for the terrorism spoof What Big Bombs You Have!!!)
Viewed overall, the established Singapore Repertory Theatre and the fledgling The Finger Players are tied for the most number of nominations - that is, seven - for two productions each: SRT for A Twist Of Fate and The Snow Queen, and Finger for Twisted and Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.
While the contest on March 6 is shaping up to be a right proper tussle between theatre’s big boys and hungry independent artists, the most heartening trend on the shortlist this year is the many doffs to cultural diversity. These include Best Original Script and Best Ensemble Cast nominations for Miror Theatre’s Shanmugam - The Kalinga Trilogy; Singapore Arts Festival hit Impenjarament by Teater Ekamatra (two nominations); and Theatre Practice’s Menage a 13 and Lao Jiu: The Musical (three nominations collectively).
There is also a strong showing by Chinese language theatre this year, headlined by survivor troupe Drama Box scooping up an impressive four nominations for Best Original Script, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Set Design for Happy, its play on Oscar Wilde in Mandarin.
You may wish to refer to Appendix A for the full list of nominees and Appendix B for nomination tallies according to drama groups.
Guests this year, who will be the Who’s Who of the arts scene here as always, have been asked to come according to the dress code Spaghetti Western, in keeping with the event’s loopy yearly themes, all meant in wacky good fun.
MediaCorp celebrates 25 years of drama production with 2 events
By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 09 December 2007 2326 hrs
SINGAPORE: For the first time, MediaCorp has prepared a double dosage of the annual Star Awards to mark 25 years of television drama production.
The first instalment was aired "live" on Channel 8 on Sunday evening, with more than 100 artistes attending the event. Awards were given out for 11 categories such as the Top 5 Dramas, Top 10 Villains, Best Screen Couple and Evergreen Veterans. Xie Shao Guang won the award for My Favourite Actor, while Huang Bi Ren walked away with the award for My Favourite Actress. Felicia Chin was voted to join the ranks of Zoe Tay and Chen Li Ping as Screen Sweetheart. The presentation of awards for other entertainment shows will be held next Sunday, 16 December. The annual awards ceremony is held to honour the best of local talents, including the Best Host and Best Newscaster. - CNA/so
Posted: 09 December 2007 2326 hrs
SINGAPORE: For the first time, MediaCorp has prepared a double dosage of the annual Star Awards to mark 25 years of television drama production.
The first instalment was aired "live" on Channel 8 on Sunday evening, with more than 100 artistes attending the event. Awards were given out for 11 categories such as the Top 5 Dramas, Top 10 Villains, Best Screen Couple and Evergreen Veterans. Xie Shao Guang won the award for My Favourite Actor, while Huang Bi Ren walked away with the award for My Favourite Actress. Felicia Chin was voted to join the ranks of Zoe Tay and Chen Li Ping as Screen Sweetheart. The presentation of awards for other entertainment shows will be held next Sunday, 16 December. The annual awards ceremony is held to honour the best of local talents, including the Best Host and Best Newscaster. - CNA/so
Apocalypse: LIVE!
published on Aug 18 2008 - 17:49
The Lion City has been destroyed – so what happens next? A pitch-black new comedy posits a much funnier scenario than you might expect. Laura Dannen gets perspective on Singapore’s fictional finale It’s 2058: Singapore faces annihilation, melting under a rain of fire, and no one knows what the hell to do. Cue a story that’s part-political satire, part-social commentary, asking the question: when the time comes, will Singaporeans help each other, or just themselves? Though Apocalypse: LIVE! – part of the OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival and presented by W!LD RICE – might sound a bit heavy, its treatment by award-winning local director Samantha Scott-Blackhall (The Physicists, Quills) and script by Straits Times reporter-turned-playwright Ken Kwek are anything but. Reactions to the natural disaster vary from terror to concern over whether the Great Singapore Sale will be interrupted. This is black comedy incarnate. ‘The play deals with a pretty intense situation, but it’s still definitely funny,’ says Risa Okamoto, 29, who plays Asian-American news reporter Lisa, assigned to cover the apocalypse with local anchorman David. ‘Serious topics might be intimidating to think about on their own, but with a light sprinkling of clever humour, they become more accessible, inviting more analysis.’ Witty banter between journalists, military officials and Singaporeans running amok comes courtesy of Kwek, 29, who turns to long-form playwriting for the first time after a successful premiere with short plays. (He won the Best Playwright award for his ten-minute piece at June’s Short + Sweet Singapore festival.) After ending his two-and-a-half-year stint as a political reporter for the Times last August – during which he went head to head with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in a moment often referenced on local blogs – Kwek had plenty to say about a journalist’s role in Singapore, too. ‘I was very close to the material, and foolishly, of course, wanted to shed light on what the newspaper industry is really like in Singapore,’ says Kwek, noting that his first script for Apocalypse: LIVE! was much longer and dealt with significantly less ‘theatrical’ issues like censorship. ‘[But] I don’t want to simplify this play as a diatribe about press freedom, or lack thereof – it’s not.’ Rather, the play imagines the state of Singapore 50 years from now, from the make-up of its people to its landscape; after decades of change and growth, what does it look like? ‘It looks pretty much exactly as it does now,’ says Scott-Blackhall with a smile, ‘but with much more technological advancement, and a lot more commercialisation. Not with the sci-fi element though.’ Though she remained tight-lipped about details of the play’s plot and set, Scott-Blackhall did say one visual concept might make its way onstage. ‘I always wonder where our waste goes – are we using it to reclaim land?’ she asks. ‘So if there’s a natural disaster, does that mean everything is going to come up? Are we just going to be a country of rubbish?’ So, feasibly, the story goes like this: a day after ‘Singapore gets blown to smithereens’ (to quote Okamoto), some intrepid Singaporeans – led by activist Jessie Soon and spiritual leader Simon Sitoh – tackle rebuilding their home amid the wasteland of water bottles and nasi lemak takeaway containers. Reporters David and Lisa sort their way through truth and fiction, depending on the sound bites they get from Major General Abdul Aziz, who assumes control of the Lion City in a ‘non-effeminate military coup’. (Great line alert: ‘You’re a vaguely articulate piece of nothing,’ the general tells David.) The result is a hilarious discussion as to whether the best – or worst – of Singapore will come out in a crisis. ‘[In simpler terms], if something goes wrong, if a road block happens, does anyone actually stop to direct traffic? Or do we go, aiyah, where’s the police, why aren’t they here yet?’ asks Scott-Blackhall. ‘With so much progress, we become a lot more selfish. We tend to just look out for ourselves as opposed to looking out for society or your community… [ultimately], how much responsibility do you take as an individual, or is it all about the Government taking care of it? ‘The play looks at these questions,’ she adds. ‘Not necessarily answers, but looks.’
The Lion City has been destroyed – so what happens next? A pitch-black new comedy posits a much funnier scenario than you might expect. Laura Dannen gets perspective on Singapore’s fictional finale It’s 2058: Singapore faces annihilation, melting under a rain of fire, and no one knows what the hell to do. Cue a story that’s part-political satire, part-social commentary, asking the question: when the time comes, will Singaporeans help each other, or just themselves? Though Apocalypse: LIVE! – part of the OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival and presented by W!LD RICE – might sound a bit heavy, its treatment by award-winning local director Samantha Scott-Blackhall (The Physicists, Quills) and script by Straits Times reporter-turned-playwright Ken Kwek are anything but. Reactions to the natural disaster vary from terror to concern over whether the Great Singapore Sale will be interrupted. This is black comedy incarnate. ‘The play deals with a pretty intense situation, but it’s still definitely funny,’ says Risa Okamoto, 29, who plays Asian-American news reporter Lisa, assigned to cover the apocalypse with local anchorman David. ‘Serious topics might be intimidating to think about on their own, but with a light sprinkling of clever humour, they become more accessible, inviting more analysis.’ Witty banter between journalists, military officials and Singaporeans running amok comes courtesy of Kwek, 29, who turns to long-form playwriting for the first time after a successful premiere with short plays. (He won the Best Playwright award for his ten-minute piece at June’s Short + Sweet Singapore festival.) After ending his two-and-a-half-year stint as a political reporter for the Times last August – during which he went head to head with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in a moment often referenced on local blogs – Kwek had plenty to say about a journalist’s role in Singapore, too. ‘I was very close to the material, and foolishly, of course, wanted to shed light on what the newspaper industry is really like in Singapore,’ says Kwek, noting that his first script for Apocalypse: LIVE! was much longer and dealt with significantly less ‘theatrical’ issues like censorship. ‘[But] I don’t want to simplify this play as a diatribe about press freedom, or lack thereof – it’s not.’ Rather, the play imagines the state of Singapore 50 years from now, from the make-up of its people to its landscape; after decades of change and growth, what does it look like? ‘It looks pretty much exactly as it does now,’ says Scott-Blackhall with a smile, ‘but with much more technological advancement, and a lot more commercialisation. Not with the sci-fi element though.’ Though she remained tight-lipped about details of the play’s plot and set, Scott-Blackhall did say one visual concept might make its way onstage. ‘I always wonder where our waste goes – are we using it to reclaim land?’ she asks. ‘So if there’s a natural disaster, does that mean everything is going to come up? Are we just going to be a country of rubbish?’ So, feasibly, the story goes like this: a day after ‘Singapore gets blown to smithereens’ (to quote Okamoto), some intrepid Singaporeans – led by activist Jessie Soon and spiritual leader Simon Sitoh – tackle rebuilding their home amid the wasteland of water bottles and nasi lemak takeaway containers. Reporters David and Lisa sort their way through truth and fiction, depending on the sound bites they get from Major General Abdul Aziz, who assumes control of the Lion City in a ‘non-effeminate military coup’. (Great line alert: ‘You’re a vaguely articulate piece of nothing,’ the general tells David.) The result is a hilarious discussion as to whether the best – or worst – of Singapore will come out in a crisis. ‘[In simpler terms], if something goes wrong, if a road block happens, does anyone actually stop to direct traffic? Or do we go, aiyah, where’s the police, why aren’t they here yet?’ asks Scott-Blackhall. ‘With so much progress, we become a lot more selfish. We tend to just look out for ourselves as opposed to looking out for society or your community… [ultimately], how much responsibility do you take as an individual, or is it all about the Government taking care of it? ‘The play looks at these questions,’ she adds. ‘Not necessarily answers, but looks.’
