Sutra Dance Theatre’s Under the Stars series returns.

This series exploits the ambience of Sutra’s outdoor venue whilst showcasing Sutra’s dancers and providing a platform to cultivate new generations of professional dancers for Malaysia.

The March programme is as follows:

13 & 14 March
‘8’ – Eight Visions and Moods of Odissi
January Low

19 & 21 March
‘The Fountainhead’ – Homage to Odissi
Anushya Nair and Shubashini Kanagaratnam

Performances commence: 8.30pm

Venue: Amphi-Sutra
12 Persiaran Titiwangsa 3, Kuala Lumpur

Admission: by donation (min RM30)

Contact: 03-4021 1092 / 03-4022 9669

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‘8’ – Eight Visions & Moods of Odissi
January Low will perform 2 major compositions by the eminent Odissi Guru, Durga Charan Ranbir. They are Surya Staka (Eight visions of the Surya/Sun) and Ashta Nayika (Eight moods of Woman in love).

‘The Fountainhead’ – Homage to Odissi
Two emerging Odissi dancers from Sutra, Anushya Nair and Shubashini Kanagaratnam, will perform new works of traditional repertoire that they acquired during intensive training in Orissa, India.

A Bharata Natyam performance by Sri Ganesan and 15 dancers.

Date/Time:
13 March 2004 @ 8.00pm

Venue:
Tan Sri KR Soma Auditorium
Wisma Tun Sambanthan
Jalan Sulaiman

Admission:
by invitation only

Contact:
03-6251 2270 / 012-678 0135

Langkah is an examination performance by ASK Dance Department students as part of the practical aspect of their assessment at the end of every semester.

It also provides the audience with an opportunity to both identify new talent and better understand the academic structure of the dance program at ASK.

The performance of Langkah is a huge step for young talent, some of whom have never appeared on stage before, to develop performance skills and begin the first steps towards professionalism. The feedback the performers will receive will assist them to gauge their talent and prepare them for the long road ahead.

Date/Time:
19 March 2004 @ 8.30 pm

Venue:
Mini Auditorium MTC, Jalan Ampang

Entrance: Free!

Contact: Jeffri @ 019-399 1452

This semester, the following dances will be presented, taught by leading traditional dance teachers Noorsiah Yatim, Suhaimi Magi and Seth Hamzah, assisted by Aris Kadir and Zamzuriah Zahari – Joget, Inang, Zapin, Ayak-ayak, Zapin Parit Mastar, Inai Dance and Zapin Bunian.

This one-night only performance also includes Modern Dance, Improvisation, Choreography and Jazz taught by Marion D’Cruz, Mew Chang Tsing, Choo Tee Kuang, Umesh Shetty, Gan Chih Pei and Joseph Gonzales, assisted by Shafirul Azmi Suhaimi, Azizi Sulaiman and Kamaludin Daud.

Wrio Russell, a Reiki Master, will be holding a workshop on the Healing Power of Reiki. Wrio is the Principal of the London School of Sports Massage and had worked with dancers from the English National Ballet.

Date/Time:
11 March @ 1.45 pm

Place:
The Fonteyn Theatre, Federal Academy of Ballet
1-3 Jalan 14/11, The Right Angle
Petaling Jaya 46100

Tel: 03-7957 3413

Admission: Free!

Below is the complete list of dance nominees for the 2nd Annual Boh Cameronian Arts Awards 2003.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held:

Date/Time: 5 March 2004 @ 8.30pm
Venue: Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
Tickets: RM35
Contact: 03-7493 4240

For more information visit http://www.kakiseni.com/awards03

The Dance Nominees are:

