What comes to mind when you hear the word "dance"? A form of exercise? Or a form of entertainment characterised by deft footwork and stunning choreography? To SMU alumnus Subastian Tan (BSocSc 2021), dance is a way of life. The professional performer, educator, and creator thinks that dance is a powerful form of art and expression that allows individuals to express their emotions, share stories and create social change.
When and how did you start dancing?
Since I was a child, I have always had a strong interest in the arts. Art, whether it be painting, sketching, or sculpting, is a fantastic opportunity to express ourselves. Take, for instance, writing. The manner we write is also a means for us to express ourselves either by the words we use or how we write each stroke.
In 2014, I began learning to dance with my friends. We watched YouTube dance tutorial videos and movies like 'Step Up,' and experimented with various dance styles, including hip-hop and street dancing.
In 2016, I joined SMU and was introduced to contemporary dance after joining the NUS Dance Ensemble (NUSDE). Intrigued by Southeast Asian dance forms such as the traditional Indonesian dance, I joined the Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) and took up Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form.
Following my graduation from SMU in 2021, I decided to pursue a professional dance career.
What are you currently doing at MDT?
I currently work full-time at MDT and lead the Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC), a community initiative of MDT that creates opportunities for dancers who are diversely abled to co-exist with each other. In addition to that, the collective also empowers these dancers with skills that can help them find employment, especially in the arts industry.
At DADC, I work on projects that seek to allow a neurodiverse community of dancers to perform alongside industry professionals, enabling them to carve out their niche in the arts ecosystem, both locally and outside Singapore.
DADC's most recent work was SEEDS, its first full-length online production where persons with disabilities co-created with professional dancers. Chen Wanyi, one of the youngest dancers with Down Syndrome, co-created a piece with me. This was a follow-up choreography from our previous work on fostering a positive body image. It was fascinating to observe her understanding of this issue and how she communicates this openly with her family.
In your LinkedIn profile, you wrote, "I am passionate about the arts and how it can be used as a tool to promote positive change in society.". Could you tell us more about this?
As a dance artist, I believe that the focus should not be on the aesthetics and creativity of the art form but rather on the stories we want to convey through it. It is also not about comparing one artist to another when it comes to a particular art form.
Personally, the arts have always been a means of expressing myself, especially when I cannot articulate them using words. I discovered that it was the same for other practitioners, and sometimes this experience extends to audiences as well - the vital visual and kinaesthetic elements of dance allow people to connect on a highly primal level.
Our existence goes beyond art -
what do we value in society, and how can we improve it?
This is where I use my dance performances as a medium to embed stories that address social issues, such as mental wellness and domestic violence.
What was the most memorable production you have worked on that exemplified the above?
PANCHA III - Flowers Don't Bloom All the Time, a collaboration with performers from Solo, Indonesia, was the most poignant performance I did. It featured stories and experiences of real-life victim-survivors of domestic and sexual assault and their journey towards healing.
For this production, the pre-production phase posed a challenge to the team. Despite reports of such cases happening in Singapore, it was not easy to empathise with the victim-survivor, much less know who they are, due to the taboo nature of the subject.
We approached the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), leading women's rights and gender equality group, to learn more about the victims' experiences, struggles and personal journeys. We then took whatever information and stories we had and weaved them into the creative process.
Instead of focusing on the abuse itself, we pivoted the storyline towards the victims' journey towards recovery - their challenges, how they dealt with the post-traumatic conditions and moved forward with their lives.
A unique feature of this production was that it allowed audiences to experience the stories (literally and metaphorically) as they moved across the stage and ended at a shared space where all the performers gathered. We had the hands of every performer tied with ropes so we could observe the reactions of our audience. During one of the performances, I approached a woman with my hands still tied. She was wearing a motherly expression on her face. As she looked at me, tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged me and broke down. And I shed tears too.
This is an example of how I can use my performances to foster empathy, create awareness and inspire action towards social concerns and issues.
Our annual SMU Arts Festival continues to be virtual a second time this year. What does the festival mean to you? Could you tell us more about the production that you're involved in?
One of the greatest treasures I have found in SMU is a community of passionate people about the arts. In 2017, I attended an SMU Eurhythmix (Emix) production, "Timeless", and was impressed to know that the production was co-created by the student members of SMU Emix and members from the SMU Eluminix (the alumni chapter of Emix).
As part of this year's festival, MDT and DADC collaborated with SMU Emix and SMU Funk Movement to produce ‘entwine’. Entwine is a multi-genre dance piece that explores mankind's relationship with nature through a 5-step life cycle - Knowing, Growing, Falling, Waiting, and Forming.
In addition, I am incredibly pleased and proud that four DADC dancers with special needs were involved in the production as performers.
How would you encourage our alumni to appreciate the arts?
Let us first examine how we conduct ourselves with others. "Be Kind/Brave" - both to yourself and to others. Offer your listening ear as you empathise with them as if you were in their position. Importantly, allow your judgement to be suspended as you learn about their lives and stories.
Appreciating the arts is no different. Whatever the art form, be brave and approach it with compassion. Take the time to understand and discover the meaning behind each piece.