Top arts school holds auditions
Nov 1, 2009
By Eisen Teo
A LEADING school in the performing arts is trawling for young acting talent here.
The University of London's Central School of Speech and Drama held auditions last Wednesday at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
This is the first time the 103-year-old school is staging auditions in Singapore.
It boasts Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter and Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame among its alumni.
Hong Kong and Toronto, Canada are the other new locales the school is touring this year to add to its pool of international students.
They will make up about 100 out of the school's 800-strong student population next year. There are at least three Singaporeans currently enrolled in the school right now.
By Eisen Teo
A LEADING school in the performing arts is trawling for young acting talent here.
The University of London's Central School of Speech and Drama held auditions last Wednesday at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
This is the first time the 103-year-old school is staging auditions in Singapore.
It boasts Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter and Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame among its alumni.
Hong Kong and Toronto, Canada are the other new locales the school is touring this year to add to its pool of international students.
They will make up about 100 out of the school's 800-strong student population next year. There are at least three Singaporeans currently enrolled in the school right now.
Singapore Rolls Out Inaugural Inbound Residency Programmes
Source: Government of Singapore
Posted on: 10th November 2009
NAC partners local Chinese language theatre groups on inbound residency programmes
Chinese language theatre practitioners looking to hone their skills will have more opportunities to do so in the coming months when the International Arts Residency (IAR) initiative rolls out its inaugural inbound residency programmes.
The National Arts Council (NAC) will be partnering local Chinese language theatre groups Drama Box and The Theatre Practice (TTP) to launch a series of masterclasses and a drama camp aimed at developing Singapore’s Chinese language theatre scene. The programmes are set to recur over the next three to five years, and are supported by the IAR initiative, which was launched by NAC under the third phase of the Renaissance City Plan.
Ms Elaine Ng, Director for Arts Development for NAC, says, “The start of these inbound residencies represents a step towards providing more resources for local arts professionals to share and learn from their international counterparts. By partnering with local arts groups, we hope to enable our arts groups to become world-class hosts for residencies.”
“Recent years have seen a brief and encouraging revival of Chinese language theatre in Singapore. As such, it is important that we nurture a sustained interest and passion for Chinese language theatre in the younger generation, and in turn build the pool of talent and create future audiences for Chinese language theatre. These programmes aim to do so by addressing specific gaps in the scene.” says Ms Ng.
Drama Box
Contemporary Chinese language theatre company Drama Box is offering masterclasses by esteemed international theatre masters. Titled Blanc Space Masterclass Series, the classes are aimed at local and regional Chinese language theatre practitioners. The series will begin with a prelude workshop from 20 to 23 December 2009 conducted by renowned Hong Kong theatre director Tang Shu-wing, Dean of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Following this, a two week long masterclass will take place from June to July 2010, also conducted by Tang and Danny Yung, Founder and Artistic Director of avart garde art collective Zuni Icosahedron.
Mr Kok Heng Leun, Artistic Director of Drama Box, says, “It has been heartening to see more talents emerging and their interest in Chinese language theatre. Drama Box’s Blanc Space Masterclass Series serves as an important space to facilitate these creative talents to learn, experiment and conduct exchanges. Through such masterclasses, we hope to see more practitioners join the scene, and perhaps the formation of more Chinese language theatre groups, leading to a proliferation of creative forces and exciting new work!”
The Theatre Practice
Students and young theatre professionals keen on getting a glimpse of the profession will be able to participate in a three-day drama camp led by TTP which is slated to take place in June 2010. Yung will head the drama camp, together with theatre practitioner and founder of PIP School Olivia Yan and Lang Zhu Yun, a veteran of the Taiwanese arts and entertainment industry and founder of Chun Wo Theatre.
Says Ms Kuo Jian Hong, Artistic Director of TTP, “This is an important initiative by NAC. It provides us with the resources to reach directly to youths that are exploring Chinese language theatre and the young professionals who work in Chinese language theatre. Important artists such as Danny Yung, Gao Xing Jian and Stan Lai were introduced to Singapore through Chinese drama camps held in the 1980’s. Those camps made significant, long term impact on the Chinese language theatre community. Relationships were built, knowledge exchanged, and many minds – including my own – were inspired. We are excited that through this opportunity to begin a new series of Chinese drama camps, we will have the return of Danny Yung, as well as new guest teachers Lang Zu Yung and Olivia Yan, offering diverse and inspiriting perspective to camp participants.”
The programmes will be adapted and expanded over consecutive editions to suit the participants and each year’s agenda. Theatre actors and directors who are conversant in Chinese and are interested in registering for the prelude workshop are invited to send in their personal details and CVs to Drama Box. Applications should be sent to blancspace@dramabox.org. Registration closes 10 December 2009.
Posted on: 10th November 2009
NAC partners local Chinese language theatre groups on inbound residency programmes
Chinese language theatre practitioners looking to hone their skills will have more opportunities to do so in the coming months when the International Arts Residency (IAR) initiative rolls out its inaugural inbound residency programmes.
The National Arts Council (NAC) will be partnering local Chinese language theatre groups Drama Box and The Theatre Practice (TTP) to launch a series of masterclasses and a drama camp aimed at developing Singapore’s Chinese language theatre scene. The programmes are set to recur over the next three to five years, and are supported by the IAR initiative, which was launched by NAC under the third phase of the Renaissance City Plan.
Ms Elaine Ng, Director for Arts Development for NAC, says, “The start of these inbound residencies represents a step towards providing more resources for local arts professionals to share and learn from their international counterparts. By partnering with local arts groups, we hope to enable our arts groups to become world-class hosts for residencies.”
“Recent years have seen a brief and encouraging revival of Chinese language theatre in Singapore. As such, it is important that we nurture a sustained interest and passion for Chinese language theatre in the younger generation, and in turn build the pool of talent and create future audiences for Chinese language theatre. These programmes aim to do so by addressing specific gaps in the scene.” says Ms Ng.
Drama Box
Contemporary Chinese language theatre company Drama Box is offering masterclasses by esteemed international theatre masters. Titled Blanc Space Masterclass Series, the classes are aimed at local and regional Chinese language theatre practitioners. The series will begin with a prelude workshop from 20 to 23 December 2009 conducted by renowned Hong Kong theatre director Tang Shu-wing, Dean of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Following this, a two week long masterclass will take place from June to July 2010, also conducted by Tang and Danny Yung, Founder and Artistic Director of avart garde art collective Zuni Icosahedron.
Mr Kok Heng Leun, Artistic Director of Drama Box, says, “It has been heartening to see more talents emerging and their interest in Chinese language theatre. Drama Box’s Blanc Space Masterclass Series serves as an important space to facilitate these creative talents to learn, experiment and conduct exchanges. Through such masterclasses, we hope to see more practitioners join the scene, and perhaps the formation of more Chinese language theatre groups, leading to a proliferation of creative forces and exciting new work!”
The Theatre Practice
Students and young theatre professionals keen on getting a glimpse of the profession will be able to participate in a three-day drama camp led by TTP which is slated to take place in June 2010. Yung will head the drama camp, together with theatre practitioner and founder of PIP School Olivia Yan and Lang Zhu Yun, a veteran of the Taiwanese arts and entertainment industry and founder of Chun Wo Theatre.
Says Ms Kuo Jian Hong, Artistic Director of TTP, “This is an important initiative by NAC. It provides us with the resources to reach directly to youths that are exploring Chinese language theatre and the young professionals who work in Chinese language theatre. Important artists such as Danny Yung, Gao Xing Jian and Stan Lai were introduced to Singapore through Chinese drama camps held in the 1980’s. Those camps made significant, long term impact on the Chinese language theatre community. Relationships were built, knowledge exchanged, and many minds – including my own – were inspired. We are excited that through this opportunity to begin a new series of Chinese drama camps, we will have the return of Danny Yung, as well as new guest teachers Lang Zu Yung and Olivia Yan, offering diverse and inspiriting perspective to camp participants.”
