RDF on Zao Bao for IDD 2009 – 22 September 2009

Redeafination would like to thank Yang Rong Fa from SPH for featuring us.
We would also like to clarify that the use of the word 聾哑 （deaf-mute）is discouraged. It should be replace with 听障 or 失聰. As such, “Singapore Association for the Deaf” is usually translated to 新加坡聾人協會 instead of 新加坡聾哑協會. We however are not sure of the official stand of the Association on their official chinese name.
Below is the translation for the extract pertaining to Redeafination.

Dated Sept 22 Lianhe Zaobao

Yesterday, 7 hearing impaired dancers and 4 hearing dance instructors dancers performed at the National Museum of Singapore (for International Day for the Deaf). Even though they communicated only by sign language to put this routine together, their stage presence is on par with any other hearing dancers. Their performance was very well-received and won much of the audience’s applause.

Hearing impaired dancer, Roseanne Loo, 20, student, expressed to us in sign language, that even though she is unable to hear hear well, she is as passionate about dance as any other hearing dancer. She hopes that through her own hard work, she can show the world that given the right training, the deaf can dance very well too.

RDF on Straits Times for IDD 2009 – 22 September 2009

Redeafination would like to thank Si Wan from SPH for featuring us.

Dated Sept 22, Straits Times

Redeafination, a hip hop dance group for the deaf, also wowed the audience with its coordinated moves to pop songs such as Lady Gaga’s Pokerface and Nobody by Wonder Girls, despite most of the group members unable to hear the music.

Their secret: feeling for vibrations, watching one another’s moves and looking for cues from their instructors. Said one of the dancers, administrative officer Liang Hui Shan 25 : “Dancing is another way for the deaf to express themselves. It can be very difficult and we need to practise repeatedly to get the rythmn but the audience has been very supportive.”

Hands up for Dancetitude – Edmund Lee

We would like to thank Mr Edmund Lee for writing up an article on Redeafination in NTU Chronicle Online.

A RARE scene occurred after one dance team came out for its curtain call bow at the Modern Jazz Dance concert Dancetitude 2009—hands were gesticulating high up in the air among the audience instead of the usual applause.

Mr Patrick Loo, the Resident Instructor of Modern Jazz said at the curtain call that “waving of hands” is the more appropriate way to show appreciation for the dance team Redeafinition Redeafination, made up of members who are hearing impaired. hearing impaired members as well as hearing members.

The 15-member team, all some hearing impaired dancers with varying degrees of hearing difficulty, seeks to increase deaf awareness, through the “universal language of dance”.

Their appearance in Dancetitude 2009: Stories through dance, on August 22nd, came as a surprise for many who were just expecting a conventional hip-hop dance concert.

“I found their dance segment emotional and very touching,” said Chew Zi Yan, a 21-year-old student majoring in Architecture in National University of Singapore (NUS).

He added: “I think a lot of effort has been put in by them to make this happen, especially when they cannot hear the music they are dancing to.”

Other items in Dancetitude 2009 drew praises from the members of the audience as well. Alongside NTU’s Modern Jazz team, the concert also featured performances by dance teams from SMU and NUS.

According to 21-year old Melissa Ng, the President of Modern Jazz, this year’s concert is unique because every dance item tells a different story.

“The production this year moves away from the typical item approach and instead has stories woven into the concert,” said the third-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

“Hence the story theme is very strong in all the items and engages the audience from start to end of each story.”

The stories ranged from depictions of familiar scenes in the MRT, such as seat snatching to youths blasting music through their MP3 players, to treasure-hunting adventures of pirates and two Bombay princes feuding over a princess.

“I thought the Indian dance featuring a love story in Bombay was fascinating,” said Wong Zheng Hui, a 24-year-old student studying Computation Biology in NUS.

“The conflict presented in the story was intriguing and dance moves were well executed.”

Ng said that this year’s turnout was the biggest compared with the four different productions they have had so far. Ticket sales amounted to 1406, exceeding the projected target by around 200.

“I am grateful to the point of tears because all the students worked so hard for this,” Mr Loo said.

“Every piece is my favourite, and I think tonight they have demonstrated the spirit of NTU —the will to keep practising. I believe by keeping this ethic the dance team will go very far.”