More Performances In The Chingay Parade 2008

The Marina Bay Ondo street performance by the Japanese Association Singapore (JAS) greeted everyone with a congregation of dancers, a rectangular Japanese themed float and a singing band in it.

I got to witness our very own Filipino dance troupe bringing to the audience a tribal Ifugao dance…

… and the lively Tinikling dance (with fancy footwork and jumping around) done by the ever smiling Bungkos Palay Performing Arts Foundation and Gintong Ani Philippines from Central Luzon State University, Philippines.

Speaking of pictures, here’s a short video clip of the mentioned Tinikling dance by the Filipino school children in the Chingay Parade 2008.

The audience (including me) was wowed at the end as the young children (I remember three pairs grouped side by side) finished their dance in a fast and complex routine of “stepping in and stepping out” of the clashing bamboos perfectly until the last note of the music.

(more of these mini videos of the parade to be posted soon)

This one… is quite weird. The street performance is titled The Legend of Balor performed by the Institute of Art, Design & Technology Ireland and Temasek Polytechnic. It showcases the old Irish Celtic legend of Balor, a giant Cyclops and king of Fomorians, a race of giants. Legend tells that this creature kills people with just a glance of his eye (somewhat akin to Medusa which kills people by petrifying them with just a glance at her eyes. During the entire performance, a long blue mascot bearing one huge eyeball moved around and around a group of dancers who were busy twirling a caged princess on a platform equipped with rollers. I bet this was Balor, the evil monster (shown above).

Here is one giant float shaped as an F1 racing car in blue and orange colors (above).

Shown above is one of the lively dance routines by youths coming from different Community Development Councils (DA Talents, CDC Cheerleaders, PA Talents Hip Hop Club Dancers, SE CDC Y2Y performers, and Miss Singapore 2007). The picture above shows one of the ABC key messages of CDC (A for Assisting the Needy). The F1 Float posted above has the B key message plastered at the sides of the car (B for Bonding the People). If you are curious, C stood for Connecting the Community.

Above is the first Chingay float adorned with some artistic sculptures (abstract silver constructions) by Sun Yu Li (one of those sculptures I always see is that bracelet like structure near the entrance of Suntec City Mall). Dancers in black and white outfits and a trio of singers were also present on the float.

This is a parade of many communities mostly coming from the Geylang Serai Constituency, Hindu Endowments Board, Kowloon Club, PA Youth Movement and City Harvest. The one below shows one of the human-powered structures - acrobats twisted and contoured their bodies at the sides and top of a towering tiered construct.

People both young and old united in joining the parade as they waving their red flags.

Still more to come.

Tags: Balor, Chingay Parade 2008, City Hall, Ifugao dance, Irish folklore, Japanese float, Tinikling dance

25.Feb.08 Chinese New Year, Festivals, Photo Series, Videos Comments (3)

Opening Of The Chingay Parade 2008

After a series of introduction by local hosts and TV/movie personalities, the parade proceeded starting with the entrance of Harley Davidson motorcycles and prominent officials riding vintage and modern sports cars.

Dancers in green and gold entered the scene. They waved their long flapping garbs in coordinated movements jiving to the music around us. Giant floats embellished with fresh flowers came rolling in. Other dancers in flamboyant costumes slowly walked in groups after the cars moved in. The most elaborate and stunningly constructed float that I’ve seen that night was the huge float bearing a crystalline-like silver lion head (merlion symbol) and adorned with flowers and little versions of lion statues in front. Some people were standing on top of the lion head waving at the people (see below).

As the ceremony of mixing the lo hei by the local guests and Singapore officials near its end, fireworks and firecrackers exploded loudly nearby.

The Chingay Parade City Hall main stage glowed in hues of blue and neon pink after all the people evacuated the site to pave way for the graceful dancers of the next performance.

The next set of pictures shows the street performance of the Singapore SOKA Association entitled Ocean of Harmony. They rollerbladed in their fish costumes while an 18-metre whale-shaped float rolled in along with gyrating balloons shaped as jelly fishes.

Next came several performers wearing traditional Chinese Opera masks and costumes taking center stage while at the back of the stage and at the sidelines several men attempted to balance giant flag poles on theirs heads and shoulders (see below).

Below are some of the 36 southern lions (lion dancers) mounted on poles on a big float. One of these lion dancers is standing on a flaming pole.

