By Wahid Al Mamun (15A01A) and Maasha (15A03A)
Photos by Isaac Siaw (15S03Q)

On the 5th of March, students filled the RI auditorium, waiting for Dancefest 2014 to begin. As a highlight of the IHC Remix calendar, it was no surprise that the auditorium was packed to the brim, with many students having to resort to sitting on the steps or the floor. Expectations were high, with the five houses giving two performances each. With their recently made friends performing, the energy from the audience was really high too. However, things started off slowly as the emcees, Charlotte and Jingyi, tried in vain to keep the boisterous crowd under control. Despite the sluggish start, the J2 team from Buckle-Buckley kicked off what turned out to be a great two hours.

The dances definitely did not disappoint. To the loud cheers of the audience, the dancers pulled off each choreographed move effortlessly. All ten teams put up stunning displays of team cohesion and stamina to pull off their respective segments. This year’s Dancefest also saw several houses maximising their creativity to come up with really memorable segments. Of particular note was Moor-Tarbet’s usage of a mystery box placed centre stage, from which they would draw random items and dance accordingly. There was a part where they took out a crown from the box and immediately started dancing to Fantastic Baby by Big Bang, eliciting a wild response from the people present.

Additionally, the Bayley-Waddle J2 team ended off their dance segment with a tableau of the iconic “The Circle of Life” scene from the Lion King, to the amazement of the audience. They also included a tap dancing segment in their performance, which went well with the judges who noted that “tap dancing was something new, something never seen in previous Dancefests”. Likewise, the audience were visibly impressed by the prowess of the two dancers who performed the tapdance, with the segment receiving amongst the loudest cheers of the night.

Some of the houses also made use of humour to make their performances stand out – Hadley-Hullett’s J2 team choreographed a literal tree-cutting segment to the song “Timber” which was met with applause and laughter from the audience. Similarly, Moor-Tarbet’s J2 team mixed pop culture into their dance by choreographing the popular app “Flappy Bird” into their dance, with Moor-Tarbet’s phoenix mascot making a guest appearance as Flappy Bird.

Other houses made use of their ten minutes on stage to tell stories to the audience through the art of dance. Buckle-Buckley’s J1 crew, for instance, told a story of how toys came to life in a child’s bedroom after dark. The crew made clever use of costumes and props to depict themselves as toy soldiers, clowns, dolls and the like. All in all, this performance was an interesting one focused on the concept of dreams. The J1 BW team, on the other hand, decided to translate a common-day sibling squabble into dance. The crew made the most of their skewed gender ratio – the crew consisted of two guys and eight girls – to put up a whimsical yet creative interpretive dance of a fight between two siblings over who should watch TV.

To round off an excellent night of dancing prowess, five members from the Modern Dance exco put up a well-choreographed dance item. This was then followed by an impromptu dance-off where individual dancers showed off their arsenal of dance moves despite being exhausted from their prepared pieces.

“All five houses did really well and we honestly think that Dancefest this year was damn good,” said Saaradha Muthunatarajan (15S03T). “We can see how everyone put in tons of effort into making this work too. It was generally very nice to watch,” added Natalie Ann Chan (15S03B). Many of the dance crews customized t-shirts and caps just for the performance that day even when it wasn’t a necessity, showing just how much dedication they had to the cause. “MR’s usage of the umbrellas was really cool too! Very innovative,” added Faith Ng (15A01E). Many of the other members of the audience shared the same sentiment for the first segment of the MR J2 dance crew’s piece where they made use of umbrellas and danced to Con te partirò (Time To Say Goodbye) by Paolo Bernardi as if in an orchestra as well.

