Fresh from a work break and a varied list of international experiences, SDT's Jeffrey Tan speaks to us about his new work, Negro Y Blanco , which will premiere in May 2007 under SDT's Impressions Season, his rewarding stint with Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato's company – Compania Nacional De Danza – and even his thoughts on the current television sensation, The Dance Floor .
Legend:
Get The Pointe – GTP ; Jeffrey Tan - JT
GTP: Hi Jeffrey, it's great to see you again. So tell me, what have you been busy with lately, and is there a reason why you seem more tanned than the last time I saw you?
JT: I just got back from a short shopping break in Hong Kong . Great bargains! You should go! Immediately, prior to that, I was working on a television commercial for an Indonesian biscuit company. It w as a four-day assignment in Jakarta . Yes, I have been busy. So, you reckon that I'm more tanned now? I guess it must have been their sambal terasi (aka sambal belachan) in Jakarta , which I couldn't get enough of [laughs].
Jeffrey and his lovely co-star in a TV commercial, Adela, an Indonesian celebrity
GTP: I hear that you were in Spain and Canada recently. Could you share a little about what you saw and experienced in those countries?
JT: When I travel, I constantly seek opportunities to learn through my experiences. My 1-month training stint at the well-renowned Nacho Duato was no exception. Through the classes I attended, I could feel the intensity and rigour – which you seldom feel in our local companies. This dynamic is also translated to the country's dance and arts scene. I think that a feature these dance practitioners possess and that we lack is, Nacho Duato has ‘thinking-dancers' – dancers who not merely execute a routine or a choreographer's vision but also assess how they could maximise the artistic and aesthetic elements in a given direction: Thinkers. It also helped that these practitioners have strong individual characteristics yet can still function in strength as a single entity.
About Canada : The National Arts Council (NAC) sent me to CINARS in Montreal (an international gathering of arts companies and festival programmers) with a mission. I was to observe developments in contemporary dance. I'm quite impressed with how far the Canadian and Australian representatives have come.
GTP: You were also on tour with the Singapore Dance Theatre in Korea in October. What was that like, and how is performing to a foreign audience different from when you were on stage in Singapore with the same production, Quest ?
JT: SDT had a great time in Korea . It is always an enriching and rewarding experience for company-dancers to entertain our foreign audiences. Quest received a favourable response from the Korean audience. (My piece) F.U.S.E. was indeed well-received compared to feedback I got from our local media. I think that Singaporeans are overly-critical of local efforts. Alas, I can't please everyone…
GTP: Having traversed three different countries over the past three months in your ongoing journey and growth as a dancer, choreographer, and artist, what would you say are your current thoughts on being a performer and have your views on dance changed, especially after viewing what was being performed by other dance companies internationally?
JT: Honestly, our local dance scene is still at an infancy stage. If you were to ask me why I am saying this, I feel that as practitioners and audience we have yet to fully embrace this concept of being open and receptive towards ideas and opinions, genres and styles when it comes to dance arts. Dance doesn't always have to be beautiful. It doesn't always have to have a point of view. You know, it is a vicious cycle that affects the progress of Singapore 's dance scene.
GTP: So your latest piece, which will premiere within Singapore Dance Theatre's May 2007 season, Impressions, is called Negro Y Blanco , which means Black and White in Spanish. Can you tell us in a few sentences what this piece is about?
JT: It's going to be sleek. It's going to be minimalist. None of the grandeur and loud costumes and settings. A simple, plotless piece.
GTP: I understand the piano and the black and white keys inspired this piece. When did this imagery first strike you? Was it during a rehearsal or at another concert or performance?
JT: You are partly correct there. Visualise this: I was in a rehearsal room at Nacho Duato. I remember being mesmerised by the dance maestro at work using a piano piece. Seated next to the grand piano, the black and white keys captured my attention. My mind wandered and that triggered my inspiration for Negro Y Blanco . Oops! Did I just tell the whole world that I wasn't paying attention in class? [laughs].
GTP: What would you say are the highlights of this work? Does it make a specific statement about life or love? Or maybe where you are in your frame of mind right now?
JT: I'm not trying to do anything. I'm not trying to make any statements about life, love or anything. As I mentioned, a piece does not need to have a point. I'll let my audience interpret the piece in whatever way they want. In other words, I'm providing an opportunity for my audience to open up and be critical. Thinkers.
GTP: Please tell us a bit more about what inspires you as a choreographer? And do you have any advice for other performers who wish to branch out into choreography?
JT: I can be inspired by almost anything and everything. It just needs to happen at the right moment and frame of mind. For budding choreographers, be sensitive to the happenings outside their immediate influence. Observe developments in techniques and genre that are taking place in the international dance scene. But, don't copy. Find your own style. That's important. And, take criticisms in your stride. Don't be uptight or defensive over these remarks but use them as a platform for you to reflect on your craft. If it hurts, move on. So long as you know that you have done justice to your piece and craft, you will be alright. I'm speaking from personal experience [sighs].
GTP: What other new developments or plans do you have in the pipeline?
JT: For Ballet Under The Stars ( BUTS ) this year, I'll be creating a new piece which might be peppered with some of my impressions and experiences when I was in Spain . It must have been the many paella (traditional Spanish rice dish) I fed myself during my stint [laughs]. As for my role in SDT, I would like to be given more opportunities to have a hand in the artistic aspects and direction of the Company as I feel that I have much to share from my overseas experiences and study.
GTP: Finally, we noticed you in the recent television commercials for DBS Bank. Are we going to see more of you on television? What are your thoughts on the new Channel 5 reality competition – “The Dance Floor”?
JT: I doubt Singapore would be able to see me in the Indonesian commercial but, maybe SDT can look into getting television work for the Company in the near future? Hmm. The Dance Floor … I can only say I empathise with the judges who have to judge a wide spectrum of dance genres and varied dancing abilities.
GTP: Though Singapore may not get the chance to view the Indonesia commercial but we are glad to lay our hands on an exclusive behind-the-scenes rehearsal clip. Enjoy!
Jeffrey Tan's Negro Y Blanco will be presented under Impressions , together with Mauricio Wainrot's Seasons of Buenos Aires and Jiri Kylian's Stamping Ground , at the University Cultural Centre, on 18 & 19 May, 2007, 8pm. Full-time students and NSmen get to enjoy our “Sweet Sixteen” deal where tickets go for just $16 each. Call 6338-0611 now for your priority bookings as “Sweet Sixteen” tickets are limited on a first-come, first-serve basis.