The programmes will be adapted and expanded over consecutive editions to suit the participants and each year’s agenda. Theatre actors and directors who are conversant in Chinese and are interested in registering for the prelude workshop are invited to send in their personal details and CVs to Drama Box. Applications should be sent to blancspace@dramabox.org. Registration closes 10 December 2009.
Big Little Nyonya
Sunday November 22, 2009
By ELIZABETH TAI
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my
The current Singaporean drama series The Little Nyonya has received an awesome reception from both sides of the Causeway. We speak to its two main stars, Jeanette Aw and Qi Yuwu.
PLAYING two Straits-born Chinese ladies was the perfect way for Singaporean actress Jeanette Aw to reconnect with her heritage.
“I’m Peranakan myself, so it was a good way to get back to my roots and to truly feel the culture and traditions come alive before me,” says the 30-year-old star via e-mail.
Yueniang (Jeanette Aw; centre) teaching her best friend Huang Yuzhu (Joanne Peh) how to cook while Ah Tao (Huang Hui), her loyal maid, looks on. The Little Nyonya took pains to depict the Peranakan culture as authentically as possible. – Photos courtesy of Ntv7
Aw is the lead actress in the hit Singaporean drama The Little Nyonya, currently on Ntv7. Since it started airing on the channel on Oct 26, the series has registered high ratings. The first episode itself drew an impressive 570,000 viewers, despite the fact that The Little Nyonya had premiered on Malaysian television on Astro in March.
The drama, which spans 70 years and begins in 1930s Singapore, follows the life of Yueniang, a Peranakan woman who has to endure the schemes of her capricious relatives. Aw plays Yueniang and her mute mother Juxiang.
The 34-episode series debuted with a mighty splash in the island republic last November. According to Singapore’s Channelnewsasia.com, the show was MediaCorp Channel 8’s highest rated series in 15 years. Its two-hour finale on Jan 5 snagged 1,672,000 viewers.
The series has been praised for its acting, detailed attention to the Peranakan culture and for its lavish costumes and sets. (Aw bought over some of her costumes. “I think they serve as wonderful memories,” she says.) Some of the scenes were even shot in Penang and Malacca.
In order to be a convincing Nyonya, Aw researched extensively for her role; she visited the Peranakan Museum in Singapore, read books, spoke to Peranakan women and even went to a university for more references. Aw and the other actors also took cooking and etiquette classes as well as sewing and beading lessons. They had to learn to eat with their bare hands too. All so that the actresses could carry themselves authentically as Peranakan women.
“We were also taught how to wear the sarong kebaya in the correct way,” she reveals.
This is the first time that Aw, who began acting in 2001, had to play double characters in a show. Though both roles are rather different – one is demure, the other is outspoken, she says – the two have similar goals in their pursuit of happiness.
“They are bonded as mother and daughter, having the same belief that they should fight for their own happiness. They have the same kind of courage and fire within them and it was a challenge making this spirit in them manifest in two different ways,” she explains.
However, as The Little Nyonya soared in popularity, Aw had to contend with gossip spread through tabloids, blogs and forums about her being a divorcee (not true), and how she got a male co-star sacked for being “too frisky” during a love scene (again, untrue). According to an article in Singapore’s The Straits Times, some speculated that the role of mute Juxiang was written for her in order to cover up her bad Mandarin.
“Naturally, comments like these would sting a little initially,” says Aw, who took Mandarin classes at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for six months to polish up her speech. Aw has also told The Straits Times: “Some people say I try too hard to pronounce every word. Some say I’m not very clear. I’m confused.”
Fortunately, she doesn’t have to fight these petty battles alone; the production team, the directors and fans were all behind her. (There’s an active Jeanette Aw fan club – called “Jeanius” to rhyme with “genius” - in Singapore.)
“My fans have been my biggest source of encouragement,” she says.
Aw was doing her final year of theatre studies at the NUS when she started attending auditions. “One audition happened to be for the then Media Works (a Singaporean TV station).”
Ironically, she didn’t want to be a television actress. “I wanted to be a stage actress. But I guess life is amazing in this sense,” she says.
In fact, if not for her foray into acting, she would’ve become a ballet teacher as dancing is her “first love”.
“I love dance, and I even had dreams of becoming a professional dancer,” she says.
But except for the occasional gossip, Singaporean actors lead a “blessed” existence, says Aw.
“We have relative freedom to express ourselves and we don’t get stalked by paparazzi. We do lose a certain extent of our privacy, which is inevitable, but that’s something we need to accept for being in the media,” she says.
Aw’s next drama series is New Beginnings in which she plays a funeral director. On Nov 12, she received an Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the NUS, where she graduated in 2003 with a major in theatre studies and a minor in psychology.
By ELIZABETH TAI
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my
The current Singaporean drama series The Little Nyonya has received an awesome reception from both sides of the Causeway. We speak to its two main stars, Jeanette Aw and Qi Yuwu.
PLAYING two Straits-born Chinese ladies was the perfect way for Singaporean actress Jeanette Aw to reconnect with her heritage.
“I’m Peranakan myself, so it was a good way to get back to my roots and to truly feel the culture and traditions come alive before me,” says the 30-year-old star via e-mail.
Yueniang (Jeanette Aw; centre) teaching her best friend Huang Yuzhu (Joanne Peh) how to cook while Ah Tao (Huang Hui), her loyal maid, looks on. The Little Nyonya took pains to depict the Peranakan culture as authentically as possible. – Photos courtesy of Ntv7
Aw is the lead actress in the hit Singaporean drama The Little Nyonya, currently on Ntv7. Since it started airing on the channel on Oct 26, the series has registered high ratings. The first episode itself drew an impressive 570,000 viewers, despite the fact that The Little Nyonya had premiered on Malaysian television on Astro in March.
The drama, which spans 70 years and begins in 1930s Singapore, follows the life of Yueniang, a Peranakan woman who has to endure the schemes of her capricious relatives. Aw plays Yueniang and her mute mother Juxiang.
The 34-episode series debuted with a mighty splash in the island republic last November. According to Singapore’s Channelnewsasia.com, the show was MediaCorp Channel 8’s highest rated series in 15 years. Its two-hour finale on Jan 5 snagged 1,672,000 viewers.
The series has been praised for its acting, detailed attention to the Peranakan culture and for its lavish costumes and sets. (Aw bought over some of her costumes. “I think they serve as wonderful memories,” she says.) Some of the scenes were even shot in Penang and Malacca.
In order to be a convincing Nyonya, Aw researched extensively for her role; she visited the Peranakan Museum in Singapore, read books, spoke to Peranakan women and even went to a university for more references. Aw and the other actors also took cooking and etiquette classes as well as sewing and beading lessons. They had to learn to eat with their bare hands too. All so that the actresses could carry themselves authentically as Peranakan women.
“We were also taught how to wear the sarong kebaya in the correct way,” she reveals.
This is the first time that Aw, who began acting in 2001, had to play double characters in a show. Though both roles are rather different – one is demure, the other is outspoken, she says – the two have similar goals in their pursuit of happiness.
“They are bonded as mother and daughter, having the same belief that they should fight for their own happiness. They have the same kind of courage and fire within them and it was a challenge making this spirit in them manifest in two different ways,” she explains.
However, as The Little Nyonya soared in popularity, Aw had to contend with gossip spread through tabloids, blogs and forums about her being a divorcee (not true), and how she got a male co-star sacked for being “too frisky” during a love scene (again, untrue). According to an article in Singapore’s The Straits Times, some speculated that the role of mute Juxiang was written for her in order to cover up her bad Mandarin.
“Naturally, comments like these would sting a little initially,” says Aw, who took Mandarin classes at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for six months to polish up her speech. Aw has also told The Straits Times: “Some people say I try too hard to pronounce every word. Some say I’m not very clear. I’m confused.”
Fortunately, she doesn’t have to fight these petty battles alone; the production team, the directors and fans were all behind her. (There’s an active Jeanette Aw fan club – called “Jeanius” to rhyme with “genius” - in Singapore.)
“My fans have been my biggest source of encouragement,” she says.
Aw was doing her final year of theatre studies at the NUS when she started attending auditions. “One audition happened to be for the then Media Works (a Singaporean TV station).”
Ironically, she didn’t want to be a television actress. “I wanted to be a stage actress. But I guess life is amazing in this sense,” she says.
In fact, if not for her foray into acting, she would’ve become a ballet teacher as dancing is her “first love”.
“I love dance, and I even had dreams of becoming a professional dancer,” she says.
But except for the occasional gossip, Singaporean actors lead a “blessed” existence, says Aw.
“We have relative freedom to express ourselves and we don’t get stalked by paparazzi. We do lose a certain extent of our privacy, which is inevitable, but that’s something we need to accept for being in the media,” she says.