Among the talented crew of dancers who put up the scintillating show was Ang Deng Seng (14S03J), a member of Raffles Street Dance. He, like many other J2s, decided to take part in Dancefest 2014 due to this being their very last year in RI(JC). “It’s fun and something I enjoy doing, so why not?” was what he said right before Dancefest began. Simon Tang (14S06O) of Morrison-Richardson and Raffles Street Dance, added that he joined Dancefest despite it being so close to the CT period because he wanted to help people connect to dance. “I have so many friends who want to dance but don’t know how to start because they aren’t in dance CCAs, so I wanted to join to help spread the culture, to share the little bit that I know and see more people come to enjoy it as I have!”. With his experience as a Street Dancer, Simon was also involved in the conceptualisation and choreography of his team’s dance, including the innovative umbrella dancing segment.

And yet, the dancers do not only consist of the so-called ‘veterans’ of the game. Indeed, a lot of eager participants joined their Dancefest crews with little or no experience in dancing. Participants such as Moor-Tarbet’s Francis Tan (15S06D) decided to join Dancefest after realising that he had a passion for dancing having taken part in the Orientation Night dance-off. Since he only had two years in RJ, he wanted to step out of his comfort zone and do something that he had never done before.

However, a natural concern for many of these new dancers would have been stage fright, with Dancefest being their first dance event in front of a huge crowd of people, mostly consisting of new friends or complete strangers, for that matter. Having said that, Buckle-Buckley’s Ellson Chow (15S06P) said that he didn’t really have any stage fright. “I just felt really prepared and the huge support i had from my friends made me realise that I had no right to be afraid, but instead put on my best show to show my appreciation towards them and to not disappoint them.” What pushed most of these dancers though, was the passion and love that they had for this art form. “There were many tiring nights but my amazing dance crew and my love and passion for dancing were what helped me get through all the intense trainings,” said Pearl Ding (15S03L) of Hadley-Hullett.

Nonetheless, preparation for Dancefest definitely entailed a lot of hard work, usually at great personal sacrifice. David Wang (15S05A) of Morrison-Richardson lamented on how “[he] didn’t touch a single lecture note or tutorial for the last week” because of how the rehearsals dragged on until well past 9pm every day. Another Buckle-Buckley dancer said that he was “initially shocked at the amount of practice [they] had to do”.

While the dancers did have to stay back in school over the span of just over a week to undergo intense preparation, none of them were complaining. “All the dumb stuff we did was amazing,” said a dancer from the MR J1 dance crew. They also proudly proclaimed that they were now best friends, despite not knowing each other before Dancefest itself.

After ten amazing performances and the spectacular dance-off, the judges, all alumni of RI(JC), took their time to deliberate and finally announce the winners of Dancefest 2014 – Morrison-Richardson. Most of the judges’ comments revolved around maintaining energy throughout the entire performance and showmanship and how performing with a smile no matter how drained one is feeling is of utmost importance in a good performance.

Still reeling from the high, almost everyone testified that what mattered the most to them was the friends they had made and the journey that they had been through and not the results in it’s entirety. “We had the best team ever!” exclaimed many of the dancers after their performances.

In the meanwhile, as noted by David, Dancefest could be utilised as a platform to create a dance community within Raffles. “At the moment, only a few people get into dance CCAs, but there are actually a lot of people with a passion for dance, especially after watching events such as Dancefest.” As seen in the sheer breadth and quality of dances presented by all the crews despite having only about a week to prepare for the event, it is pretty evident that there is a hotbed of promising young dancers in Raffles despite their lack of experience. For them, Dancefest seems to be the only outlet to express their knack for the stage. Hence, in creating a dance community, there will be a chance for such hidden gems to explore and discover their innate passion for dance.

In conclusion, Dancefest was definitely a success for both dancers and the audience who came down to watch the performances. One can only wait in eager anticipation for the next instalment of Dancefest in 2015.

By Lu Jinyao (14A01D) and Joyce Er (15A01A)
Photos by Isaac Siaw (15S03Q)
Cover photo by Matthew Yeo of Raffles Photographic Society

Last Friday night, IHC Remix kicked off with Musicfest, a three-hour music extravaganza featuring various interpretations of pop, classical and rock pieces. Whether students were there to support their friends, their house, or even to relax after a long week, Musicfest proved to be enjoyable for all.

