The Funk Factor

I have been selected to be Eel's partner in Waltz for the Concert item. The announcement was made on Saturday morning during the selections for the couple dance in Waltz during concert rehearsals.

My heart skipped a beat.

Eel is my partner in Waltz. The sentence kept repeating itself over and over in my head. For a long time now I've always wondered what it's like to partner Eel in social dance. Well, I will find out the answer very soon by next Tuesday when we start learning the routines for the Waltz item.



We caught "Shall We Dance" as a group yesterday after training and rehearsals were done and we were pretty impressed by Richard Gere's gracefulness. I'm pretty sure he must have practised a lot for this role and well, Eel and I were pretty much motivated by the movie as well so much that we kinda half waltzed and half walked our way out of the cinema.

We raised quite a few eyebrows.

Heck I didn't care, when I got home the first thing I did was I played Micheal Buble's "Sway" on my PC.

I started waltzing and turning to the music, just like in the movies. Can't wait for Tuesday, damn.


Funkamania XI finally ended on a high note on Friday night at Ngee Ann Civic Plaza. The champion team was called NRA. Don't ask me what it stands for because I don't know the full name myself.

Personally 2 teams caught my attention the most - Little White Riding Hood [Yes I know it sounds awfully cheesy] and not because my friends are in that team but for their amazing chereography of posing, popping, locking and stunts.



and another team called NRA: Manifesto. Their energy level was very distinct and their movements were synchronised to a T, sizzling with sexiness at some point.



Alright, in actual fact I was like wishing good luck to most teams. The Dance Community is not that big in Singapore anyway so it's not hard to know someone, either directly or indirectly, in the whole community. The Funkamania felt like one big gathering for all of us who were involved in dance activities.

Right, the judging criteria is as follows:
Hiphop Techniques - 30%
Chereography - 20%
Synchronisation - 15%
Costumes - 10%
Music - 10%

I can't remember the last 15% but I was convinced by the fact that if the team simply goes up to the stage and starts showcasing a synchronised chereography of breakdancing moves they would be crowned champions immediately.

I am not saying that hiphop dance competitions should not be placing emphasis on actual hiphop dance techniques as this is Funkamania after all and we can actually break it up into 2 meanings - Funky Madness or Madness of Funk.

How do you define a dancer as funky? Or being a mad one at the same time? Fred Astaire once described Michael Jackson as an "angry dancer" and that is perhaps one of the key elements that empowers a dancer with stage presence - The display of emotions on stage. Not just in facial expressions but the ability to communicate your emotions with the audience in thw way you dance. Like - When people look at your dance they too will feel the love, the sadness, the angst and the joy. So now there is the additional factor - the funk factor. When people look at the way you dance they just go "Wow" and well words like "That is sooooo cool!" are heaped as praises on your performances.

Which means there would be differing preceptions on how the audience would define a dancer as "Cool" for some would think that simply being able to do technical hiphop moves like pop and locking is cool while some prefer a short drama skit encompassed with facial expressions and highly-energetic dance movements would be cool. Can a dancer combine these two elements together for Funkamania? Perhaps that is why NRA was voted the best team by the judges.


Hmmm.. yes. Another new perspective to consider.

Disrespect

Guilty.

That is my current status for not updating my blog for quite a while, not to mention the increasing difference in the time lag.

Allow me to present my defense:
1. Concentration on the rehearsals for the upcoming Feb Concert.
2. Increasing time spent on developing a hiphop group in its infantile stages.
3. Current workload status - Full-blown seasonal peak period
4. Increasing commitment to my current Dance Group
5. Proposing plans for a June Performance for a Civil Service Club.
6. Developing plans for a major dance competition in August.
7. Initiating preparations for Exams in May.
8. Amidst the chaos, find time for family and friends' outings.

Members of the jury, the audience - with the above statements presented I seek not to claim proof of innocence but simply a common understanding.


Recently, I attended the trial dance lessons presented as a promotion during the YMCA Open House just last Saturday.