Aw’s next drama series is New Beginnings in which she plays a funeral director. On Nov 12, she received an Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the NUS, where she graduated in 2003 with a major in theatre studies and a minor in psychology.
Singapore Signs First Film Co-production Deal with Korea
Seoul, Sept 4, 2009 - (ACN Newswire) - Production work for the US$10 million Host 2 film kicked off today following the signing of the production agreement between homegrown Boku Films, Korea's Chungeorahm Films and the Media Development Authority.Scheduled for a 2011 release, Host 2 will be jointly-produced by renowned Korean producer Choi Yong-Bae of Chungeorahm."The Host is a well-known and proven box office success. Having Boku Films and Chungeorahm onboard the project is an excellent opportunity for Singapore and Korean producers to work together to lend a new Asian touch to the genre. Talents like Kelvin Tong will be able to bring their perspectives and contributions to bear on the project, to produce content that will resonate with a global audience."KOCCA recently announced that it would support production company Chungeorahm and its CGI partner Macrograph to research and develop CGI for Host 2. Na Moon-sung, head of KOCCA's Cultural Technology department said, "We expect this project to acquire competitiveness comparable to overseas films in not only visual quality but also production efficiency, and anticipate this will upgrade the overall level of the Korean CGI industry."Said Mr Kelvin Tong: "The Host was a huge hit all over the world when it was released in 2006 and all eyes will be on its sequel. We have a lot to live up to but I am confident that the Korean and Singapore creatives working on this epic project will deliver a movie of monstrous proportions."Said producer and Chungeorahm Film's chief executive Mr Choi Yong-Bae: "I am confident that this collaboration between Chungeorahm Film, Boku Films and the MDA will develop Host 2 into the best Asian creature movie ever. This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the ties between the Korean and Singapore film industries."Currently at the scripting stage, Host 2 is scheduled to go into production in 2010. The director and the cast are yet to be confirmed. About MDAFormed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers
SINGAPORE: New film makes fun of Singapore censors
Now the wait is on to see if sideswipe at censors will be censored
The Straits Times
Sunday, March 7, 2004
By Wong Kim Hoh
Call it shear audacity.
Last year, Singapore's film censors 'traumatised' filmmaker Royston Tan by demanding 27 cuts before giving his film, 15, an R(A) rating.
The best therapy, he decided, was to confront his tormentors head on.
So he made Cut, a 12-minute musical that satirises censorship in Singapore, and lampoons Ms Amy Chua, director of media content at the Media Development Authority (MDA).
'I could cry about it or I could laugh about it. I decided to do the latter,' said Tan, 27, who pumped $15,000 of his own savings into Cut and roped in actor-director-playwright Jonathan Lim to help him with the script and music.
Scheduled to premiere at next month's Singapore International Film Festival, the spoof features a cast of 180 including the who's who of Singapore's creative community such as director Eric Khoo, actress Beatrice Chia and fashion photographer Geoff Ang. All worked for free.
Jonathan Lim, 29, plays a rabid movie fan who harasses Ms Chua (played by actress Neo Swee Lin) in a supermarket by recounting, with academic precision, all the deletions she has ordered on movies in Singapore.
In one scene, Lim's character tells Ms Chua he worships her style of censorship. 'Highly original, so daring, sometimes too Wong Kar Wai.' Wong Kar Wai is the internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director of films such as Happy Together and In The Mood For Love.
The short film ends with a campy song-and-dance sequence in a carpark where the cast belts out its own version of hits such as Wham's Last Christmas and Abba's Thank You For The Music. The lyrics, of course, have been doctored to send up censorship in this country.
Sung to the tune of We Are Singapore is this number: This one is PGThat one is GThis one is R(A) You cannot seeYou're only old enoughAfter armyThis is SingaporeCensorship is free'
Neo, 40, said she took on the film with no hesitation because it was fun and made a statement about censorship. 'I believe censorship kills creativity. If we're really after a creative society, and a renaissance city, we have to loosen up,' she said.
Tan and Lim took a month to research and put the project together.
So, will Cut fall foul of the censors?
Tan said: 'The film was done in the spirit of fun so no one should take offence. I certainly hope the Board of Film Censors and Amy Chua would have a sense of humour.'
He said the prestigious Cannes film festival is considering screening it and more than 16 international film festivals have already pre-booked the movie.
Lim added: 'I don't think Amy Chua will be pleased. But no one who is in a position of authority should be free from scrutiny or satire.'
The Singapore festival, which hopes to screen it next month, submitted Cut to the Board of Film Censors for a rating about three weeks ago. The BFC hasn't yet indicated if it will be passed, passed with deletions or banned.
When contacted, an MDA spokesman said more than 300 films have been submitted for the festival and they were still being assessed.
'This is in addition to the many films the Board of Film Censors receives from the industry and public for classification,' she added.
There was also no response from Ms Chua as to whether she objected to being satirised.
The Straits Times
Sunday, March 7, 2004
By Wong Kim Hoh
Call it shear audacity.
Last year, Singapore's film censors 'traumatised' filmmaker Royston Tan by demanding 27 cuts before giving his film, 15, an R(A) rating.
The best therapy, he decided, was to confront his tormentors head on.
So he made Cut, a 12-minute musical that satirises censorship in Singapore, and lampoons Ms Amy Chua, director of media content at the Media Development Authority (MDA).
'I could cry about it or I could laugh about it. I decided to do the latter,' said Tan, 27, who pumped $15,000 of his own savings into Cut and roped in actor-director-playwright Jonathan Lim to help him with the script and music.
Scheduled to premiere at next month's Singapore International Film Festival, the spoof features a cast of 180 including the who's who of Singapore's creative community such as director Eric Khoo, actress Beatrice Chia and fashion photographer Geoff Ang. All worked for free.
Jonathan Lim, 29, plays a rabid movie fan who harasses Ms Chua (played by actress Neo Swee Lin) in a supermarket by recounting, with academic precision, all the deletions she has ordered on movies in Singapore.
In one scene, Lim's character tells Ms Chua he worships her style of censorship. 'Highly original, so daring, sometimes too Wong Kar Wai.' Wong Kar Wai is the internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director of films such as Happy Together and In The Mood For Love.
The short film ends with a campy song-and-dance sequence in a carpark where the cast belts out its own version of hits such as Wham's Last Christmas and Abba's Thank You For The Music. The lyrics, of course, have been doctored to send up censorship in this country.
Sung to the tune of We Are Singapore is this number: This one is PGThat one is GThis one is R(A) You cannot seeYou're only old enoughAfter armyThis is SingaporeCensorship is free'
Neo, 40, said she took on the film with no hesitation because it was fun and made a statement about censorship. 'I believe censorship kills creativity. If we're really after a creative society, and a renaissance city, we have to loosen up,' she said.
Tan and Lim took a month to research and put the project together.
So, will Cut fall foul of the censors?
Tan said: 'The film was done in the spirit of fun so no one should take offence. I certainly hope the Board of Film Censors and Amy Chua would have a sense of humour.'
He said the prestigious Cannes film festival is considering screening it and more than 16 international film festivals have already pre-booked the movie.
Lim added: 'I don't think Amy Chua will be pleased. But no one who is in a position of authority should be free from scrutiny or satire.'
The Singapore festival, which hopes to screen it next month, submitted Cut to the Board of Film Censors for a rating about three weeks ago. The BFC hasn't yet indicated if it will be passed, passed with deletions or banned.
When contacted, an MDA spokesman said more than 300 films have been submitted for the festival and they were still being assessed.
'This is in addition to the many films the Board of Film Censors receives from the industry and public for classification,' she added.
There was also no response from Ms Chua as to whether she objected to being satirised.
S'pore amends films act
Ban on party political films partially lifted
By Clarissa Oon
SENSATIONALISTIC documentaries that distort facts should remain off limits if serious and rational political debate is to be maintained, Parliament heard on Monday.
Speaking during the debate on changes to the Films Act, Senior Minister of State (Information, Communications and the Arts) Lui Tuck Yew said Singapore's democracy would be 'debased' if it was 'reduced to sleek commercials, clever editing, sharp sound bites and political spin'.
The changes to the 11-year-old Act which Parliament passed, partially lift a ban on party political films and allow for the making and screening of certain types of films, including those of political party manifestos and factual documentaries.
Four MPs backed the changes. Of the other two who spoke, Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim criticised it, while Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong objected to the amendments altogether.
The changes came after a government-appointed advisory council on new media recommended that the ban on party political films be lifted in stages.
While the rationale for keeping out films that sensationalise and distort remains valid, a total ban on all party political films is no longer tenable because political films can easily be uploaded and viewed on the Internet, Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui explained.
Young Internet-savvy Singaporeans also want more space for political discourse, and political parties could use film and new media tools to reach out to them, as politicians elsewhere are doing.
Given the evolving new media environment, he said the Government would make further changes to the Films Act 'when it is appropriate to do so'.
