What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
Touch 2019
What did this mean to you?
I really loved the performance put up by the amazing pianists from NUS Piano Ensemble. Seeing the way they work their fingers across the keyboard as they match each other in the duet was truly a sight to behold! The chill ambience within the Esplanade Recital Studio made the performance even more captivating. I would definitely try to attend Touch 2020, and so should you!
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
In December 2015, I went to Beijing with NUS Chinese Dance to attend rehearsals for an item called The Rite of Spring for the NAF 2016 show < space.time.mind >. It was a collaboration item with the Beijing Dance Academy (BDA) during which we had the honour of performing with some of the best dancers in China.
What did this mean to you?
What was the most memorable for me was the first day of rehearsal in Beijing, which no amount of practice could have prepared us for. We were really put through our paces by the BDA dancers, who corrected our steps and made us repeat them again and again. They severely overestimated our stamina because by the next day most of us had ridiculous muscle aches! I remember aching everywhere from my neck downwards.
Despite that, it was an unforgettable experience which gave me a chance to see professional Chinese Dancers up close and I felt like I learnt a lot about dance. Dance is not only about flexibility and technique, but also about expression and the flow of movements. This made me more optimistic as I am not the most flexible or technical of dancers.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
Performing on stage with my fellow actors and actresses.
What did this mean to you?
The Child Who Loved Numbers is the product of everyone from NUS Chinese Drama, regardless as a capacity of a performer, stage manager, backstage crew, director, playwright, etc. The show wouldn’t be a success without everyone’s contribution!
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
NAF 2016 < space.time.mind > was my first major performance with NUS Chinese Dance. It was an amazing experience dancing alongside the Beijing Dance Academy Youth Dance Company dancers, and through it I gained valuable insights to Chinese dance culture.
What did this mean to you?
The NUS Arts Festival was my first major performance since joining NUS Chinese Dance! The concert gave me the opportunity to forge many close friendships, and most importantly, learn from various masters of the craft. The NUS Arts Festival 2016 also allowed me to understand how a production is brought together from the preparation phase to the performance day, which was essential in enabling me to lead NUS Chinese Dance’s 40th Anniversary Concert as the President of the troupe the following year.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
Being the stage manager and control all the sound effects of the show.
What did this mean to you?
As much as sound effects can be a relatively minor aspect of a show, it does contribute to the overall ambience and holisticity of the show. Being a stage manager for the first time, I learnt that every single role within the production is essential. A theatre show is not just about the actors, everyone in front and behind the stage plays a part in the holisticity of the show.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
For NUS Guitar Ensemble (GENUS) the cross-musical experiences with NUS KotoKottoN, our collaboration partner for our show, Horizons is what makes the NUS Arts Festival 2020 meaningful. The Classical Guitar and the Koto originate from different cultural backgrounds, but the pieces selected for Horizons displays the possibility of musically combining two culturally dissimilar instruments to play in tandem and harmony. We had an exposure session with NUS KotoKottoN, where they taught us how to play the Koto, and introduced us to the basic terminology and cultural underpinnings of the Koto instrument. Immersing in the Koto performances put up for us, it helped us to better appreciate the beauty of the traditional Japanese stringed instrument and the melodies it is able to produce. It was simply amazing to be able to see and listen to the power of music to overcome cultural barriers and reach into our hearts and minds.
What did this mean to you?
This is precious to us because it signifies an instance of us bonding with other musicians through a shared love for music despite playing different instruments. We are excited to be able to share our music with NUS KotoKottoN on the same stage and look forward to this milestone where we get to showcase our appreciation of the Japanese culture through a more colourful musical lens.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
I participated in a number of NUS Arts Festivals, but one that was most memorable was < space.time.mind > in 2016. The reason being this was the first time I participated not as a dancer but as part of the audience!
What did this mean to you?
It was a completely different feeling, being in the seats watching instead of dancing. Watching my friends dance so well, and on the same stage as professionals! I could not help but feel proud and euphoric.
Of course, after the show, my soul itched, and now I'm back dancing for NUSCD again :)
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
Capturing memories around me
What did this mean to you?
Being a part of the publicity team has allowed me to take pictures of memorable events that took place throughout the entire production of the show, be it from the serious acts during stage rehearsals to the leisure activities in the dressing rooms. I am grateful that my role and responsibility provide galleries for people to look back on as they reminisce about this festival.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
Witnessing hard work and wholehearted dedication around me.