Throwing together a performance in two weeks is no mean feat, and the criteria for this year’s competition, organised by Chamber Ensemble, did not make things any easier for participants. In 10 to 15 minutes, each house was to put up one classical re-arrangement of a pop song, and the reverse: one re-arrangement of a classical piece in any other form. Judging that night’s performances were Ms Michelle Kwok (our GP teacher), Mr Jarrod Lee (an ex-teacher with Broadway-style vocal experience) and Mr Hazli (our very own sound technician).

What makes a good performance? Houses were rewarded for audience engagement, technical proficiency and diversity of instruments onstage. An additional, unspoken criteria which affected audience engagement was song choice. Although many Rafflesians have some form of musical background, those who don’t tend to be able to identify with and appreciate more mainstream pop/rock tunes, while obscure songs let the audience’s minds wander.

As a whole, houses fared well in terms of technical proficiency. Many of the Musicfest participants are H2 Music students or members of various performing arts CCAs, which heightened the baseline standard. The performers taking the stage were individually capable and many were well rehearsed, which showed in their confident performances and the fact that few needed to refer to their score sheets. Individual highlights included Nicholas Quek of BB with his invigorating guzheng take on If I Lose Myself, and MR’s drummer, Shaun Mak, who provided the perfect rhythm for MR’s power vocalists Jonathan Boey and Esther Chan’s with their rendition of Where Have You Been. HH vocalist Melissa Tang’s sultry vocals shone during her jazzy performance of her house cheer in song form, drawing audible gasps from the audience, while HH’s piano rendition of Erlkonig, especially the sustained ostinato in the bass, was technically stunning.

Of course, the performances were not judged on the basis of individual competency – Mavis Tan, who helped with arranging MT’s set list, said, “The important thing about a performance is that it must be put together, on time, and in tune.” The challenge of including a diversity of instruments and unifying each instrument’s distinctive sound added a new dimension of complexity to the competition. Over the course of the night’s performance, an eclectic mix of instruments from the suona to the egg shaker made their appearance onstage. As Mr Lee said, while all performers were individually proficient, it was working together to produce a cohesive set piece that truly tested each house’s abilities.

Ultimately, Musicfest had as much to do with good arrangements and capable performers as it did with good teamwork. BB’s strategy in the competition was inclusive and got everyone on board while letting each individual shine. As Daniel Ang, BB’s double bassist and co-composer puts it, they were able to come up with “a seamless and complete package, where each of the segments were closely linked to each other,” despite the changes in genre from pop to classical. He added, “Also, we felt that the space created by transitions could be used to showcase the solo abilities of our performers, giving them room to creatively express themselves while still being part of the team concept!” Their performance was also punctuated by percussion instruments for comedic effect, which kept audience members entertained and enhanced the atmosphere of their performance.

It goes without saying that the amount of effort put into the process was integral to determining each house’s outcome. BB on decided their repertoire the very day competition requirements were released. This enabled them to finish composing and begin rehearsals more than a week before the actual event. Practicing up to five hours a day in the leadup to Musicfest took serious dedication from each member of the team. Indeed, BB’s unbroken melody seemed well-rehearsed, and while there were minor slip ups in the otherwise powerful vocal performances by Emma Lau and Lorraine Fong, the overall reception to their performance was positive.

The level of preparedness each house had made a huge impact on the chemistry of performers on stage. Houses that fared better in engaging the crowd, featured performances that were more cohesive and overall allowed for a strong performance. One such combination was MR’s pairing of Jonathan Boey and Esther Chan on vocals. When asked about the chemistry between him and Esther, Jonathan said, “Her skill level and confidence also made it easier for both of us to communicate and understand where the other was going during the performance itself. It also helped that we got along in general, which is an important thing when you’re making music with other people.”

