It’s been four days since the proverbial curtains closed on Dream Country, and I’ve only just found the time and emotional strength to talk about one of the most enriching, demanding, beautiful, and intimidating experiences of my life (thus far, … Continue reading
After two months of rehearsals, we’ve finally arrived (at Dream Country)!
Jerms and B turned up for the Dress Rehearsal yesterday – which was really sweet because they were flying off to different parts of the world soon after.
Tonight’s Opening Night, so if you are in town, come down to the Singapore Arts Festival Village at Esplanade Park!
I’ve rambled written so much about my experience and thoughts as a performer, so now I present to you the directors, who will take you through the history of this piece, and the selection process.
Once again. Dream Country – a lost monologue is part of the Singapore Arts Festival 2012. It is a great piece produced by Michele Lim, directed by Marion D’Cruz, Anne James, Charlene Rajendran, Claire Wong, Natalie Hennedige and Zizi Azah. The piece will take place 31 May and 1 June 2012 at the Festival Village in Esplanade Park, 8pm. FREE.
I’d been wanting to catch Théâtre du Centaure ever since I saw them in the Festival Guide for Singapore Arts Festival. I’ve already had the pleasure of catching them during their rehearsals, which in their simplicity already excited me no end.
How wonderful is it that their baby gets to watch them on the side?
On Sunday, I finally had a break from rehearsal so I went to catch Flux with a couple of friends.
Mingling with the massive crowd by the darkened gardens, you get the sense that you’ve stumbled into Narnia. (‘Where’s the fawn going to appear?’ asked Jerms.) And that sense of magic and awe binds us all together – evident from the faces of the dialect-speaking grandmas and grandpas, the spellbound toddlers who have yet discovered language, and the travellers-turned-smiling-fools who had taken a wrong turn en route to the train station.
When you watch Théâtre du Centaure’s Flux, impossibility simply doesn’t exist.
You believe.
You believe in dreams and centaurs. You believe in love. You believe in peace.
You believe.
As you watch them weave amongst trees and people, run at great speeds on their stages, sit on a weathered and well-loved leather couch (!!!), you realise that Manolo Bez and Camille Galle are centaurs. There are no horses or actors present. Only centaurs.
If I were to be picky, the only bit I didn’t like was the text – spoken and projected, and in certain cases, translated even. For a performance that touches you deep within your soul, words are just superfluous.
After the show I met Mathieu, who is part of the Théâtre du Centaure team, to find out more about the music they work with, but we’ve been missing each other ever since. Hopefully I get lucky tonight so I can say a proper thank you before they leave.
If you are free, or tired, or stressed out, or uninspired… Head down to the Arts Festival Village just next to the Esplanade to catch their final performance tonight. You’ll be mesmerised and renewed… and you don’t even have to pay a cent.
Happening at the Festival Village at 8pm.
Here’s a post you should not read out loud in public.
We had a lot of sacks yesterday.
Yes.
A lot of sacks on the grass.
Out in the open.
The sacks got dirty.
Very dirty.
The sign of a good rehearsal.
And I have a few new bruises and a nasty bout of flu to show for it.
Off to rest now.
=/
This post is especially for those of you who still think that my rehearsals were all prancing around on grass patches a la My Little Pony, playing with water and fairy-dancing.
Yes, yes. So I’ve reminded everyone not come expecting So You Think You Can Dance kinda backflips and babyfreeze and pirouettes, but it doesn’t mean what we have been doing is not grueling at all.
If anything at all, rehearsals get more and more intense every time; even if it’s just an additional of one activity, or a variation on something we have done. Our ten-minute push/pull, throw/catch, straight/curvy warm-ups have me drenched in sweat, heaving for air, and I love it.
I still worry. I worry that what I’m doing is not good enough. That my moves are too predictable or contrived. I worry that I am doing something too similar to someone else. I worry that I come across as superficial and amateurish. I worry non-stop.
But the moment Charlene sounds her chime and we start… I lose myself. Because I have to. Because I have to invest myself fully now, and worry later. Because if I don’t risk being silly and superficial now, I always be afraid, and always just worry, wondering what could have been.
