Up Next: TDS Solo Classical Ballet Competition

The highlight of the year for many earnest and trembling little would-be ballerinas from dance studios across the Klang Valley. Divided into four categories (this year introducing the new professional-level Open Category), this is a celebration of technique and classicism. Suhaili Ahmad Kamil, Most Promising Artist at the recent BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, will be competing for the top spot. Check out the finals on Monday 1 June at the Malaysian Tourism Centre on Ampang Road.

Up Next: Bharatanatyam Arengetram of Hariraam

Hariraam Tingyuan Lam. Even his name rhymes. The celebrated son of Temple of Fine Arts greats Lam Ghooi-Ket and Geetha Shankaran-Lam is approaching artistic adulthood. Expect his bharatanatyam solo debut, this Sunday 31 May, 7.30pm at Panggung Bandaraya, to be packed with fans hoping to see the emergence of the next true king.

Up Next: Prince Siddhartha, The Musical

A more mainstream production from the Chinese community, also in Mandarin, from the prolific Buddhist production company Musical on Stage. Many talented dancers with classical training are involved, including my friends Chan Sheow Fern, Ng Sei Li, Hii Ing Fung, and Foo Siau Yin. Musical on Stage has a reputation for very high production values and polished performances.

22-31 May, Istana Budaya.
www.musicalonstage.com

Up Next: Toilet

What was once presented as a mainly theatre work is being revised in a more dancerly genre, featuring some of the more established contemporary dancers from the Chinese-speaking community: Amy Len from Kwang Tung Dance Troupe, Leng Poh Gee, lecturer at University Malaya, and Louise Yow. In Mandarin with English surtitles, this performance is likely to combine multimedia with grotesquery, illustrative of continuing trends within the urban Chinese-speaking avant-garde.

20-24 May, Pentas 2 KLPac
www.pentasproject.com

Up Next: Contact

A full-length contemporary dance work on a budget, choreographed by University of Malay lecturer Leng Poh Gee and presented by students of the dance department at University of Malaya.

A number of the dancers in Contact performed in my last production, Play-Play Only. It will be nice to see them performing again in another work, and I also expect great things from Poh Gee, whose work I have never seen!

For more info, go to the event page on the Kakiseni website.

Up Next: Tracing — Dance Dialogues in Singapore and South Africa

Choreographer-dancers Joey Chua (Singapore) and Mcebisi Bhayi (South Africa) are currently choreographers in residence at Rimbun Dahan. I am producing this showing of their work in progress, of which I got a sneak preview on Monday night — very intense and enjoyable.

So come, everyone! It’s free!

See info on Kakiseni.

Up Next: 20 years in dance and I still don’t know what the $#@&?*! I am doing

What it is: “a non-lecture about what I don’t know” from Malaysian-born Canada-living dancer-choreographer Lee Su-Feh. It’s a confronting title which should yield some confronting content, at least, according to the promotional images, in a bare-it-all wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve way. See the event on Kakiseni.

What to expect: no idea. I had not previously heard of Lee Su-Feh — I have a lot to learn! It will be interesting to see how her work and thoughts, designed for a very different world, operate in a Malaysian environment.