Full of hope and anticipation, I placed bookings for registrations on trying their MTV Dance and Hiphop sessions. Last year I was also present and was impressed by the performance that a chereographer called Mr Lionel Araya has presented. I was expecting no less for this year. You may view his profile here with regards to his current dance group called L.A. Dance Connection.

Alas, disappointment of unprecendented levels.

Both MTV Dance and Hiphop sessions were conducted by a Mr Darric Chan. While I do not practise discrimination against teachers for their individual styles in dance and tastes in dressings, I was slightly disturbed by Mr Darric Chan's choice of dressing for a hiphop session.

You do not wear tight fitting clothes for a hiphop session. For a guy at least.



When he executed certain hiphop moves, big puzzlement followed for they were clearly not of the actual hiphop style but rather a mixture of jazz. Correction - He was using jazz style to perform hiphop.

I would give him credit for the execution of moves for they were relatively clean and professional enough. He did a smooth double piroutte, thats professional enough for me.


Until he commented [right after the hiphop session ended] that hiphop is actually a "Low Level" type of dance.


Alarm bells rang at deafening decibels. Every last possible ounce of strength was mustered - not for building anger - but for restraining an almost uncontrollable urge to lash out at his incompetence for demonstrating hiphop moves and even daring to disrepect the essence of hiphop styles. I would not deny the fact that jazz techniques are established in their rich cultural and historical background but in comparison of techniques Hiphop would not be any less complicated. Culture? Hiphop was evolved from culture. History? You ain't heard nothing yet.

And as a sidenote - If you dont respect the type of dance you're teaching. The perhaps you should not be teaching it in the first place. The very fact you're teaching it reeks of hipocrisy and not to mention the students who would grow up with a wrong preception on how they should view all dances in general.


Ah well, time to head out and become councillor to Jelly. She's my dance partner for the concert item of Lyrical Jazz and well.. she's having relationship problems.

Till the next time, adios amigos.

Birthday!!

Client: *Walks to my table and smiles*
Myself: *Smiles back in acknowledgement*

Client: I want to cancel my licence 'cause I'm gonna shit[shift] soon.
Myself: ???

Client: *Realises the mispronounciation and starts laughing away*
Myself: *Covers ears from deafening roar of laughter*


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A special dedication to a fellow member of my Dance Group

Brush away the pain
Of an evening
After the physical conditioning

This special day
You are 24
Time to lead the way
of showing wisdom and more

Life of pure delight
To take it like a 7 year old
Of Neverland dreams and Peter Pan flight
Of chocolate smoothies and frosties cold

So light the candles and make a list
of wishes and more
Like a sensous massage [get the gist?]
No! Not of sleazy parlours and dolled-up whores

If you are ever stumped
No direction to follow
Heads up chest a-thump
And never in depression, wallow

'Cause you've got
this big family here
of countless struggles fought
and overcoming of fear

Never say there's no one to talk to
And no one to cry to
Well maybe big guys don't cry
too proud? Or too shy?

Of the countless times we fell
when doing pirouttes
Of the countless times of numbness
from stretching splits

But right here right now
With fire in your eyes
Reflections of candlelight
and songs of birthday cries

This is your stage
and we are your willing audience
Surprise us beyond your age
embalmed by the perfect ambience

Blow the candles
and start your new journey





Our birthday boy demonstrating how you slice a cake with energy, definitely proved his point. I swerved to avoid his possible stampede.

Dance-filled Week

Hectic is the word and I can think of no other phrases to ascertain why I'm so dead-beat despite today being a Monday so for a change this blog entry will be a "photo-entry" with minimal comments.

Well, to start things off I'll let you guys see just what most of us involved in the dance community had been buzzing about - Funkamania X. First things first, this group was personally chereographed by our Artistic Director which we felt that the group had improved really tremendously considering this is their first attempt at a dance competition.



The energy is really strong in their group not to mention that their co-ordination is much better than some other groups who are reputedly more experienced..