As it stands, the changes 'will allow much leeway for parties, election candidates and individuals' to produce such films while keeping political debate 'serious and robust', he told the House.
By Clarissa Oon
SENSATIONALISTIC documentaries that distort facts should remain off limits if serious and rational political debate is to be maintained, Parliament heard on Monday.
Speaking during the debate on changes to the Films Act, Senior Minister of State (Information, Communications and the Arts) Lui Tuck Yew said Singapore's democracy would be 'debased' if it was 'reduced to sleek commercials, clever editing, sharp sound bites and political spin'.
The changes to the 11-year-old Act which Parliament passed, partially lift a ban on party political films and allow for the making and screening of certain types of films, including those of political party manifestos and factual documentaries.
Four MPs backed the changes. Of the other two who spoke, Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim criticised it, while Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong objected to the amendments altogether.
The changes came after a government-appointed advisory council on new media recommended that the ban on party political films be lifted in stages.
While the rationale for keeping out films that sensationalise and distort remains valid, a total ban on all party political films is no longer tenable because political films can easily be uploaded and viewed on the Internet, Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui explained.
Young Internet-savvy Singaporeans also want more space for political discourse, and political parties could use film and new media tools to reach out to them, as politicians elsewhere are doing.
Given the evolving new media environment, he said the Government would make further changes to the Films Act 'when it is appropriate to do so'.
As it stands, the changes 'will allow much leeway for parties, election candidates and individuals' to produce such films while keeping political debate 'serious and robust', he told the House.
Martyn See's "Singapore Rebel" film gets green light
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 11 September 2009 1724 hrs
SINGAPORE : The government has lifted a four-year ban on the film "Singapore Rebel".
The film, about Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan, is now rated M18, which allows those above 18 years old to view it. It is the first political film to be allowed since the Films Act was amended in March. This follows the formation of an independent Political Films Consultative Committee to assess if such films are suitable for public viewing. Even though the film was banned in 2005, "Singapore Rebel" has been extensively viewed by about half a million people online, according to its filmmaker Martyn See. In May this year, Martyn resubmitted the film to the Board of Film Censors for vetting. The Media Development Authority said on Friday that the Board of Film Censors had referred the film to the Political Films Consultative Committee (PFCC) for advice on whether it should be regarded as a party political film under the Films Act. And after reviewing the film, the committee said "Singapore Rebel" is a documentary and not a party political film. Amy Chua, chairman, Board of Film Censors, said: "The government has amended the Films Act to allow for more types of party political films that do not dramatise and/or present a distorted picture, as part of the government's move to further liberalise and expand the space for greater political discourse. The applicant (Martyn See) has requested that his film be assessed as a documentary without any animation and composed wholly of an accurate account depicting actual events, persons or situations. "The PFCC had assessed that the film would fall under the statutory exclusion set out in section 2(3)(e) of the Films Act." It is the first film to be assessed and allowed by the new committee. While the man behind the film has welcomed the move, he still has mixed feelings about the lifting of the ban. Martyn said: "First of all, it is symbolic. Symbolic because it has been watched by half a million people on YouTube and Google Video for the last four years. "In that sense, I am not too elated about it but on the other hand, it is a good step forward in the sense that other future film makers who want to attempt to do the same kind of films will know where the boundaries are." Martyn has no plans to screen the film any time soon. But he is hoping that his other film, "Zahari's 17 Years", about former political detainee Said Zahari, will get the green light as well. - CNA/ms
SINGAPORE : The government has lifted a four-year ban on the film "Singapore Rebel".
The film, about Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan, is now rated M18, which allows those above 18 years old to view it. It is the first political film to be allowed since the Films Act was amended in March. This follows the formation of an independent Political Films Consultative Committee to assess if such films are suitable for public viewing. Even though the film was banned in 2005, "Singapore Rebel" has been extensively viewed by about half a million people online, according to its filmmaker Martyn See. In May this year, Martyn resubmitted the film to the Board of Film Censors for vetting. The Media Development Authority said on Friday that the Board of Film Censors had referred the film to the Political Films Consultative Committee (PFCC) for advice on whether it should be regarded as a party political film under the Films Act. And after reviewing the film, the committee said "Singapore Rebel" is a documentary and not a party political film. Amy Chua, chairman, Board of Film Censors, said: "The government has amended the Films Act to allow for more types of party political films that do not dramatise and/or present a distorted picture, as part of the government's move to further liberalise and expand the space for greater political discourse. The applicant (Martyn See) has requested that his film be assessed as a documentary without any animation and composed wholly of an accurate account depicting actual events, persons or situations. "The PFCC had assessed that the film would fall under the statutory exclusion set out in section 2(3)(e) of the Films Act." It is the first film to be assessed and allowed by the new committee. While the man behind the film has welcomed the move, he still has mixed feelings about the lifting of the ban. Martyn said: "First of all, it is symbolic. Symbolic because it has been watched by half a million people on YouTube and Google Video for the last four years. "In that sense, I am not too elated about it but on the other hand, it is a good step forward in the sense that other future film makers who want to attempt to do the same kind of films will know where the boundaries are." Martyn has no plans to screen the film any time soon. But he is hoping that his other film, "Zahari's 17 Years", about former political detainee Said Zahari, will get the green light as well. - CNA/ms
NLB And COMPASS Embark On Initiative To Preserve Singapore's Music Heritage
Release Date : 13 Nov 2009
MusicSG expected to benefit enthusiasts of Singapore's rich and diverse music traditions
Singapore, 13 November 2009 – In the first-of-its-kind collaboration between the National Library Board (NLB) and the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), locally published musical works will be archived in a digital format with the aim of preserving and promoting Singapore's music heritage. The non-profit venture to create the music archive was inked today by NLB and COMPASS, best known for their expertise and best practices in archiving knowledge and copyright guardianship, respectively.
Initiated by NLB, MusicSG aims to encourage Singaporean artistes and composers and other music industry players to submit locally published musical works to the newly created depository. The works could include scores, lyrics and recordings published in Singapore or by Singaporeans overseas.
In addition to archiving Singapore's musical works, MusicSG intends to raise the awareness and to deepen an appreciation of Singapore's music heritage with avid music followers and the general public.
Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of the National Library Board (NLB) said, “NLB is proud to partner COMPASS in this meaningful project that aims to preserve Singapore's music heritage. We firmly believe that MusicSG will not only serve as a comprehensive repository of Singapore music but will also act as a social glue that brings past and present generations closer together through the love and appreciation of Singapore music. This joint effort supports our Library 2010 vision to promote a knowledgeable and engaged society through a comprehensive range of information services and resources that are relevant to the community. We believe that knowledge is not only about books. Libraries should also play a role in engaging users to discover the arts in an environment that inspire learning, creativity and innovation. We hope that MusicSG will be to music lovers what the library is to avid readers and that it ignites curiosity about Singapore music heritage beyond our shores.”
MusicSG will also provide support to researchers and individuals pursuing studies in music and its related subjects. NLB on its part will work with COMPASS to ensure that intellectual property rights are respected and that copyright statutes are correctly adhered to.
Said Dr Edmund Lam, Chief Executive Officer of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), “We are extremely elated to be able to collaborate with NLB to support the establishment of MusicSG. We have an estimated 22,000 of local musical compositions in various music genres written by some 1000 members of COMPASS. The project is very timely as it will ensure our music history is properly preserved and easily accessible by present and future generations for education and enjoyment.”
An advisory committee chaired by Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of NLB has been formed to oversee the project. The committee includes renowned Singaporean music makers such as Mr Mark Chan and Mr Vernon Cornelius, as well as members from professional bodies such as Ms Barbara Wong, General Manager of Recording Industry Association and Mr Yusnor Ef, President, Persatuan Penyanyi dan Karyawan Muzik Melayu Singapura (PERKAMUS). Please refer to Annex for the list of advisory committee members.
MusicSG hopes that donors will come forward to support this public initiative by donating music materials related to Singapore, as well as musical works created, composed or performed by Singaporeans particularly from the '40s to the '80s. These include vinyls; cassettes; CDs; VCDs; DVDs; posters; programme notes; pictures; photos, and newspaper and magazine clippings.
“I am happy that the two years I spent exploring the concept with NLB is finally bearing fruit, and to have played a leading role in sparking interest in the NLB to undertake this project. As an artiste and composer, I will certainly be honoured to deposit my works with MusicSG and to also encourage my colleagues in the industry to do likewise. In fact, I would like to see MusicSG being the catalyst for other Asian countries to start archiving their own music heritage and even form partnerships with leading archiving institutions around the world,” said Mr Mark Chan, a member of the MusicSG advisory committee.
“Any effort to make Singaporean composers and Singaporean music more visible to the music lovers is a worthy one. This effort by NLB and the cooperation with COMPASS is a truly innovative one and it is my hope that this will make Singaporeans aware of the vast body of high quality musical works created by our treasured musicians, past and present. I also hope that people around the world will make use of this service as a valuable resource,” commented Professor Jeremy Monteiro, board member of COMPASS.
