Fridae

Originally commissioned for the opening of Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in 2002, Reminiscing The Moon is a highly acclaimed dance epic accompanied by live traditional percussion music and songs performed by established singers and musicians from Solo, Padang and Jakarta and Singapore.

Choreographed by Boi Sakti, one of Indonesia's leading choreographers, the visually spectacular production was essentially inspired by two quotes concerned about the condition of women - a statement made at The World Women's Congress in 1995 and another from C J Koch's well-known novel about Indonesia in the 1960s. The Year of Living Dangerously. However, it is not a literal illustration of those quotes.

Contrary to the norm of a predictable plot, this 70-minute imaginative and visual masterpiece is a spontaneous collection of images born out of personal experience, observation, concern and research and a series of sketches about love and sadness, about helplessness and hope.

æ: ASOL (Age, Sex, Occupation, Location)
Jeffrey: I'm 36, dancer, resident choreographer and assistant ballet master with the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT).

æ: What's your "look"?
Jeffrey: I think "boyish looking" for my age, ok looking I think.

æ: Reminiscing The Moon is said to be a visually spectacular epic production will be accompanied by musicians from Indonesia and Singapore and was originally commissioned for the opening of Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in 2002, and garnered widespread acclaim. What can the audience expect?
Jeffrey: The audience can expect lots of visual effect on stage like rice falling, dancers dancing in water, special effects, and dancers in more earthy grounded movements rather than the usual balletic moves!

æ: You are also currently the Resident Choreographer of SDT. How did you get into ballet?
Jeffrey: I started ballet when I was spotted by our late SDT artistic director Mr Anthony Then. During my National Service with The Singapore Armed Forces, Music and Drama Company; I was awarded a scholarship by the Singapore Ballet Academy and later a scholarship to study in London.

æ: Tell us more about your first choreographic work.
Jeffrey: My first choreographic work was called "Tribal Rhythm," it's a tribal piece which have six male dancers and a female dancer. Music by Mickey Hart.

æ: What inspires you?
Jeffrey: My works come from different inspirations - music, movements, life and things around me.

æ: What is your earliest childhood memory?
Jeffrey: There are too many memorable things and they are private memories which I like to keep etched in my own private space.

æ: What is the achievement you are most proud of?
Jeffrey: I started ballet at the age of 21 and was given the chance to dance many principal roles both classical and contemporary; receiving the Young Artist Award in 2001 by the National Arts Council for Excellence in Dance; and now as Resident Choreographer of SDT, the first post created by the SDT to recognise my choreographic talents.

æ: If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Jeffrey: I would like to continue to be an artist - as dancer or actor or maybe singer.

æ: How are you misunderstood?
Jeffrey: People see us (dancers) as having an easy life and occupation, while the audience sees us on stage and not the process of our hard work. So I think a dancer's life is much harder then what most people think.

æ: How do you spend your Sundays?
Jeffrey: Normally I would go to the pool and relax. However, right after this production, I will be choreographing a full-length classical ballet The Nutcracker this December so for the next few months my Sundays, I will spend time at home doing my homework.

æ: Tell us one of your fantasies?
Jeffrey: To be able to travel around the world.

æ: What about yourself would you like to change the most?
Jeffrey: I am happy of what God have given... so nothing I will change.

æ: What was the most important thing that happened to you in the last 12 months?
Jeffrey: Finally, I graduated from my master's degree course from Queensland University of Technology in choreography.

æ: What do you think is important in a relationship?
Jeffrey: Trust and give each other space.

æ: Tell us about a cause that you support?
Jeffrey: World peace

Singapore Dance Theatre presents
Reminiscing the Moon
Direction, Choreography, Artistic & Set Concept Boi Sakti
Performed to live music performed by musicians from Singapore and Indonesia
1 - 3 Sep 05, Thu - Sat, 8pm
Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive
Tickets: $68, $58, $48, $38, $28 and $20
Available at SDT Office and all SISTIC outlets. Also available at the door on performance nights. SISTIC Hotline: 6348-5555