Bestie discovered a million bruises on me yesterday. And that’s excluding the abrasions that are out of public sight (thank god!). And the skin that got ripped off which I keep covered up for fear of infection.
Coincidentally, the frame I was given to work with this week was “Warrior”.
And so I shall wear these with pride.
Welcome to Dream Country, everybody!
It’s been three months since I left work and I have…
Gone for a music festival – St Jerome’ Laneway Festival (Does Coachella over Youtube count as a second one? =D)
Gone for a concert – toe, Mosaic (I see me =D)
Attended a Butoh Workshop with Alb and Kai
Watched a play
Ironed all my darn clothes
Watched movies – 300, Amélie, Any Given Sunday, Delicatessen, Fight Club, Infernal Affairs, L’Auberge Espagnole, La Combe Lucien, Les Petits Mouchoirs, Lost in Translation, Machuca, Melancholia, The Descendants, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish and English Versions), The Godfather I, II and III, The Iron Lady, The Lady
Read – Olivia (in French), Lady Chatterley’s Lover, The Great Frustration, There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Worked out (almost) every day
Made crème brúlée (got my own blow torch), made pasta, bread, jam.
Picked up driving
Visited the museum – Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Organised the wardrobe and accessories …
Supported Soccer games…
Made new friends…
Most importantly…
Reconnected with loved ones I’ve neglected – Momo, Sis-es, Melb, K, Hui, Xiu, Shus, Bestie, SQ, B
Three months have passed.
And that feeling that time is running out sneaks up on me and teases that panic button ever so often. But it is also that sense of the inevitable end; those limits, that force us to get out there and push ourselves further and harder, so I am thankful.
No time to lament or feel sorry. Not today at least.
Loads more I’ve yet to accomplish, and loads more to come – driving examination, Arts Festival performance, N’s wedding and my long-awaited Berlin visit. (Tokyo soon, I hope!)
What a fulfilling weekend! I woke up fluffy bread, beer jelly and freshly brewed Vietnamese coffee on both mornings, did my reflections for the Dream Country rehearsals, worked out, and danced in the company of earth, water, women and bugs till evening.
We’ve only had three rehearsals thus far, but my body is already experiencing change. Abrasions, bites, bruises, cuts and stings? All good. I wear’em like a badge. (SPARTAAAAaa…) That aside, I do feel myself getting stronger every day. I push a bit harder, throw a bit further, jump a bit higher with each rehearsal… And it’s not hard with the energy of the group. (As you shall see in a minute.) There is still a lot of work to be done though – mental and physical.
While I have no problems being fully invested and focussing on the moment, I hate that sliver of a moment when doubt creeps into my mind and I over-think. And though I think I’m quite strong, I still have some way to go before I get to my ideal fitness level. (Note to self: Schedule workout tomorrow.)
Highlights
– Rescued Border Collie who wandered into our compounds to play and reunited it with his caretaker. Alas, my camera wasn’t on me. Cute lil fella ran away when I went close but as soon as I went on my knees, he ran over and leapt on me to lick me all over the face. Love affection.
– Mating Bugs. ‘Nuff said.
That aside… All these happened:
La jardinière watering the… erm… urn.
Planking finally becomes a trend within the Amish community.
At peace.
Insext. All you need is love.
The Guru. Far from the maddening crowd.
Highlight
– Elderly man on a bike was cycling by our rehearsal space when I turned to him and shouted, ‘HEYYYYYYYYY!’. Fi waved at him and went, “Nonononononono.” while in character. To his credit, he got off the bike and stood his ground. Stared at us, wondering probably, “What the heck is going on this time?” Residents in the area of Goodman Arts Centre must be used to this by now.
‘Em Amish girls hard at work.
Hunger.
View from within.
L’oiseau et la fille.
Le mainate.
Angelina who?!
Frolic. Note extremely high level of difficulty of pose.
Merry making.
More information on Dream Country, here.
More information on the Singapore Arts Festival 2012, here.
Stealing Time 