Mother of Contemporary Dance in Singapore
Angela Liong is so far the most respectable of all dance pioneers in Singapore. She has significant contribution to the dance scene and was the teacher of Singapore's 2nd generation of Contemporary dancers/choreographers.
- The ARTS FISSION Company (http://www.artsfission.org) was founded in 1994, by Choreographer Angela Liong and Artist Chandrasekaran is one of the few full-time dance companies in Singapore. The company has presented close to 30 full-length productions locally and internationally. Since its 1995 inaugural multimedia performance of "MAHABHRATA - A GRAIN OF RICE", the dance works of ARTS FISSION are best identified as contemporary dance with strong conceptual basis relating to a new Asian aesthetics with innovative staging that engages the audience. Many of ARTS FISSION's professional works are critical response to the new Asian urban environment with concerns to the emerging contemporary Asian identity. Artistically it aims to reinvent vernacular gestures and movements into a new genre of Asian dance theatre. This artistic direction marks ARTS FISSION out with a distinct dance profile. ARTS FISSION is also known to be the first dance company in Singapore to stage site-specific performance in public places since 1996. The most notable past site work was in December 2000 with the seminal production of "URBAN SANCTUARY", a soaring performance presented atop the 35th rooftop of the Centennial Tower located on the Singapore waterfront. ARTS FISSION has received regional and international invitations to stage site-specific works since 2001. Most recent site work "BORROWED SCENERY" was presented in the old town of Copenhagen Denmark in September 2002. ARTS FISSION achieved artistic milestone in August 2003 as the first Singapore dance company to open the Laokoon Festival with "SHADOWHOUSES" at the Kampnagel Hamburg (the biggest arts center in Europe), Germany. In 2004 ARTS FISSION spearheaded the first co-commission dance project under the auspices of Singapore Arts Festival and SIDance Festival (Seoul International Dance Festival). The collaboration project titled "12 SMS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS" involving Korean choreographer Park Hobin and his dancers premiered in October 2004 at the Seoul Arts Centre, Korea. The company also actively engages in arts education programs and outreach events for schools and other cultural organizations and aims to enhance the quality and vibrancy of urban life. Angela Liong is awarded the Cultural Medallion Award in 2010.
- Other list of companies can be found at NAC Website.
Read more about this topic: Dance In Singapore
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