Enter the (glowing) dragon! Below shows a luminous dragon spewing firecrackers (simulating dragon’s fire) while being controlled by dragon dancers. Two men with the group continuously played with fire - starting huge flames of fires from their hand-carried torches.

A huge float took center stage afterwards (pictured below). It was decorated with orange colored makeshift tents which housed some group of school children from the Tanglin Trust School (the British community). The children were playing some Arabian and Indonesian music using traditional ethnic musical instruments (one looks like a wooden xylophone made out of bamboo materials). At the same time, other school children in flowing black, red, and silver colored costumes gracefully spun around in their dance movements around the float.

Absolutely more to come.

Tags: cars, Chingay Parade 2008, City Hall, dance, dragon dancers, lion dancers, Merlion, sports cars, street performance, vintage cars

22.Feb.08 Chinese New Year, Chingay Parade, Festivals, Photo Series Comments (3)

Preparing For The Chingay Parade 2008

I bought a seat at the main middle seating in front of City Hall for last Saturday’s Chingay Parade of Dreams 2008. It was a good position as I was able to witness much of the performance at the street below and at the performance stage. I was limited though to take closer shots of the street dancers, performers, and the floats as I was mostly glued to my seat throughout the parade period. I could have stepped down and positioned myself at the railings where most of the photographers where but I decided to take pictures from afar where I could focus more on the wider view of the stage and the group performances on and around it.

I arrived nearing dusk at around 6:50PM at a time when most of the street performers where busy making last checks on their costumes and gigantic props like elaborate bamboo pinwheel frames, zanbatou spears, flags, floating jellyfish orbs, etc. I saw some elaborately decorated floats arranged in order and waiting in line around the corner of Coleman Street and at one end of St. Andrew’s Road.

Many of the group performers gamely smiled and posed before cameras aimed at them by both tourists and local photographers.

The street in front of St. Andrew’s Cathedral is clogged by performing groups making last check-ups of everything from costumes, props, floats, and their makeup.

These are the giant balloons (depicting floating jellyfishes) draped with glowing colored fabrics.

It was nearing 7PM when I arrived at my seat. I thanked the of the usherettes who assisted me to my seat number. I got a freebie mineral water bottle, parade guide, and a packet of reusable emergency rain coat (in case an inevitable rain does come which luckily did not happen).

Yes, even the Polar brand of mineral water is featured here.

Night time is slowly making its presence; still the organizers below are busy fine tuning their equipments. The stage was already set for the parade. A long table with a pile-up orange colored lo hei was placed at the center of the stage. This was for the planned ceremonial tossing-up and mixing of the dish to usher in prosperity and good fortune for the Chinese New Year by the invited officials and the president of Singapore.

While waiting for the parade to start, a local host loudly entertained the people seated upfront by telling stories and facts about the Chingay parade and engaging the audience in a series of shout-outs like “Heeeeeeeaaaaaaaay! (crowd echoes afterwards) We are happy people! (crowd echoes afterwards) We are Chingay people! (crowd echoes again)“. Yeah it’s a mindless loop but it’s enough to divert the crowd from the boredom of waiting before the start of the parade.

And while again waiting, I saw some familiar Star Wars characters (mainly the cool dark force troopers of Darth Vader) strolling by the street below. Some were fully clad in their trooper gear while others wore their costumes unmasked (see the stormtroopers, scout troopers, bounty hunter Bobba Fett unmasked, a snowtrooper, and the unmasked bright crimson emperor’s royal guards below).

Night fall came. A prelude show started at around past 7PM before the main parade kicked off at 8PM. Hundreds of colorfully clad performers in their ethnic garbs gathered on the stage ushered by the local host. Flags were waved and dozens of lion dancers moved in. Blue uniformed school children came in next while showcasing their martial art moves. A line of beautiful women in floral costumes stood in front. A couple of more minutes, the Guest-of-Honor and some officials entered from their arriving vehicles waving to the audience and exchanged pleasantries with the organizers below.

Suddenly, from the loud speakers came out the familiar Imperial March (Darth Vader’s theme) music signaling the entrance of the storm troopers, the scout troopers, the blackhole stormtroopers, some bounty hunter Bobba Fett’s, the emperor’s royal guards, and finally Darth Vader himself. Slowly they marched. They arranged themselves marching in front of the performers. Later they marched at the back, lining themselves along with other performers.

More to come.

Tags: Chingay Parade 2008, City Hall, Star Wars, street performance

18.Feb.08 Chinese New Year, Chingay Parade, Festivals, Photo Series Comments (0)