MusicSG expected to benefit enthusiasts of Singapore's rich and diverse music traditions
Singapore, 13 November 2009 – In the first-of-its-kind collaboration between the National Library Board (NLB) and the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), locally published musical works will be archived in a digital format with the aim of preserving and promoting Singapore's music heritage. The non-profit venture to create the music archive was inked today by NLB and COMPASS, best known for their expertise and best practices in archiving knowledge and copyright guardianship, respectively.
Initiated by NLB, MusicSG aims to encourage Singaporean artistes and composers and other music industry players to submit locally published musical works to the newly created depository. The works could include scores, lyrics and recordings published in Singapore or by Singaporeans overseas.
In addition to archiving Singapore's musical works, MusicSG intends to raise the awareness and to deepen an appreciation of Singapore's music heritage with avid music followers and the general public.
Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of the National Library Board (NLB) said, “NLB is proud to partner COMPASS in this meaningful project that aims to preserve Singapore's music heritage. We firmly believe that MusicSG will not only serve as a comprehensive repository of Singapore music but will also act as a social glue that brings past and present generations closer together through the love and appreciation of Singapore music. This joint effort supports our Library 2010 vision to promote a knowledgeable and engaged society through a comprehensive range of information services and resources that are relevant to the community. We believe that knowledge is not only about books. Libraries should also play a role in engaging users to discover the arts in an environment that inspire learning, creativity and innovation. We hope that MusicSG will be to music lovers what the library is to avid readers and that it ignites curiosity about Singapore music heritage beyond our shores.”
MusicSG will also provide support to researchers and individuals pursuing studies in music and its related subjects. NLB on its part will work with COMPASS to ensure that intellectual property rights are respected and that copyright statutes are correctly adhered to.
Said Dr Edmund Lam, Chief Executive Officer of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), “We are extremely elated to be able to collaborate with NLB to support the establishment of MusicSG. We have an estimated 22,000 of local musical compositions in various music genres written by some 1000 members of COMPASS. The project is very timely as it will ensure our music history is properly preserved and easily accessible by present and future generations for education and enjoyment.”
An advisory committee chaired by Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of NLB has been formed to oversee the project. The committee includes renowned Singaporean music makers such as Mr Mark Chan and Mr Vernon Cornelius, as well as members from professional bodies such as Ms Barbara Wong, General Manager of Recording Industry Association and Mr Yusnor Ef, President, Persatuan Penyanyi dan Karyawan Muzik Melayu Singapura (PERKAMUS). Please refer to Annex for the list of advisory committee members.
MusicSG hopes that donors will come forward to support this public initiative by donating music materials related to Singapore, as well as musical works created, composed or performed by Singaporeans particularly from the '40s to the '80s. These include vinyls; cassettes; CDs; VCDs; DVDs; posters; programme notes; pictures; photos, and newspaper and magazine clippings.
“I am happy that the two years I spent exploring the concept with NLB is finally bearing fruit, and to have played a leading role in sparking interest in the NLB to undertake this project. As an artiste and composer, I will certainly be honoured to deposit my works with MusicSG and to also encourage my colleagues in the industry to do likewise. In fact, I would like to see MusicSG being the catalyst for other Asian countries to start archiving their own music heritage and even form partnerships with leading archiving institutions around the world,” said Mr Mark Chan, a member of the MusicSG advisory committee.
“Any effort to make Singaporean composers and Singaporean music more visible to the music lovers is a worthy one. This effort by NLB and the cooperation with COMPASS is a truly innovative one and it is my hope that this will make Singaporeans aware of the vast body of high quality musical works created by our treasured musicians, past and present. I also hope that people around the world will make use of this service as a valuable resource,” commented Professor Jeremy Monteiro, board member of COMPASS.
CNA: 25 new cases of illegal music file-sharing handed over to police
Christine
17 Oct 06
The Recording Industry Association of Singapore (RIAS) has found 25 new cases of illegal music file-sharing and downloading. It has filed these cases with the police, in line with international efforts to deter copyright theft. Over 8,000 new cases in 17 countries were also reported on Tuesday. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, an organisation against music piracy, says legal action is being taken against the biggest culprits of South America and Eastern Europe. Over in Singapore, the 25 new cases were reported just days after the police had raided the homes of seven illegal music file-sharers. RIAS says that the new cases involve users who are illegally downloading and sharing music files via international networks like Limewire and Gnutella. In October last year, over 800 instant warning messages were sent to illegal music file-sharers. That number dipped to 32 last month alone. Edward Neubronner, CEO of RIAS, said: "So it's clearly an indication that the majority in Singapore understand and know that these activities are wrong, they are illegal and the consequences can be very dire." Two Singaporean men were jailed four months and three months respectively in February for distributing hundreds of pirated digital music files through an Internet chat program. They were the first to be punished in Singapore for a non profit-making offence under the city-state's Copyright Act. A third was let off with a warning because he was only 16 years old at that time. "The reaction when three were arrested was that: there are so many of us, are you going to catch all of us? Now, after the seven whose homes have been raided by the police, it's clear that everybody is saying, 'ok! it's not fooling around, and I don't think I want to face such severe consequences'," said Mr Neubronner. A media expert believes the new cases will have a chilling effect among online users. Associate Professor Ang Peng Hwa, Chair of Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the Nanyang Technological University, said: "The volume of downloading will go down at least for a while. You have to see what kinds of penalties are levied on those people who have been charged.....I'm not sure if many people know, but the copyright laws in Singapore are very tough. In fact, they are the toughest in the world right now. We are, for better or worse, leading the world in this area." Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), said: "The provision is actually not meant to target the one or two individuals who download and distribute music. The whole purpose and objective of the Act is to tackle infringers who download music wilfully and to a significant extent. We're of the view that the activities that we've conducted so far have been effective. We can't say that people are not aware of the provisions in the law and people are not aware that it's wrong to infringe somebody else's work." IPOS admits that it's not possible to eradicate music piracy in Singapore. But education is the key. IPOS has been alerting the public about the importance of honouring intellectual property through its advertisements in movie theatres and magazines. And if need be, it says it will step up its educational campaign. - CNA/ir
17 Oct 06
The Recording Industry Association of Singapore (RIAS) has found 25 new cases of illegal music file-sharing and downloading. It has filed these cases with the police, in line with international efforts to deter copyright theft. Over 8,000 new cases in 17 countries were also reported on Tuesday. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, an organisation against music piracy, says legal action is being taken against the biggest culprits of South America and Eastern Europe. Over in Singapore, the 25 new cases were reported just days after the police had raided the homes of seven illegal music file-sharers. RIAS says that the new cases involve users who are illegally downloading and sharing music files via international networks like Limewire and Gnutella. In October last year, over 800 instant warning messages were sent to illegal music file-sharers. That number dipped to 32 last month alone. Edward Neubronner, CEO of RIAS, said: "So it's clearly an indication that the majority in Singapore understand and know that these activities are wrong, they are illegal and the consequences can be very dire." Two Singaporean men were jailed four months and three months respectively in February for distributing hundreds of pirated digital music files through an Internet chat program. They were the first to be punished in Singapore for a non profit-making offence under the city-state's Copyright Act. A third was let off with a warning because he was only 16 years old at that time. "The reaction when three were arrested was that: there are so many of us, are you going to catch all of us? Now, after the seven whose homes have been raided by the police, it's clear that everybody is saying, 'ok! it's not fooling around, and I don't think I want to face such severe consequences'," said Mr Neubronner. A media expert believes the new cases will have a chilling effect among online users. Associate Professor Ang Peng Hwa, Chair of Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the Nanyang Technological University, said: "The volume of downloading will go down at least for a while. You have to see what kinds of penalties are levied on those people who have been charged.....I'm not sure if many people know, but the copyright laws in Singapore are very tough. In fact, they are the toughest in the world right now. We are, for better or worse, leading the world in this area." Liew Woon Yin, Director-General of Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), said: "The provision is actually not meant to target the one or two individuals who download and distribute music. The whole purpose and objective of the Act is to tackle infringers who download music wilfully and to a significant extent. We're of the view that the activities that we've conducted so far have been effective. We can't say that people are not aware of the provisions in the law and people are not aware that it's wrong to infringe somebody else's work." IPOS admits that it's not possible to eradicate music piracy in Singapore. But education is the key. IPOS has been alerting the public about the importance of honouring intellectual property through its advertisements in movie theatres and magazines. And if need be, it says it will step up its educational campaign. - CNA/ir
MUSIC FOR THE MASSES
By David Chew
Thursday, 30 March 2006, TODAY
The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore does a lot for its students and the public but it is its public concerts - the latest of which will be held next Thursday - that have been drawing the most attention. In terms of reaching out to Singaporeans, its policy of offering free admission or nominally priced tickets ($8) has gone down very well, said its assistant director for public information Lau Wei Yi. The concerts average at least 70 to 80 percent attendance. "Our concerts are heavily supported by Singapore Pools so we can charge less or nothing at all for most of them", she said. "And we hope for as many people as possible to attend." The April 6 concert, one of four major concerts held every academic year for the conservatory's students, will see the school's head of piano studies Thomas Hecht perform Brahms Piano Concert No 1 in D minor with the conservatory orchestra. "Holding the concerts at prestigious arts venues like the Esplanade and Victoria Concert Hall has given our students the opportunity to perform as if it's the real thing," said Hecht. It has also given Hecht's own students the opportunity to see their teacher practice what he preaches. "In that sense it is, indeed, very hard to perform on your own turf," he said. "You've been preaching some kind of gospel to them and you just hope their now sensitive ears won't catch some mistakes." He added with a laugh: "Of course, this is a good problem." The concerts may be held at the Esplanade for now, but soon students will have a world-class performance venue to call their own. Scheduled for completion later this year, Yong Siew Toh's new conservatory building will include a concert hall that seats 600.
