s t a r m | s t October 2nd, 2006
[Sorry sister.. borrow most of it hor, brain cannot work.]
Love shone, through the Inclusive Nation, as opposed to the Forbidden City next door.
Due to personal reasons and work commitments, I was not as involved in this year’s ANIC as compared to the previous year. However one can’t help but be caught in the magic when surrounded by people with so much love.
In the matinee show, the music fast-forwarded during the Katong Special School’s dance. Backstage, we were going “Oh no, oh no, oh dear.” as we saw the children trying to move faster to follow the music. Then the music stopped, the kids struggled to remain in their difficult poses; uncertain, and all of us froze backstage; spellbound and worried. After what seemed like an eternity, we saw them calmly moving back into their original positions, and they redid the routine from the top as the music started again. When they poured out backstage after their performance, all of us clapped really hard for them. Some of us even had tears in our eyes.
Later, we found out that their instructor Tony had trained them well in situations like these, and he had cried tears of joy when they restarted collectively. He explained that the 5 dancers at the front all had Down’s Syndrome, and proudly pulled his shy lead dancer [my cute lil boy!] over to us saying he was the lead.
Excerpt from Jerry [the coordinator]’s email: When the music went fast forward at the “Heaven-You-Me”, I was lost. But the kids just continued dancing. They just carried on and on until Jon [the director]’s voice assured them to repeat the item. They just stood there very calmly to wait for the music to come on again. Tony was worried. Witnessing their professionalism and their calmness, he was in tears. He was full of pride for his kids. At that moment of silence, love shone brightly from the audience, from their teacher and from all of us working behind the scene.
In the evening show, things went wrong again. The “Let’s Get Loud” item by the wheel-chair dancers from HWA ran into a problem when one leg of one of the wheelchair-bound men stuck out and rammed into his partner. They had to adjust his leg back onto the step of his wheelchair for him before they proceeded.
Excerpt from Jerry’s email: In the evening show, I was told that one of the wheelchair dancers got into difficulties. As I reflected upon it, I realized that whether you are on wheelchair or not, we need each other to complete the dance. Love shone again when both helped each other to free the wheel to continue to dance again.
And the worst part happened at the finale. When all us were onstage singing, and Xtomic were signing “One Voice” on the tier, the lyrics suddenly dragged out unusually long. Instead of fast-forwarding the cd, the sound system now slowed it down and the lyrics dragged out embarrassingly. But the sound team stopped the cd, and then the voices of the cast and all the performers took over, amidst cheers and applause from the audience, as One Voice. How apt the lyrics became!
Just one voice
It takes that one voice
And everyone will sing!
Excerpt from Jerry’s email: At the finale song, the music stopped. Yes, it was a technical fault. But at that moment, the human spirit took over. The one voice singing from each and everyone on stage won the hearts of the audience. Love shone from the audience as they applauded and love shone from you as you allowed the real music to flow from your heart.
Xtomic isn’t xtomic unless there is some cam-whoring around!
My seat partner in the room was shaving his face for a solid 15 minutes! And after some time, we saw him shaving yet again, and again, and again. -_-”
Me and two unidentified women.
My cute lil shy boy - hero of the day!
The four ‘army ants‘ whose room was beside ours, 3 of whom have the name ‘Ken’. Sister commented that the non-Ken should be the one on the far left [cos he is not a looker. hiaks.]
The Backstage Boys. Sister returned from her part and commented “I came back only to see all those funny photos I didn’t take.” Hur hur. I had her cammie with me when she went out to perform.
The nice Forbidden City peeps went, “Have a good show, have a good show.” =)
I grabbed the opportunity to take photographs with the hunks of ANIC.
Me and the slug-g-g, “Can’t” ["Not sluT!" he protested.]
I hugged “Daren’t” [to be said with a HongKong accent] while sister took a very sedate picture with him. “Why do you stand so proper??” I asked her. “Wait for Madame Spider [Timothy Nga],” she promised, “I’ll hug and cling on to him!” She mimed lunging at poor unsuspecting Tim.
Tim Nga as Madame Spider. He was wearing his heels when sister and I cornered him to take a picture with me. People who walked past were going, “Hey, whose slipper??”
The other Tim! Tim Go as a newcaster bug.
PC, the prince from HWA.
Me and silly Ruok who was reluctant to take a picture with me for some reason. >.
Us and our director, Jonathan Lim.
And ev-ery-one will siinnggg!
[Does anyone knows why this looks so screwed up on Firefox and Safari?]