Nominees for Best Performance by a Group

The dancers in the following productions:
. Ubah by Sri Panggung in “Diversity in Motion, MyDance Festival 2003” (ch: Suhaimi Magi)
. Demang Lebar Daun by the Petronas Performing Arts Group (ch: A. Sam Palal & Che Hassan Yahaya; dr: Roslee Mansor)
. A Kind of Radiance by Sutra Dance Theatre (ch: Guru Deba Prasad, Guru Durga Charan Ranbir & Ramli Ibrahim)
. Journey of the Soul by Mohram (ch: Aida Redza)
. Dance of the Flourish by Dua Space Dance Theatre (ch: Anthony Meh & Aman Yap)

Nominees for Best Solo Performer

. January Low in Profound Grace
. Judimar Monfils in If: The Faces, in “Sutrarasa – the 6th Sutra Festival” (ch: Guna, Judimar Monfils & Wei Jun)
. Ramli Ibrahim in Siva Shtaka / A Kind of Radiance (ch: Guru Deba Prasad & Guru Durga Charan Ranbir)

Nominees for Best Choreographer

. Jasni Abdul Hamid for Penusing Senui by Adikara Dance Theatre in “Diversity in Motion, MyDance Festival 2003”
. Syed Mustapha for Rasuk / Temu by Tandak Dance Theatre in “Sutrarasa – the 6th Sutra Festival”
. Anthony Meh for Cloud on a Wheelchair / Dance of the Flourish by Dua Space Dance Theatre

Nominees For Best Lighting Design

. Man Bai for Journey of the Soul by Mohram
. Anthony Meh for Dance of the Flourish by Dua Space Dance Theatre
. Sivarajah Natarajan for A Kind of Radiance by Sutra Dance Theatre
. Mac Chan for Re: Lady White Snake by RiverGrass Dance Theatre
. Visvaraj Ayadurai for Butterfly Lovers by Temple of Fine Arts

Nominees for Best Soundscape Design

. Guna, Sivarajah Natrajan & Padma Subramaniam for Amma
. Sutra Dance Theatre for Divine Encounter
. Sutra Dance Theatre for Pallavi II
. Sutra Dance Theatre for Profound Grace
. Adikara Dance Theatre for Penusing Senui

Nominees for Best Original Music

. Saidah Rastam with Rozario Ghulam Rasul for AWAS by ASK Dance Co
. Bernard Goh for Re: Lady White Snake by RiverGrass Dance Theatre
. Kumaresan Karthigesu & Jotsna Nithyandan for Butterfly Lovers by Temple of Fine Arts
. Mohamad Yazid Zakaria for Di Istana Menanti dan Halaman Mahkota by Petronas Performing Arts Group
. Faizal Uzir for Demang Lebar Daun by Petronas Performing Arts Group

Nominees for Best Set Design

. Sivarajah Natarajan for Profound Grace by January Low
. Man Bai for Journey of the Soul by Mohram
. Lee Swee Keong & Mew Chang Tsing for Re: Lady White Snake by RiverGrass Dance Theatre
. Sivarajah Natarajan for A Kind of Radiance by Sutra Dance Theatre
. Sandrasegaran Ramaiah & Lam Ghooi Ket for Butterfly Lovers by Temple of Fine Arts

Nominees For Best Costume Design/Styling/Makeup

. Ramli Ibrahim & January Low for Profound Grace by January Low
. Shyamala Narayanan for Butterfly Lovers by Temple of Fine Arts
. Mohd Faizal Abbas for Gema Zapin Dari Hujung Tanah / Dance Box Series by Kumpulan Kesenian Seri Budaya Johor
. Mun Lee for Distance by Hoi Cheng Sim in “Diversity in Motion, MyDance Festival 2003”
. Rosman Ishak for AWAS by ASK Dance Co

Dancers nominated for the Most Promising Artists include:
. A. Aris A. Kadir
. January Low
. Shafirul Azmi Suhaimi

For those interested in calligraphy, poetry and dance, there will be a one-hour performance entitled the Three Friends of Winter. The Three Friends of Winter referred to are pine, plum and bamboo. Together they symbolise longevity, perseverance and the virtues of a cultivated gentleman.