Thursday, 30 March 2006, TODAY
The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore does a lot for its students and the public but it is its public concerts - the latest of which will be held next Thursday - that have been drawing the most attention. In terms of reaching out to Singaporeans, its policy of offering free admission or nominally priced tickets ($8) has gone down very well, said its assistant director for public information Lau Wei Yi. The concerts average at least 70 to 80 percent attendance. "Our concerts are heavily supported by Singapore Pools so we can charge less or nothing at all for most of them", she said. "And we hope for as many people as possible to attend." The April 6 concert, one of four major concerts held every academic year for the conservatory's students, will see the school's head of piano studies Thomas Hecht perform Brahms Piano Concert No 1 in D minor with the conservatory orchestra. "Holding the concerts at prestigious arts venues like the Esplanade and Victoria Concert Hall has given our students the opportunity to perform as if it's the real thing," said Hecht. It has also given Hecht's own students the opportunity to see their teacher practice what he preaches. "In that sense it is, indeed, very hard to perform on your own turf," he said. "You've been preaching some kind of gospel to them and you just hope their now sensitive ears won't catch some mistakes." He added with a laugh: "Of course, this is a good problem." The concerts may be held at the Esplanade for now, but soon students will have a world-class performance venue to call their own. Scheduled for completion later this year, Yong Siew Toh's new conservatory building will include a concert hall that seats 600.
VIOLINIST, 15 IS YOUNGEST S'POREAN AT NUS
A violin virtuoso aged 15 has played his way from Secondary 3 straight to university. Loh Jun Hong is the youngest Singaporean admitted to the National University of Singapore, based on NUS records for the last decade or so. He is also the youngest musician studying at the university's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. He had earlier turned down a place at the renowned Yehudi Menuhin School in Britain because he wanted to continue studying under his violin teacher, Assistant Professor Qian Zhou, a lecturer at the conservatory. Jun Hong enrolled at the NUS music faculty three weeks ago for a music degree majoring in violin. The former Raffles Institution student did not meet the faculty's academic criteria - an A-level certificate or its equivalent - but it made an exception for him because of his "musical abilities and excellent academic record". "He has exceptional achievements for a Singaporean his age and we believe he has the potential to succeed at the university level," said the conservatory's director, Dr Gene Aitken. Dr Aitken said Jun Hong was granted an audition because he had been offered a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School and had overseas performing experience. He had "performed an outstanding audition". Jun Hong picked up the violin "for fun" when he was seven. His businessman father, Mr Loh Lean Chooi, 50, discovered that the youngster had an exceptional talent just a few months after he started learning the instrument. "I played a song to him on my guitar one morning and later that day, he played that same piece back to me on the violin," said Mr Loh. The boy joined the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' (Nafa) School of Young Talents when he was nine. His mum, Madam Lim Ben Tjoe, 49, who helps in the family business, and sister Ling Min, 21, a biochemistry student in California, both play the piano. In 2002, Jun Hong obtained a distinction in the Grade 8 violin examination from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, a leading international music examining board. He was no slouch at school either. He scored four A Stars and an aggregate of 275 in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He won second prize in the junior category of the National Piano and Violin Competition 2001 and the top position in the contest's intermediate category two years later. He has also had numerous solo recitals in Singapore, including a performance at the Istana at a state dinner hosted by President S R Nathan. Last year, he performed at the Royal College of Music in London and at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, the United States, as part of a concert tour organised by Nafa. Jun Hong, who is on the conservatory scholarship, which covers the $7,350 tuition fee per academic year, said he had much more to learn at NUS. "There's more competition here, so I'm forced to improve faster. "In a way, it's pressurising because there's an obligation to be as good as my classmates, but they have three years more experience than me," he added. But he said he enjoys it because he now has more time to concentrate on his music. "It was impossible to balance studies and music when I was in RI, so violin always came first. "When there's a test, I'll study one hour before. When there are exams, I'll study the day before," said the student who averaged 70 per cent for his mid-year exams this year. "Now, I get twice as much practice - at least five hours a day - and don't have to worry about doing my homework," said Jun Hong, who also enjoys meeting or chatting online with his friends. Being three years younger than his classmates is no big deal, he said. "At first, they didn't even realise that I'm 15. They just assumed I'm 19 like everyone else because I'm quite tall," said the 1.75m youth, chuckling.
The Genee international ballet competition held in singapore
Behind the ballerina
BY KUA CHEE SIONG
YOU know household names like Li Jia Wei and Joscelin Yeo.
By Saturday, Kwok Min Yi might take her first step to joining that league.
Min Yi, 17, won a prestigious spot in the final of the Genee International Ballet Competition (regarded as the Olympic Games of the ballet world) at the University Cultural Centre yesterday.
Her selection as one of the 12 finalists is historic because this is the first time that a Singaporean has made it to the competition, let alone the final. And yes, she was 'happy' about making Singapore dance history.
Her dance teacher, Ms Cheah Mei Sing, 35, had a ready explanation for Min Yi's economy with words. 'Min Yi is a more a doer, and not so much of a talker,' she said.
And do she did.
The former student of Singapore Chinese Girl's School beat 53 other dancers (including seven boys), aged between 15 and 19, from 14 countries including Australia, Japan and South Africa.
She will compete for a medal in the finals tomorrow.
Apart from being a competition, the flagship event of Britain's Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) also attracts talent scouts, choreographers and artistic directors from all over the world. They will cast a keen eye on rising stars to groom.
Among those plucked from obscurity at previous events are British ballet legend Margot Fonteyn and Russian-born superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Min Yi has been dancing since she was 4 with the Crestar School of Dance. She joined the Singapore Ballet Academy when she was13.
Leaving for London
She will be leaving soon for the English National Ballet School in London on a National Arts Council (NAC)Arts Scholarship.
She has firm ideas on her future: 'Dance is my life,' she said.
This is the first time in its 78-year history that the Genee is being held in South-east Asia.
It is being presented here together with the NAC.
The competition is open to those who have passed the Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 examination in Classical Ballet with distinction, or those who have been awarded the Solo Seal award, the final and top examination in the academy.
RAD's artistic director Lynn Wallis said the Genee presents a unique experience for amateur dancers.
'It's not often that a dancer, especially of that age, has a chance to be part of the creative process, to the extent of working on a solo variation choreographed specifically for them,' she said.
For the past week, the dancers were given a taste of what a professional career in dance might be like, going through gruelling eight-hour-long coaching sessions.
For the finals, the dancers will be judged on their footwork, ability to engage the audience, and their choice of music.
And even if one dancer is clearly better than the others, that doesn't mean that he or she will bag the gold medal ' standards are so high that there were years when no gold medals were given out because the judges felt the dancers were not up to scratch.
For Min Yi, however, it doesn't matter whether she gets a medal.
'After you set a goal, go one step at a time,' she said. 'My dream is to be a professional dancer.'
adapted from "http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090911-167394.html "
Background info:
The Genee international ballet competition is originated in 1931 and also to commemorate Dame Adeline Genee DBE, a reputable and outstanding ballerina in Ballet. The Genee competition is dedicated to promoting and rewarding standards of excellence in young ballet dancers internationally. Competitors have to be between 15 to 19 years old and must have attained a distinction grade in the Advanced 2 Classical Ballet examination or awarded the Solo Seal award, which is the highest examination in the academy. This year, 2009, Singapore had the honor to host The Genee International ballet competition and is the first Southeast-Asian country to do so.
Kwok Min Yi, is the first Singaporean competitor to get into the finals and she has definitely made an impact in Singapore’s dance history. She has received the NAC Arts scholarship to London, to further her studies in Ballet.
BY KUA CHEE SIONG
YOU know household names like Li Jia Wei and Joscelin Yeo.
By Saturday, Kwok Min Yi might take her first step to joining that league.
Min Yi, 17, won a prestigious spot in the final of the Genee International Ballet Competition (regarded as the Olympic Games of the ballet world) at the University Cultural Centre yesterday.
Her selection as one of the 12 finalists is historic because this is the first time that a Singaporean has made it to the competition, let alone the final. And yes, she was 'happy' about making Singapore dance history.
Her dance teacher, Ms Cheah Mei Sing, 35, had a ready explanation for Min Yi's economy with words. 'Min Yi is a more a doer, and not so much of a talker,' she said.
