Going Behind the Scenes with Dreamwerkz: “Threading Through Time”
SIM’s very own Dreamwerkz has very recently held their own production, Threading Through Time, in our campus! The performance showcased an energising range of items and sets, all centred around the concept of celebrating and reflecting upon the generations that have moulded peoples of different ages. The journey leading up to the final production was long, but the club and its members grew from the experience and were rewarded with the opportunity to show off their talents and test themselves.
Of course, talk is cheap. And simply recounting their performances wouldn’t do justice to their work! So instead, we’ve taken the time to ask our Dreamwerkz dancers more about what exactly goes into a production of this scale. Darwin Azhar, Dreamwerkz’s President for 2023, provided an illuminating recount of how the club put together Threading Through Time, and we hope that it’ll give you a better idea of the work our other dance clubs put into these productions!
The concept and theme behind our dance production was centred around bridging the gap between the older generation and newer generation. We wanted to show stories and portray how both generations perceive different aspects of life such as the use of social media, having a work-life balance as well as how each generation expresses themselves.
This theme was produced by our instructors. During the initial ideation, our executive committee (EXCO) and instructors discussed various topics to cover related to the theme such as how we use social media, what we valued while growing up, and what kind of music each generation enjoys.
Our production featured a variety of styles including Hip-Hop, Girl’s Hip Hop, Street Jazz, Open Choreography, as well as Experimental. The choreographers in the production used different styles as a medium to express the different topics of our production theme through their item’s choreography.
How much preparation and practice went into this performance?
We carried out 3 months of ideation and brainstorming sessions before practice started. Our DreamWerkz EXCO along with our resident instructors, Xue Hui (Hua), Bryan and Wee Ming selected various topics to convey our goal of bringing older and newer generations together. Afterwards, the selected choreographers were delegated to acts covering particular topics. They had to plan how they would go about portraying and choreographing their items to communicate these concepts as clear as possible for the production.
After the initial brainstorming sessions, our official practices and rehearsals with the dancers lasted for 5 months from June to October this year. This process also included a vetting process to go over the progress, flow, and design of each item.
We had to juggle both the production and its performances alongside liaising with external vendors for lighting, props, and sponsors. Marketing and promoting the production was also a heavy undertaking.Furthermore, we had club members and alumni who were either working or studying. Managing different responsibilities was a definite challenge for everyone.
However, we overcame this by ensuring that each aspect of the production was properly delegated to different sub-committees and members. We also received a lot of help from our club advisor, Amanda, who helped us manage rehearsal spaces, logistical needs, and liaising with the different departments of the school which greatly smoothed our production journey.
Do you have any memorable stories to share about the journey leading up to your production?
An important aspect of our production this year was our exhibition at the Performing Arts Theatre (PAT) Foyer. The exhibition featured different sets and memorabilia from the era of the old generation including an old HDB, kopitiam, barbershop, and office. To separate each set, we had to paint 9 big wooden partitions; working on them for almost every day of October so we could finish the sets in time for the actual show. It was tiring but fun as a lot of us experienced painting for the first time while doing this.
Each choreographer selected their music that would best showcase their acts’ concepts. This meant choosing songs according to the genre that they specialized in. Our creative director and artistic director, Hua and Wee Ming, also advised and provided creative direction to support the selection.
From songs of our parents and grandparents’ era to modern mainstream music, we included genres such as hip-hop, pop, country, R&B, soul, and instrumental indie music. Different genres of music were used to cover the themes of each act, “KAMPUNG”, “THE APP”, “SELF-EXPRESSION”, “WORK VS DREAM”, “WHEN OLD MEETS NEW”, & “OUR INNER VOICE”.
How did the dancers feel both before and after the performance? Were there any standout moments?
During the week of the production, there were a lot of emotions built up after months of hard work and the pressure of wanting to do well for the actual shows. Standing by on the sidestage, emotions were high as it felt like it may be one of the last few times they could dance together, on top of the excitement and adrenaline garnered as we all wanted to show our friends and family our hard work.
The teams were huddled with their choreographers for a talk before the performance and there were many nervous faces in the waiting area. After the performance, the dancers came out with wide smiles and would also praise each other for doing a good job on the stage. It was euphoric!
“To me, it means being part of a family and growing together alongside everyone. Dreamwerkz is my safe space. Life may get chaotic at times but coming back to Dreamwerkz gives me a sense of belonging. I definitely felt like I grew throughout the journey especially with help from my friends.”
“Being a part of Dreamwerkz is like being part of a big family. The sense of camaraderie built within the club creates an environment where everyone cares and supports each other. This inclusive atmosphere has allowed me to be open to trying various dance styles and continuously push myself to improve alongside like-minded individuals. Our tight-knit community celebrates each member’s success and thrives on this journey of constant improvement and exploration. Being part of Dreamwerkz has made the year much more fulfilling as it has provided a platform for self-exploration and a supportive network that propels everyone towards ongoing growth and development.”
Our dance productions are held bi-annually so do lookout for it too in 2025! We also hold our own internal showcase competition which highlights a different concept and theme every other year so audiences can still look forward to an exhilarating, and energetic show that features creative dance pieces from our current members in 2024.