NUS Arts Festival 2017

Remember When...

NUS Dance Ensemble

Fri 17 Mar | 8pm | UCC Hall | $27, Students: $19

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The place vanishes a little at a time — a tree, a space, a building, a landmark. One at a time, each is replaced by something new, unfamiliar and cold, until a connection makes a memory, creates belonging. Ah yes, we now remember this place. This is where we...

But - what if this space vanishes and changes again? And again? Will we lose our sense of place altogether? Will there ever be somewhere we can belong?

NUS Dance Ensemble celebrates 25 years of scintillating contemporary Asian dance with its performance of Remember When...

Working with NUS Department of Architecture, School of Design and Environment and the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Zaini Mohammad Tahir and the young dancers from NUS Dance Ensemble explore how the changes in Singapore’s landscape affect the psyche of its people over time.

What happens to their memories and their sense of belonging to the nation if the spaces they grew up in no longer exists?

Photo Credit: Fang Yuan

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NUS Dance Ensemble

NUS Dance Ensemble is a contemporary dance group that has earned wide recognition for their uncompromising and unconventional repertoire which incorporates ethnic elements from Asian dance fused seamlessly into dance styles such as contemporary, jazz and ballet.

Formed in 1992, the Ensemble aims to be a platform for young dancers and choreographers to gain exposure, while developing and honing their skills and techniques. Beyond that, DE seeks to re-define Asian contemporary dance with its strong grounding in tradition and culture, while remaining relevant and forward-looking, highlighting this distinctive dance style locally and abroad.

To that end, the Ensemble has collaborated with international dance companies such as the Hong Kong Dance Company, La Salle University Dance Company and Saint Benilde Romancon Dance Company in the Philippines, and has also been actively involved in outreach, participating in performances such as ITE Dance Emblazon (2015), and National Arts Council͛s Got to Move (2015).

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Zaini Mohammad Tahir

Artistic Director & Resident Choreographer

Zaini Mohammad Tahir started dancing at the age of 19 when he joined the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company as an artiste. In 2010, he was awarded the Commendation Medal at the National Day Awards.

As Founder, Resident Choreographer and Artistic Director of NUS Dance Ensemble since 1992, Zaini established the group as a promising contemporary dance ensemble, evident in their annual concerts ͚The Next Wave͛ (1995-2016) and ͚Evocation͛ (2002-2016). To date, he has choreographed over 100 works for the Ensemble and led them to numerous overseas performances including the ͚ASEAN University Cultural Forum͛ (Yogyakarta, 2005 and Phnom Penh, 2007). In the New Prague Dance Festival 2009, Zaini received two accolades: Special Personal Award from the Director and Best Choreography Award for Samsara, his work with the NUS Dance Ensemble. Trained in ballet, jazz and contemporary dance, his choreographic style is deeply rooted in traditional Asian movement, bearing testimony to his classical Indonesian training at the Bagong Academy of Dance in Yogyakarta.