And do she did.
The former student of Singapore Chinese Girl's School beat 53 other dancers (including seven boys), aged between 15 and 19, from 14 countries including Australia, Japan and South Africa.
She will compete for a medal in the finals tomorrow.
Apart from being a competition, the flagship event of Britain's Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) also attracts talent scouts, choreographers and artistic directors from all over the world. They will cast a keen eye on rising stars to groom.
Among those plucked from obscurity at previous events are British ballet legend Margot Fonteyn and Russian-born superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Min Yi has been dancing since she was 4 with the Crestar School of Dance. She joined the Singapore Ballet Academy when she was13.
Leaving for London
She will be leaving soon for the English National Ballet School in London on a National Arts Council (NAC)Arts Scholarship.
She has firm ideas on her future: 'Dance is my life,' she said.
This is the first time in its 78-year history that the Genee is being held in South-east Asia.
It is being presented here together with the NAC.
The competition is open to those who have passed the Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 examination in Classical Ballet with distinction, or those who have been awarded the Solo Seal award, the final and top examination in the academy.
RAD's artistic director Lynn Wallis said the Genee presents a unique experience for amateur dancers.
'It's not often that a dancer, especially of that age, has a chance to be part of the creative process, to the extent of working on a solo variation choreographed specifically for them,' she said.
For the past week, the dancers were given a taste of what a professional career in dance might be like, going through gruelling eight-hour-long coaching sessions.
For the finals, the dancers will be judged on their footwork, ability to engage the audience, and their choice of music.
And even if one dancer is clearly better than the others, that doesn't mean that he or she will bag the gold medal ' standards are so high that there were years when no gold medals were given out because the judges felt the dancers were not up to scratch.
For Min Yi, however, it doesn't matter whether she gets a medal.
'After you set a goal, go one step at a time,' she said. 'My dream is to be a professional dancer.'
adapted from "http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090911-167394.html "
Background info:
The Genee international ballet competition is originated in 1931 and also to commemorate Dame Adeline Genee DBE, a reputable and outstanding ballerina in Ballet. The Genee competition is dedicated to promoting and rewarding standards of excellence in young ballet dancers internationally. Competitors have to be between 15 to 19 years old and must have attained a distinction grade in the Advanced 2 Classical Ballet examination or awarded the Solo Seal award, which is the highest examination in the academy. This year, 2009, Singapore had the honor to host The Genee International ballet competition and is the first Southeast-Asian country to do so.
Kwok Min Yi, is the first Singaporean competitor to get into the finals and she has definitely made an impact in Singapore’s dance history. She has received the NAC Arts scholarship to London, to further her studies in Ballet.
China Circus Arts
From: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/02/content_6997791.htm ,
There are a lot of circus villages in China, for example, Liaocheng of Shandong province, Yancheng of Jiangsu province, Wuqing of Tianjin city, etc. (http://www.wuqiao.org/English/main.asp), but as to the history, the influence among people, and the influence both in domestic and abroad, Wuqiao is the most famous one.
Because of the wide and deep influence of Wuqiao circus both in China and abroad, Hebei province decided to hold China Wuqiao International Circus Festival in 1987.
The 12th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival is to be held in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province from 31st October to 8th November, 2009. The Organizing Committee warmly invites circus and magic artists from all over the world to take part in the Festival.
Implications: Such annual festivals attract more tourists to China.
More on History of Chinese Circus:
http://www.britishchineseonline.com/pages/culture/circus.html
The history of Wuqiao circus dates back more than 2,000 years when people in theChinese circus has a very long history and is an excellent and precious cultural legacy of the Chinese nation.
region were very poor due to the arid land and had to rely on performing special
skills to make a living. They became some of the earliest circus performers and
the tradition has been passed on from generation to generation.
There are a lot of circus villages in China, for example, Liaocheng of Shandong province, Yancheng of Jiangsu province, Wuqing of Tianjin city, etc. (http://www.wuqiao.org/English/main.asp), but as to the history, the influence among people, and the influence both in domestic and abroad, Wuqiao is the most famous one.
Because of the wide and deep influence of Wuqiao circus both in China and abroad, Hebei province decided to hold China Wuqiao International Circus Festival in 1987.
The 12th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival is to be held in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province from 31st October to 8th November, 2009. The Organizing Committee warmly invites circus and magic artists from all over the world to take part in the Festival.
Implications: Such annual festivals attract more tourists to China.
More on History of Chinese Circus:
http://www.britishchineseonline.com/pages/culture/circus.html
China Circus Arts: Children of the Chinese Circus
Author: Lesley Jackson
A couple of years ago I went to see the Chinese State Circus perform along with the Shaolin Monks at Cambridge and the show was quite spectacular. Acrobatic feats of eye-popping achievements were performed with the human contortionist bending herself in two to entertain the audience. With the run up to the Olympics in Beijing in a few days, this documentary by the BBC Storyville team was expertly placed to give the audience a behind the scenes look at what goes on during the training for the small acrobats at the Shanghai Circus School. However, one couldn’t be prepared for the some of the shocking scenes that were exposed during this compelling documentary of the stark and degrading life endured by the children of the Chinese circus.
Right from the beginning, as an audience we are
aware of no narration with the only information given in the form of the occasional subtitle. It is a very effective tool as we are allowed to see for ourselves the pain, bullying and gruelling training the children are subjected to in order to perform their amazing feats. We follow the stories of several groups of children, none more miserable than the three youngsters trying to do a triple handstand and suffering immense amounts of verbal abuse when they just cannot perform to order. However, what we are then party to, is how endemic the scale of bullying is as the female trainer who cannot get her charges to balance is herself subjected to waves of verbal humiliation in a meeting with one of the senior leaders in the school.…
Later though, a special type of venom is dished out to an eight year old boy called Cai Yong. A talented acrobat who works tirelessly to perform, the level of what can only be classed as cruelty is shocking. Every aspect of his life is criticised by his trainers and deaf parents. Constantly referred to as a brat, the clearly terrified boy is made to hold excruciating positions whilst being repeatedly told he is fat. Whilst being berated by four adults at one time and being betrayed by his parents, the small boy can only sit impassively as the verbal assault washes over him. Cleverly placed at the end of the documentary, we see Cai Yong’s amazing performance as he balances his body into shapes standing on one hand. Yet as an audience, we now know the cost of that performance which gives an ominous shadow over the display enjoyed by the audience.
This gripping documentary stands as a stark contrast to the colourful displays given whilst on stage. From the older man’s damage to his vertebrae we can also see the physical damage over training at such a young age does but what of the psychological harm the constant verbal abuse? Not once did any of the children smile nor were they given a positive comment and this is where the skill of the documentary makers shines through as we are made to think about what the Chinese Olympic gymnastics team will have to endure to get the gold medals they will be expected to win.
Read more, website: http://www.martialedge.net/%2020articles/fun-and-entertainment/children-of-the-chinese-circus/
The BBC Storyville documentary ‘Children of the Chinese Circus’ can be viewed on BBC iplayer on http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007m47h/
[China Circus Arts] Un-bear-able: China's cruel animal Olympics reach new heights
Last updated at 16:38 04 October 2006
Cruel Olympics: Animal rights campaigners are outraged at the latest pictures to emerge from China
A black bear perches precariously on a scooter and is forced to drive a circus performer across a tightrope. This shocking image is just the latest picture to emerge from the barbaric Animal Olympic Games in China, a country with a shameful animal rights record.
China's list of shame:
Sickening 'animal olympics' forces kangaroos to box humans • Gallery: Humans boxing kangaroos See the latest pictures from the animal olympics • China's barbaric horse fighting • Live animals thrown to the tigers for crowd's amusement
The event has provoked outrage and serious concerns among animal rights groups around the world including The Captive Animals' Protection Society.
Craig Redmond, UK-based campaigns manager, said: "The things these animals are being made to do are not natural acts, and there will no doubt be cruelty involved in making them perform these tricks."
Shirley Galligan from the Born Free foundation added: "This is degrading for the animals, insulting to our intelligence and a disaster for any possible chance of increasing respect for the wild animals we share the world with. The Shanghai Animal Olympics is about domination and manipulation."
Previous pictures from the 'games' have included kangaroos being forced to take part in boxing matches with their supposed keepers and a monkey cycling while tied by the collar to the children's bike.
Other events have included a sea lion high jump and a tug of war between an elephant and members of the audience, with more than 300 animals taking part. The forth of the biannual events at the Shanghai Wildlife Park has attracted thousands of visitors, including rapturous school children.
But the 'cruelty Olympics' are being held just before the human Olympics take place in Beijing. The Captive Animals' Protection Society is writing to the Chinese Ambassador in London to complain about the event.
"The abuse of the animals is clear. The bears, for example, will be very distressed at being forced to wear muzzles, chained and made to fight," said Redmond.
The protests from animal rights groups have been felt by the Chinese Government, which is keen to improve its reputation among the international community in terms of both animal and human rights. This year's Olympics could therefore be the last.
Website:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)