Those in attendance that night might also remember that HH was the only house that didn’t use sheet music onstage – again a testament to their confidence. Said Casey Chan, HH’s violinist, “I think that intuition, creativity and the ability to improvise, rather than the following of a fixed music score, are core traits of true musicians that the HH team have emulated well in Musicfest.” Another benefit of not needing scores was that the stage looked less cluttered, and the HH team, more cohesive.

Determined to impress, BW decided to take a chance with a self-composed song, titled Mimblegrimble. BW’s Gordon Kang said that his original song performed during Musicfest was not a last-minute composition, but something he composed a while ago and dusted off for this competition: “I hate forcing out music so I thought it’ll be more interesting to start with sometimes refreshing and original.” In a stroke of creative genius, they also performed a memorable, fast-paced piano/drums duet rendition of Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement, which, again, distinguished them from the rest.

However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for all houses. Over the course of Musicfest preparation, each house inevitably met with their fair share of difficulties, which contributed to the quality of their final performance. As with any team effort, coordination is necessary, and for HH, their biggest challenges during rehearsals originated from technical difficulties, and the difficulty of coordinating rhythm and tempo.

Prior to the big day, rumours that MT had only started rehearsals on Wednesday were circulating. These were confirmed by Ace Tay, who played the trombone during their performance. Said Ace, “There were only three or four practices. We only decided on the songs in the first practice, and decided to play This Is War two hours before Musicfest.” This was perhaps because, according to Stefanus, their vocalist, no Musicfest IC was officially appointed for MT, and preparations only began in earnest the Saturday before. More remarkable is the fact that Shawn Chan, their drummer, was in fact recruited as a pianist and learned to play the drums a day before Musicfest to compensate for their a general lack of diverse instruments, including the drums. That said, it is a testament to these performers’ grit and their dedication to their craft that these houses managed to pull through and put up a commendable performance.

At the end of the night’s performances, and after a brief segment by Rock to tide over the audience while the judges were deliberating, the results were released:

1st: BB

2nd (tied): BW and MR

3rd: HH

4th: MT

The judges specifically pointed out that sound imbalance was a recurring leitmotif among all the houses – that the loudness of the electric guitar and drums, for instance, drowned out the rest of the ensemble. Also, occasionally, in the attempt to max the number of instruments, the outcome was more of a dissonant. Consequently, BB’s win was probably due to their seamless arrangement, evident in Ms Kwok’s parting comments, ‘Think of music as a soundscape: you can design the sounds that you want to create… but [an instrument] has to either cut through or blend, not stick out like a sore thumb’. From the looks of it, BB managed to achieve that precise blend. Mr. Jarrod Lee pointed out that many singers tried too hard to emulate an American style, and advised the performers to ‘find your own voice, your own beat, your own style’.

Ultimately, one needs to accept that a one-time performance always leaves as many regrets for the performers as awe it gives to the audience. Due to nervousness, or the lack of time to pursue perfection, stage performances rarely reflect the hundred percent ability of individuals. Beyond the music technicalities, we are even more impressed by the amount of effort and dedication each house invested to see a performance from its start to the end.

For first-time participants especially, Musicfest was a valuable learning opportunity, allowing BB’s Emma Lau to “learn and develop the technical skills of the pop/rock genre”, while seeing firsthand “how instruments come together”.

More than that, we are certain that what participants took away from Musicfest was not the final judging, but the seeds of friendship sown. Indeed, as HH’s Casey Chan said, “The Musicfest experience was definitely a great one for me – through overcoming challenges and making music with the HH Musicfest team, I’m glad to say that I’ve made many new friends and had lots of fun. What was also heartening was what happened right after Musicfest – Regardless of result, musicians from different houses came together in the amphitheatre to jam, revelling in the music that they enjoyed in common.” Or, in the words of Koh Kai Jie, chairperson of Chamber Ensemble, “The final results are meaningless numbers as long as the houses outdo themselves and enjoy the process.”

by Angelica Chong (14A01B)

1.5 Hours of Your Life You’re Never Getting Back: A Preview

It’s a Thursday night. Too late in the week to have any energy to finish (or should it be or perhaps start) your work, still 24 more hours to go before you can head out on a Friday night. Instead of laughing at cute cat videos at home by your lonesome, why not come to the PAC and laugh at your schoolmates, with your schoolmates, instead?

