The digital screen served as a borderless studio where dancers with Down Syndrome learnt how to transform their bodies into a canvas for artistic expression and movement.
As part of Maya Dance Theatre’s (MDT) Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC), the two dancers – June Lin and Weng Jiaying – mastered a duet choreographed by Indonesian artiste Danang Pamungkas, who developed it entirely through online sessions.
The duet was later refined over four days in Solo, Indonesia, where the team had in-person rehearsals and shared their routine with a small audience.
Beyond the focus of digital literacy as a core component of MDT’s training programme, this inclusive arts practice also primed the DADC dancers for the global stage and cross-border collaborations in the company’s September event lineup.
The first of three scheduled international performances took place on Aug 30 at the Bisik Serayu Festival (BSF) – an annual cultural and arts event held along the banks of the Serayu River in Banyumas, Indonesia.
It featured the duet, which formed one segment of a 20-minute production that also included two other DADC dancers: Arassi Rajkumar and Hee Yuensheng.
Arassi performed a separate duet with professional artiste Bib Mockram that was set within the theme of “Grief & Healing” and tackled delicate social issues with grace.
Thamizhvanan Narayanasamy, a dance artiste based in Singapore and Australia, performed at BSF on the same night as DADC and “was equally impressed with their level of performance,” recounted MDT’s artistic director Kavitha Krishnan.
She added that the DADC team also showed their dedication and resilience when they remained focused while performing on a rough, stone stage at BSF in comparison to the smooth Marley floor that dancers typically practice on.
The next stop will be the Philippines, where a group of DADC dancers will present Random Chapters – an original concept choreographed and directed by Kavitha – at the Manila International Performing Arts Mart (MIPAM) on Sept 11.
According to MIPAM’s website, the work is described as a blend of “live dance, original film and evocative poetry by Jo Devadeson to amplify underrepresented voices and explore the friction and beauty of the human experience”.
It will also feature live music by violinist and MDT’s resident composer Kailin Yong.
The third overseas project will see three DADC dancers – duo June and Jiaying along with youth dancer Claire Tan – perform for 40 seniors and members of the public on Sept 27 in Kuala Lumpur as part of a community outreach initiative.
Organised in collaboration with KL Sings (a community-based singing group), four seniors from MDT’s Pulse: Body in Motion movement programme will lead the intergenerational exchange and use the arts to foster connection, mutual inspiration and active ageing.
These partnerships with multi-national artistes to tell social stories through inter-disciplinary dance theatre have always been MDT’s objective since its inception in 2007.
“These September events reflect our core belief that the true pulse of art lives within diverse communities and shared human experiences,” Kavitha noted.
