Performing Arts in Singapore (Dance)
About Project
This collection covers interviews with pioneers of Chinese, Malay, and Indian contemporary and classical dance in Singapore such as Goh Lay Kuan, Goh Soo Khim, Lee Shu Fen, Osman bin Abdul Hamid, Santha Bhaskar and Neila Sathyalingam. Some examples of the dances covered are the neoclassical dance of the Kathakali, a traditional Malay dance known as the joget and ballet.
The interviewees recount their training, development and experiences in the field, including the injuries common to dancers as well as the effects of foreign influences on Singapore’s performing arts. The project also details their involvement in major events and competitions like the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF), the National Day Parade, and Chingay.
Also interviewed are William Drysdale, who taught at various performing arts schools in England, Osman bin Abdul Hamid, who was the former Chairman of Dance in Sriwana, and Goh Soo Khim, the first Asian dancer to be admitted to the Australian Ballet School.