What did this mean to you?
The Child Who Loved Number was a play created by the member through piecing stories together and devising as a group. The production was completed with the strength of every single one of the members from backstage, ticketing to the actors on stage. It was not a huge production but it was fulfilling and fruitful journey. At the end of the journey, I was inspired to dream big and trust the people around you and most importantly yourself. You never know how much you can achieve until you give your best.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
Having the opportunity to dance with a super long ribbon during 2013's Mirror.Moon with NUS Chinese Dance.
What did this mean to you?
The ribbon wasn’t easy to handle and often became tangled. Despite the stress, I conquered it!
What’s your NUS Arts Festival memory and what does it mean to you?
In 2018, I watched Ilsa Tari’s production Titian Naluri. It was an absolutely beautiful performance, with many items portraying different malay dance styles, each with their own story and message behind them. As a freshman in nus who has never watched a malay dance production before, I did not expect myself to be so entranced by the lively traditional items as well as the mesmerising contemporary piece. This show actually largely influenced my decision to join ilsa tari as a member, despite my lack of experience in this dance genre, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in my uni life thus far 😊
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
It was December 2015, during the rehearsals for the NUS Arts Festival the following year. A bunch of us from NUS Chinese Dance (NUSCD) were fortunate enough to spend a week at the Beijing Dance Academy (BDA) to learn and rehearse The Rite of Spring 《春之祭》with the BDA Youth Dance Company. We danced from 9am to 6pm all week long; a humbling and eye-opening experience. At the end of the trip, the company dancers booked us a private Hai Di Lao room, where our then President treated us to a meal!
What did this mean to you?
I was just three months in with NUSCD then, and I was really grateful to have been given the opportunity to dance alongside some of China’s top dancers. More importantly, through this experience, I have forged many true friendships with my fellow NUSCD members, some of whom I have danced with again for various shows.
NUSCD has provided numerous opportunities like this for me and my friends to share in our love for Chinese Dance, which is why we keep coming back each year.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
It was an unforgettable experience. After hours and hours of training, and seeing the whole production come to fruition was a really satisfying feeling. I also had the opportunity to perform with other brilliant Malay dancers from NUS and other schools which is a humbling experience.
What did this mean to you?
I feel that many things can be conveyed to the audience through dancing. At times, dance could be a more effective medium to communicate our thoughts than what can be expressed verbally. For instance, the dance itself, the mood the music creates, the atmosphere inside the theatre and other factors play an integral role in shaping the message and how it is intended to be portrayed. Nevertheless, every dance is always open to unique interpretations by the audience. The production provided a powerful medium that brought people together, setting the stage for a potentially meaningful and practical discussion.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
An "AI robot" carrying a box of donuts in NUS Chinese Drama's The Child Who Loved Numbers.
What did this mean to you?
It symbolises the endless possibilities in creating immersiveness for both the audience and the actors in theatre.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
In 2009, we (freshmen of NUS Ilsa Tari) were informed that we will be collaborating with NUS Electronic Music Lab for our latest production. We even had a multimedia artist collaborating with us and these television sets hanging from the flybar as part of the performance. That was a memorable production as it pushed the boundaries of Malay contemporary dance for me because of the hair, movements and definitely the electronic music to bring about discussion on the intended message of the show.
What did this mean to you?
The show was definitely an eyeopener for me and made me fall in love with the possibilities that can be explored with movements and sounds in contemporary Malay dance.
What's your NUS Arts Festival memory?
For NAF 2018: If We Dream, I was then a freshmen and decided to help out as a runner for NUS Ilsa Tari's Titian Naluri! Having involved in several performances prior to uni, as much as I love the stage, I enjoy the adrenaline rush backstage and doing the countless amount of things that are invisible to the eyes of the audience. Quick changes, makeup, group huddles, light and sound directing and standby cues! Seeing the dynamics of the crew and dancers, it was memorable and inspiring for me as a new member!
What did this mean to you?
I was contemplating whether I should try out something new in uni or stick with something I'm already familiar with, which was Malay Dance. Being a runner reminded me of the jittery feeling backstage and the excitement to dance on stage! It was then that I was certain that I should do what I love most, and it was then that I was excited to perform with Ilsa Tari for future performances and productions (best decision ever!!)