Where can I sign up?!!! you desperately ask, relieved to be free from adorable animals that you will never get to hold and cherish. And what is this preview for, anyway?

It’s for the so very adroitly named 1.5 Hours of Your Life You’re Never Getting Back: a one-of-a-kind (perhaps thankfully so!) performance, featuring our very own students directing and acting in two plays, one a slapstick satire and the other a literal ‘comedy of errors’, as well as performing a few of the most famous monologues in literature in between. Rest assured, you’ll get your money’s worth—and if not, you can always angrily approach any HP student for a refund/get a mob together, buy a couple of pitchforks, and go after the nearest hapless HPer for a refund. (I’m kidding. There will be no refunds as I’ve been told all proceeds will go straight to buying a flat-screen TV for LT6.) (That was also a joke.

King Lea— er, Kin Lee Er

King Lear? You pull back in horror as you read this. Wasn’t this supposed to be fun? Before you let any literature teachers catch you lamenting about the unfun-ness of Shakespeare, however, fret not—this isn’t just any ordinary play about a king and his avaricious daughters who drive him to madness and death; what   the HPers have done with it is to use this premise and convert it into an ode to the vagaries of the local political scene. Call it blasphemy or genius or anything in between, but you’ll be undoubtedly entertained by the satirical twists in this new and improved, Singaporeanified version of the bard’s famous play. Since poking fun at our political leaders is every Singaporean’s favourite past-time, it’s pretty much got universal appeal. You definitely won’t have to pull up Sparknotes in the middle of this play to enjoy it.

Pride at Southanger Park

Everyone knows that feeling—when you’re watching a performance on stage, and suddenly someone messes up (forgetting their lines, breaking a prop, falling, farting, what have you) and you literally cannot bear to watch. Ah, the pains of second-hand embarrassment. Watching Pride at Southanger Park, though, you can leave those worries behind you. Rupert Bean’s Pride at Southanger Park is a piece of coarse acting, which takes aim at the blunders of amateur theatre by taking the very concept to its disastrous extreme. By bald-facedly parodying these bloopers and blunders, it’s hoped that theatre-goers will forget about the—at times—snobbish intellectualism of theatre, or the subtextual meaning behind every stage direction, and just enjoy themselves by having a good laugh.  Of course, if you think about it, it’s easy for bad actors to act badly, or for good ones to make honest mistakes. For our budding home-grown actors, who cannot be labelled ‘stupendous’ but surely not ‘horrendous’, to act acting badly—well, that just might be a tad more tricky.

Oration through the Ages

If watching many people speaking on stage isn’t really your thing, maybe watching one person speaking on stage is. While listening to a lone figure rant and rave on stage for what seems to be an interminable period of time seems deathly boring, you might just enjoy this one. From Blanche DuBois to Shylock the Jew, the monologues being performed vary so much in theme, time period, and tone that they will be anything but monotonous. (However, if at the end of the day they still don’t rock your boat, you can always tune out the performers and make up your own words to amuse yourself. I’m sure no one will notice.)

Details

23rd January, Thursday, 7.00pm (doors open at 6.45pm) at the PAC (RI Y5-6 side)

Tickets go at $5, and you can get them from the canteen booth on the 22nd Jan (Wed), or order online at http://tinyurl.com/1point5hours. Alternatively, probably less attractively, approach any Year 6 HP student!

If you’re still on the fence, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/268811453274387/ for more details!