12th CSTD Asia Pacific Dance Competition

More than 500 dancers from India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore participated in the 12th Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing Asia Pacific Dance competition held recently in Singapore. The host and organizer of the event, Barbara Hannan said the competition brought together dancers from the different regions together to perform and learn from each other in the spirit of friendly competition.

Two students from the ACTS School of Performing Arts in Kuala Lumpur did credibly well in the competition. Abdul Muhaimin Md Azman emerged as the champion in the Tap Solo under-18 category while Cassandra Law managed a third placing in the Modern & Jazz solo under-14 category. Both said they took two months to practise and rehearse their routines which were choreographed by their instructors Liew Yen Shen and C M Foh.

Besides Tap, Muhaimin also excels in Hip Hop, Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet and Modern. As for Law, she is also taking Ballet, Latin, Ballroom and Contemporary dance lessons. The two of them are looking forward to competing in the next Asia Pacific Dance Competition 2011 to be held in Hong Kong. Towards the end of the year, ACTS School will be staging "King of Pop - The Musical" as a tribute to the late Michael Jackson.

ASWARA Open House

The National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage or Akademi Seni, Budaya & Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) will be having an open house titled Jamu 2010 at its campus at 464 Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur on October 3. At this event, workshops for traditional Malay, Chinese and Indian dances plus hip hop & jazz will be conducted. The workshops will be held from 10.00 am to noon and from 2.00 to 3.30 pm.

The workshops are suitable for beginners and advanced learners. Fees are RM25 for adults and RM15 for students for a day pass. Dance performances will also be held from noon to 2.00 pm and from 4.00 to 6.30 pm. These performances will showcase traditional Malaysian dances and and contemporary choreography respectively. For more information please contact Jeffri at 019-2319179. To know more about ASWARA check out www.aswara.edu.my.

ASWARA was set up in 1994 with the objective of producing creative performers, nurturing artistic talent and developing leaders in the arts. ASWARA which comes under the auspices of the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts & Heritage is the only institution of higher learning offering formal training in the performing arts, which is fully supported by the government. It provides, teaching, learning, research and consultancy services in the fields of arts, culture and heritage.

New Dance Spot In KL

For dance enthusiasts in the Klang Valley, there is a new place in KL where they can go to practice their ballroom dancing. Golden Dragongate Restaurant at 10 Jalan Kampung Pandan, 55100 Kuala Lumpur (near Taman Maluri) is fast becoming a popular spot for dance studios and dance associations to organize their functions and events there. The laminated timber dance floor is spacious and the ambience is good for socialising and dancing. The service is up to expectations and there is ample parking space.

The restaurant was formerly located at Jalan Imbi before relocating to its new and bigger premises in Jalan Kampung Pandan last year. To encourage more people to patronize its restaurant, the management organizes a social & dance night every Wednesday from 7.00 pm to 12.00 midnight. Karaoke is from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm and after that it is general dancing till 12.00 midnight. Entrance fee is RM10 only. For more information contact Aaron Chock at 012-2857700 or 03-92821313.

ISTD Plans Exciting Events

Next month, examiners from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) UK, will be in Malaysia to conduct the medallist tests and teacher examinations. This year, the ISTD will be organizing several interesting events for the benefit of teachers and students. Among the activities to be held in October are several teacher workshops which will be conducted at the Kuala Lumpur Dancers' Association (KLDA). Some workshops will include students as well. A medallist festival (dance competition) will also be held at the KLDA on October 30. For those who can remember, two such festivals were held in Malaysia in the 1990s with much success.

A dinner and dance will also be held on the evening of the medallist festival on October 30 at the KLDA. After the prize giving ceremony, a sumptuous full course Chinese dinner will be served and there will be general dancing, performances and lots of fun. Well known ISTD examiners Richard Hunt and Yvonne Taylor-Hill will be the hosts at this event. For more information regarding the activities, kindly contact Lim Sae Min (president of Malaysian Ballroom Dance Teachers Berhad) at 012-2030107, Chong Kim Yee (principal of Swan Link Dance Studio) at 012-2215727 or Nelly Tsen (Examination Organizer - Ballroom Faculty ISTD) at 012-2848088.

The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (founded 1904), with its headquarters at Imperial House, 22-26 Paul Street, London EC2A 4QE, England is the leading dance examinations board in the world. It is today a registered educational charity and is the only organization that covers the full spectrum of dance examinations on a truly global scale. Every year, more than 250,000 people are examined, for which the ISTD provides grade examinations and medal tests to assess their proficiency. The many styles of dances for which the students are examined include Ballet, Modern, Tap, National, Classical Greek, Disco, Ballroom and Latin American.