Dancing with the Community: Beyond Moving with Artisans

MyDance Alliance is delighted to announce the sixth MyDance Festival with the theme "Unity in Diversity". The purpose of this one-month festival is to reunite the dance community in Malaysia, to enjoy live performances, celebrate the diversity of local dance culture, and continue to encourage stronger collaboration, partnership and growth in the future.

As we enter the third week of the MyDance Festival 2023, Dancing with the Community -- Beyond Moving with Artisans brings you on a walking journey through the creative community mall of GMBB, merging dance with an exploration of traditional Malaysian crafts. This edition of the Beyond Moving with Artisans project focuses on the rich tapestry of coffee culture, highlighting the aromatic tradition of Hainanese roast coffee.

Professional dancers perform alongside young people from the Chin refugee community in this special inclusive event embracing those who are often marginalized in our community.

We invite our audience to join the joyous celebration, and get a taste -- literally! -- for how coffee unites us, creating a space for contemplation and conversation.

Date & Time:
17th June 2023, Saturday, 3 pm
18th June 2023, Sunday, 3 pm

Venue:
Lobby, GMBB, KL

Tickets:*
Admission: RM25 (Standard), RM15 (Student/Disability/Special Needs/Refugees/Stateless./MyDance member#)

Admission: https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/dancing-with-the-community

#Please leave the name of your school/institution for STUDENT or MyDance registered name MYDANCE MEMBER PRICE as well as your status during check out.

Organiser by: MyDance Alliance
Supported by: Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
In partnership with: GMBB, JinnD Productions
For further information & Inquiry:
FB: MyDance Alliance
IG: mydancealliance_malaysia

WhatsApp: 017-5108133
*Please be informed that this presentation will actively involve the audience, requiring movement throughout the space. We highly encourage you to come prepared to participate and engage with the performance in a dynamic and immersive manner. Get ready to move and be part of the experience! 

---

Short Bio 

Produced by 
JinnD Productions, established in 2016 by Lau Beh Chin, is a dance platform dedicated to cross-art collaboration, education, and inclusivity. With a focus on fostering dialogue between Malaysia and Europe, their projects such as "Where Two Seas Meet" have united dancers from different backgrounds, while exploring “Beyond Moving with Artisans” broader societal issues like progress and intergenerational gaps. Beyond their artistic pursuits, JinnD Productions empowers refugees through the Anjez Art Project, offering arts education and supporting artisanal skills development. The remarkable work of JinnD Productions has been recognized by prestigious grants and awards, including the BOH Cameronian Grant for New Productions in 2022 and the WE-Award in 2021. Their collaborations and initiatives serve as a testament to their dedication to promoting cultural exchange, artistic expression, and community engagement.

ProjectInitator/Choreographer
Lau Beh Chin (Jinn) is a Malaysian artist. She has a degree in chemical engineering and master's degree in contemporary dance performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland. She has performed and worked with renowned artists from Switzerland, Ireland, and France and has received several scholarships for her talent, including a full scholarship to the TDP’13 Dance Laboratory in Tipperary and a full scholarship to Shawbrook advanced summer dance training week in 2013. Her movement research is grounded in somatic practice, and her work incorporates Ashtanga yoga and Chinese Classical Dance, as well as the philosophy of Macrobiotic and Body-mind Centering. She is passionate about using the arts to address important social issues and effect change. She is interested in interdisciplinary collaboration and exploring structures, methodologies, and processes to break through the limitations and prejudices about the "other." Her vision is to create and provoke dialogue that helps cement bonds between and across communities, sharing changing memories that help us get closer to our culture and identity while possessing care, love, and compassion towards others.

Dramaturg/Multimedia Art Director. 
Ridhwan Saidi is a Malaysian playwright, novelist and filmmaker. He co-founded indie publishing house, Moka Mocha Ink (mokamochaink.com) which focuses on contemporary Malay fiction and drama. ‘Teater Modular’ is his series of short plays consisting 13 playlets, whilst ‘Teater Normcore’ is his series of full length plays, that includes Stereo Genmai (staged in 2018 & 2019), Hamlet Fansuri (2019) and Masam Manis (2020). In late 2018 he wrote and directed a monologue for ‘Projek Suitcase’ by Teater Ekamatra. His play Mautopia was conceived in a playwriting program by The Actor’s Studio and published in The New Play Project: Book One (2018). It was translated to English as Necrotopia by Alfian Sa’at and published in the book States of Crisis: Collection from Asian Playwrights Meeting 2019 (Kala Buku, Indonesia, 2020). In 2020 he directed his first feature film No Love For The Young where it had its world premiere at the 31st Singapore International Film Festival.

Performer/Collaborator 
Lee Bee Hui started dancing at the age of ten. She was with the Dove Dance Group by Soka Gakkai Malaysia before joining UPSI. She was involved in Panggung Seni Tradisional: Koleksi Tari Serumpun 2017, Persembahan Orkestra Patriotik Sempena Kembara Siswa Patriotik, Art Stage Dance Performance Malaysia Rhapsody, PENTAS 18, 2nd ICONDE 2018, Daegu International Dance Festival 2018 (South Korea) and IMPAC 2018. She completed her Diploma in Dance and Bachelor in Performing Arts (Dance) from UPSI.

Performer/Collaborator 
Winnie Xuan is  an independent dance artist based in Malaysia. She has completed her RAD Advanced 2 and CSTD Grade 8 in Modern Jazz and graduated with a First Class (Hons) Bachelor of Dance from the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage. Winnie is well-versed in Contemporary, Traditional and Interdisciplinary works through working with choreographers such as Leng Poh Gee, Murni Omar, Lau Beh Chin (JinnD Productions), Kenny Shim, Chan Kar Kah (Marrow Collective) and JS Wong.

Performer/Collaborator 
Wong Chi Ying holds a Master's degree in Dance studies from Beijing Dance Academy, China after completing her Diploma and Bachelor of Dance from Aswara. She has been actively involved in various performances and festivals as a dancer and choreographer. Chi Ying is currently working as a part-time lecturer in Aswara, a project-based artist for various art projects, and shares her experiences in different dance schools.

Special Guest
The Chin Student Organization was established in 2005 by university students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, who took it upon themselves to provide education for Chin children they found wandering the streets. Today, the organization operates two learning centers, with over 250 students and a dedicated team of volunteers working to preserve their learning skills and protect them from negative influences. Despite the challenging circumstances many students face, including cramped living conditions and the need to seek paid work, the organization focuses on teaching Chin refugee children English, science, mathematics, and Chin language skills, preparing them for education in western countries. Affiliated with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Chin Student Organization is committed to providing education and welcomes teachers who can contribute to this important mission.