Inspired by the works of Sim Mow Yu, Yim Yoo Loon and Bo Yuan in literature, calligraphy and painting, choreographer Anthony Meh has created a performance that explores the meaning behind these three elements.

The performance will feature Anthony Meh, Aman Yap and Albert Tiong. There will also be a live demonstration by the renowned calligrapher, CN Liew.

Date/Time:
28 February (Saturday) @ 4.00pm

Venue:
Wisma Kebudayaan SGM
243 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Admission to performance:
free with purchase of commemorative album (RM30)

For details:
contact Debbie @ 03-8070 0890

Featuring the Drepung Loseling monks, this performance is a complete showcase of all the mystical arts including a sand mandala, sacred music, masked dances and monastic style debates.

In terms of dance, there will be nine altogether accompanied by a style of chanting for which the Drepung Loseling monks are renowned. The dances are to invoke good, purify, eliminate negative energy, rejoice and bring peace.

Part of the proceeds will go towards Hospice Malaysia.

Dates/Times:
28 February @ 3.00pm & 8.00pm
29 February @ 7.00pm

Venue:
Dewan Wawasan
Level 4, Dewan PGRM, Cheras

Admission:
by donation (RM50 / RM70 / RM90)

For more information, contact: 03-2093 8189 or email chpek@yahoo.com / fys@pc.jaring.my

An audition will be held to select students for the 2004 intake of the RiverGrass Dancers Training Course I & II (RDTC). The course is conducted by Mew Chang Tsing (MA in Dance Studies, UK), with Choo Tee Kuang and Judimar Monfils as guest teachers.

RDTC I covers Technique, Aesthetics, Production Skills and Repertoire

RDTC II covers Technique, Movement Analysis, Improvisation and Choreography

Prospects for those who complete the course include becoming dancers/choreographers with Malaysian dance companies or further studies abroad.

Pre-requisite: minimum 3 years dance experience

Call before 7 March 2004 to register

Audition Details:
Date/Time: 21 March 2004 @ 11.00am
Venue: RiverGrass@Paramount
(12A, Jalan 20/16A, 46300 PJ)
Enquiries: 03-7877 8706 / 016-221 0562

Pebbles will showcase what the students of the RiverGrass Dance Training Course have learnt over the past year. This includes company repertoire works such as ‘On Bukit Cina’, ‘Rapid’ and ‘Who’s No. 1?’, as well as pieces specially developed for the students.

Pebbles is also an informal dance sharing performance for the students of other RiverGrass Dance Academy courses eg those studying Children’s Creative Dance, Contemporary Dance and Ballroom Dance.

As RiverGrass continues to focus on intercultural expression, artistic exploration, mind/body connection and creative child development, Pebbles offers a colourful range of dances. From the roots of dances to creative movement, this production will captivate and share with you a multitude of experiences in Dance.

Dates/Times:
13 March 2004 @ 8.30pm
14 March 2004 @ 3.00pm

Venue:
The Actors Studio Theatre Bangsar
Level 3, Bangsar Shopping Centre

Tickets:
RM27 (Adults) / RM17 (Students & Children)

Outlet:
The Actors Studio Box Office (tel: 03-2094 0400/1400)

Enquiries:
RiverGrass@Paramount (tel: 03-787 787 06 / 016-2210562)
RiverGrass@Bangsar (tel: 03-2093 1388)

Organised by Drama Family, this is a continuation of a showcase series aimed at discovering a dynamic vocabulary for the Penang contemporary dance scene through the use of movement, voice, experimental theatre, music and multimedia.

Featured companies include Eastern Dancer, 5678 Studio, Phor Tay Association and Permata Dance Station.

Dates/Time:
28-29 February 2004 @ 8.30pm

Venue:
The Actors Studio Greenhall
Zhong Zheng School Memorial Centre
32 Lebuh Light, Penang

Tickets: RM15

Contact: 04-263 5400