It's a pity I don't know how to upload video files on this blog, their 3 minute performance was very riveting. Energy, drama, comedy all rolled into one finely co-ordinated performance.



Our Artistic Director himself has formed a team to compete with the rest as well. Needless to say, his team has definitely secured a place in the finals with their highly impressive stunt-relay of dance moves. They'll probably make the cut as stunt actors.



Ooh La La, the team from NUS Blast was gooooood. The cream of the crop. Costumes alone reminds me of FHM Babes, wondered if this was part of the ruse. Not to mention in the later stage they actually managed to use the long elastic bands to form a boxing ring with 2 gals putting up a mock fight while dancing. Damn, they are good.


Right, this entry is pretty short. Apologies - Rehearsals for my dance performance at the Synergy Concert and overloaded piles of work combined with increasing study load for the coming exams in May have basically reduced me to one state : Crumpled. I'm broken. Yes I am baby.

Faire naître des Cendres

Year 2004 is now a has-been.

People are welcoming the Year 2005 with higher hopes. Of course the arrival of the Economic Restructuring Shares [ERS] might have something to do with this recent optimism.

Somewhere in the quiet surburbs of Singapore a father is weeping. Weeping for the recent psychological phobia of his eldest daughter.

Like an answer to my recent query about the emotional detachment concerning the tsunami two incidents have happened exactly on 30th December right after I declared in my previous that I am not really having any direct feelings about the tsunami.

My Godpa's eldest daughter has returned from her honeymoon in Maldives. She and her huband have witnessed the tsunami right before their eyes. The waves swept and crashed into the 10th storey. They were on the 12th storey. They felt the tremors, they witnessed the horror as women and children were simply pulled away like a hand of god executing its wrath and death penalties.

She used to love swimming. Now she screams whenever she sees the sea. Her husband fared no better and if my interpretations are correct the husband underwent a session for hydrophobia treatment at NUH. They are recently busy with the sale of their new house which is situated along East Coast Road overlooking a nice seaview.

As I sat down on the bus seat [after I have left my dance studio] a sound on my right startled me. A greeting. I turned. To my surprise it was a man, caucasian, mid-thirties.

"Howdy mate, you speak english?" An Australian I presume.

We chatted and after a while I learned that he was an Ecologist. Major area of study - Tropical Rainforests in Asia. He was with a group of fellow research scientists in Phuket - holiday tour as well an inquisitive mood to study the rainforests of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

He was the sole survivor.

As I was watched him speak, his nonchalant tone was betrayed by his lifeless glaze and the unconcious slur of words which usually hints of hopelessness, extreme disappointments or sadness.

Suddenly I felt a stirring, like an awakening as to why the tsunami is so deadly. Not in its path of physical destruction but by the unexpected merciless execution of the death penalty of family members, fellow friends and even close acquaintances. And most of these people were tourists who have probably signed their death warrants unknowingly up to 6 months beforehand. How appropriate, signing your own death warrant in the black and white format of a promise for fun and excitement 6 months before you realise what really awaits you.

I celebrated the countdown in a much more sombre mood.

As I accompanied some friends to Johore Bahru on yesterday night, I had a good tour of the nightlife of Johore Bahru. A friend had 'underground contacts' who became our tour guide for the night of 31st December.

In a nutshell, it is not the faint-hearted.

Temptations of vice, pills and robberies awaits you at almost every dark corner or alley. Even certain really popular discotheques are built in the midst of a half-destroyed building. People of gothic dressing or gangsters parade the rubble like a scene ripped from some horror gangster flick.

Suddenly I realise what a much more wonderful place Singapore is.

No that would not mean I have become more patriotic.

But it opened my windows of the soul which previously became choked with ashes accumulated from jaded experiences relating to work and personal matters.

So now I declare to all my friends who are still struggling with their daily troubles and little gritty details that plague and irritate them - Carpe Diem - From the ashes a rebirth.

Happy New Year Everyone. Enjoy this next 365 days.