RiverGrass Dance Theathre and Academy

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ormed by renowned dance extrovert MEW Chang Tsing in 1996, RiverGrass Dance Theatre is one of Malaysia's most vibrant dance companies. Focusing on Interculturalism, it believes in venturing to the roots of different cultures to seek out its future contributions to contemporary Asian art as an international representative. RiverGrass repertoire has indeed been heavily influenced by Eastern styles and philosophy. Productions ranging from solo pieces to multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural collaborations like Re: Lady White Snake, A Peel, Nusantara and Qi have developed a strong unique style that has made a mark in Malaysian dance history. To date, RiverGrass Dance Theatre has been invited to perform in festivals in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seattle, Konju, Singapore and Taipei.

"Two strong but contrasting theatrical works demonstrated how traditional aesthetics are being reinterpreted. From Malaysia , Mew Chang Tsing and Lee Swee Keong's Re: Lady White Snake adapted a Chinese legend in terms of contemporary theatricality... Mew Chang Tsing's RiverGrass Dance Theatre and the piece they showed in Hong Kong represent a wide spectrum of training... The dance seem to draw on Jungian ideas about the divided psyche... After symbolic seduction and struggles, the four seemed to reach an understanding where they accepted each other on equal terms. The movement included gestures, steps and body postures from Balinese, Indian, Chinese and Western modern dance, but all the characters were allowed a more naturalistic basic stance than any of the antecedent forms... the dance as a whole, with music that sounded like a New-age movie score, looked moody and exotic rather than severely didactic as traditional forms often do to the modern audience. It didn't preach or instruct , but evoked themes known throughout time"

-Marcia B. Siegel, The Hudson Review, N.Y., Vol.51 #1, Spring 98

2002

• Coming soon

2001

• Re: Lady White Snake: Bangkok
  2-4 February 2001

• Re: Lady White Snake: Sunway Pyramid
  12 & 20 January 2001

• The Master Class of Southeast Asia Folk Dance
  3-4 January 2001

2000

• Re: Lady White Snake: Kuala Lumpur
  8-17 September 2000

• Soka Gakkai Malaysia (Selangor) Charity Culture Festival
  17 June 2000

• Traces
  5-14 May 2000


• Strictly Dancing
  3-4 March 2000

1999

• Blossom of the Orient Dance
  17th August 1999


• Pierce the Globe
  24-26 June 1999

1998

• Nusantara
  6 - 8 November, 1998


• Open Files
  31 May, 1998


• Opening of RiverGrass Dance Academy
  March 1998

1997

• Chinese National Dance Competition
  23 December, 1997


• Pancha Indra
  3-7 December, 1997


• Re: Lady White Snake: Ipoh
  22-23 November, 1997


• The Trees
  October, 1997


• Re: Lady White Snake: Hong Kong
  August, 1997


• www.LOVE STORY
  15-18 May, 1997


• Re: Lady White Snake: Shah Alam
  4,5,11,12 April, 1997


• RAPED
  11-12 January, 1997

1996

• Eslilin
  Part of the East West Dance Kaleidoscope Kuala Lumpur
  13 - 15 June, 96


• 4 Solos
  3 - 5 May, 96


• Re: Lady White Snake (premiere)
  29-31 March 1996

Seminars

• Seminar on Southeast Asia Dance
  5 January 2001

• Hawaiian Hula Dance Workshop
  27 July 2000


• Hong Kong
  October, 1997  


• What is dance? Why do we dance?
  13-15, 21, 30 November, 1997