Dancing from China to Chingay
An overview of the Passion towards Dance
Done by : SAMANTHA NELSON
Done by : SAMANTHA NELSON
Keeping it in the Family: Renowned dance choreographer, Miss Liu Ling Li,57, with her daughter, Miss Liu Bai Juan, 32, From Si Chuan,China are here to dazzle this year's Chingay parade with their classical Chinese dance.
- (PHOTO: JEREMY LAH WEI XIANG) |
Trying to coach 700 students, with minimal dance experience, into a cohesive dance group to perform at one of Singapore’s largest events within a span of three months, is an almost impossible task.
Armed with almost 10 years of choreography experience, renowned dance instructress, Ms Liu Ling Li was tasked to do just that. Many of the awed spectators at the recent Chingay parade, could not help but appreciate the hard work and dedication of both the instructors and dancers of this classical Chinese piece. Adorned with such effortless elegance and synchronised movements, Ms Liu says that impressions alone are not enough. “If you do not have any feelings towards the dance and if you don’t know the culture of it, you would not be able to showcase the success and the beauty of the dance,” says the 57-year old choreographer from the Chinese province of Si Chuan. She also adds that the province provides a wide range of culture and performance history which aids her in creating the beautiful dance piece entitled, “Qiao Hua Dan”. However, performing in China and in Singapore are two different arenas for the veteran choreographer. She adds that performing in China catered to an audience of merely 24 people for arts events and to factories. Nevertheless, People’s Association (PA) reporting a whopping 180,000 spectators at the Chingay parade this year did not dampen Ms Liu’s spirits on the quality of the performance. Accompanied with professional dance instructors, equipped with over 10 years of experience, Ms Liu is certain that she will not be disappointed as the students have spent a vast amount of time practising. The costume, which had to be modified from placing two feelers on the headgear to just one, stands at 1.65m tall. “It helps to bring out the elegance and femininity of the dancers,” she says as the creation is crafted to showcase the nationality of the dance. Truly, all that glitters is not gold but rest assured that these dancers are here to set Chingay on fire! |