In Inner Reflections, Maya Dance Theatre teams up with our community initiative, Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC). Aside from their label as people with Down Syndrome, the dancers from DADC possess abilities, talents, compassion, affection and goals just like all of us. Some are pre-school dance trainers, administrative assistants, wardrobe mistresses and even mentors for other diversely abled dancers!
They build their own dreams through the foundations created with DADC.
INNER REFLECTIONS
Reveal the hidden potential of someone with diverse abilities.
How they are perceived does not truly represent their actual capabilities!
With adequate patience and guidance, each individual is able to realise their potential.
In Inner Reflections, Maya Dance Theatre teams up with our community initiative, Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC). Aside from their label as people with Down Syndrome, the dancers from DADC possess abilities, talents, compassion, affection and goals just like all of us. Some are pre-school dance trainers, administrative assistants, wardrobe mistresses and even mentors for other diversely abled dancers!
They build their own dreams through the foundations created with DADC.
Lines that connect
Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair comes from your father, the other from your mother.
About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by Trisomy 21 — the person having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell.
Lines that connect
Human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair comes from your father, the other from your mother.
About 95 percent of the time, Down syndrome is caused by Trisomy 21 — the person having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two copies, in all cells. This is caused by abnormal cell division during the development of the sperm cell or the egg cell.
This exhibition features a set of red lines representing the 23 chromosomes of an average human. However, in the red lines, resides a single black line that represents the additional chromosome cell.
Though these lines are what sets us apart, they also distinctly connect us together!
“I am Jaspreet, I am 42 years old.
I have been dancing for 25 years, I am also an actress in
Art Dis.
I like to act and dance. They give me confidence and it makes me feel amazing.”
Jaspreet currently works for Apsara Asia to sort costumes and accessories. She is also a secondary dance trainer teaching preschoolers. She also facilitates dance classes for students with autism.)
“I love children and they make me so comfortable with them so I like to engage with them
I used to teach kids so
This was taken at The Artground, I think it gave me confidence with them
I felt very emotional, when I teach children, I was in tears
Make me very easy to talk to and to engage them
For me it touched me a lot and it taught me to love children in many ways, this photo makes me very comfortable with them.”
“I love children and they make me so comfortable with them so I like to engage with them
I used to teach kids so
This was taken at The Artground, I think it gave me confidence with them
I felt very emotional, when I teach children, I was in tears
Make me very easy to talk to and to engage them
For me it touched me a lot and it taught me to love children in many ways, this photo makes me very comfortable with them.”
“My name is Arassi and I am 29 years old. I do dance training sessions with Maya Dance Theatre.
Dancing makes me feel happy and I enjoy dancing together”.
Arassi also works for Apsara Asia to manage costumes and accessories. Outside of work, she also learns Zumba and drama. She has performed with DADC in many performances, and travelled with the team to India to perform at Saarang Festival in Chennai, India in 2020.)
Wanyi works as an administrative assistant and a housekeeper with Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa. She has a strong interest in fashion design, and is the official interviewer in DADC! She has presented her solo dance segment for Puffing Bodies, a dance production by professional dancers from Maya Dance Theatre in collaboration with IpTanz (Germany).
“I feel this photo shows me positive and confidence. This photo, I feel I very like this photo, as it shows my friendship with my friends inside this photo.
… this photo is very beautiful and amazing, … I feel happy and appreciated, with this new experience
I am happy to see my family members and support DADC members.”
June is a dancer with DADC. She has choreographed (in collaboration with Jaspreet Kaur and Eva Tey) her own work as part of SEEDS 2021. Together with poet Jo Devadason, June also presented Down The Rabbit Hole as part of Propose-A-Parklet – a competition organised by The Substation. June is currently a mentor for Project WOW for Rainbow Centre.
Wanyi works as an administrative assistant and a housekeeper with Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa. She has a strong interest in fashion design, and is the official interviewer in DADC! She has presented her solo dance segment for Puffing Bodies, a dance production by professional dancers from Maya Dance Theatre in collaboration with IpTanz (Germany).
“My name is Weng Jiaying. I am 33 years old.
I do administration, supervise housekeeping and I am also a dancer. Dancing makes me feel confident and appreciative of it, and I would like to teach dance in the future”
Jiaying is employed as an administrator for an arts company. She is also a supervisor for her colleagues. Apart from her tasks as an administrator, she also teaches dance for preschoolers.
“I feel this photo shows me positive and confidence. This photo, I feel I very like this photo, as it shows my friendship with my friends inside this photo.
… this photo is very beautiful and amazing, … I feel happy and appreciated, with this new experience
I am happy to see my family members and support DADC members.”
Photo taken at the premier of SEEDS 2022 at The Projector, Singapore.
“I am doing this piece for Propose- A-Parklet, which was choreographed with Jaspreet (Kaur) and Eva Tey. This was in 2020. I feel very happy and excited about this show performance, I feel very great in this choreo by Eva.”
- Photo taken during the performance at Propose- A-Parklet at The Substation, Singapore.
Credits
Creative Producer: Imran Manaff
Artistic Director: Kavitha Krishnan
Project Manager: Subastian Tan
Studio Photography: Alex Siew (www.howestudios.com)
Administrator (Intern): Maria Nishani
Design: Elizabeth Quek
Website Designer: One Joomsphere Pte Ltd
Artists: Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC)
Credits
Creative Producer: Imran Manaff
Artistic Director: Kavitha Krishnan
Project Manager: Subastian Tan
Studio Photography: Alex Siew (www.howestudios.com)
Administrator (Intern): Maria Nishani
Design: Elizabeth Quek
Website Designer: Bruce Afaq
Artists: Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC)
Supporters
Arts Fund
Apsara Asia
Special Thanks:
The Artground
Lavelle Chee
Hee Yuan Sheng
Parents/caretakers of DADC
Constance Teo
Constance Teo
Jasmine Lai
Jean Wang
Jeffrey Lim
Joyce Weng
Karin Chee
Rachel Hee
Rachel Kuan
DADC Board members
Kristin Van Burm
Soh Lai-Yee
Tan Jia Yee
Arti Daryanani
Supporters
Arts Fund
Apsara Asia
Special Thanks:
The Artground
Lavelle Chee
Hee Yuan Sheng
Parents/Caretakers of DADC
Constance Teo
Dr Balbir Singh
Jasmine Lai
Jean Wang
Jeffrey Lim
Joyce Weng
Karin Chee
Rachel Hee
Rachel Kuan
DADC Board Members
Kristin Van Burm
Soh Lai-Yee
Tan Jia Yee
Arti Daryanani