Documenting other women through photography becomes the vehicle for the photographer to explore issues of identity, beginning with herself. She tells of her displacement from Malaysia, to the United States and eventually settling in France and how this modern nomadic life precipitates questions of Who am I? What are my roots? Do they matter? Armed with a clunky 19th-century viewfinder camera she dialogues with her subjects to both learn about them and collect pieces of her fragmented self. She reveals, “When I left Malaysia at 14 all the pieces of me just exploded.”

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This dance tradition from the Dominican Republic has evolved and is now practiced and celebrated all over the world. And being in the world, this international dance fuses the traditional with the contemporary, originating in new steps and moves. Our guests detail the dance tradition and show how bachata is related to Salsa, Merengue, Zouk and Kizomba.

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Stephanie Van Driesen has played the sassy Sally Bowles in ‘Cabaret’; she was also in ‘Othello’ as Desdemona. So you know, this graduate, from LaSalle College of the Arts in Singapore, sings, dances and acts. This time around she has put together her own show and performing it all by herself accompanied only by a pianist. As she looks at Marilyn and then herself. Stephanie tells of her fascination with Marilyn and the reflection she sees there.

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Local theatrical works based on local contexts continue to emerge on our stages. There is ‘MUD’ a musical about Kuala Lumpur; and there was another about Chow Kit. Now comes ‘Cheras the Musical’ with book by June Tan and presented by Five Arts Centre. The writer and musical director give the inside story.

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Back from the USA after a six-year stint, Sean Ghazi, tells about the life of the performer and gives a tip or two about life on the international stage. He and Ida Mariana detail their upcoming concert as one in which they both drop their smooth crooning styles of voices like warm milk to belt out Broadway musicals with big finishes. Hear them sing live, a cappella.

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In the city to conduct the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra play Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ ballet suite, the conductor stops to speak to Front Row about the romanticism in this music that will be melded to the style of folk-jazz. This upcoming concert will see the MPO play with a Norwegian trumpet player Ole Edvard Antonsen. The conductor describes what this fusion of classical and folk-jazz will sound like, preparing with words what will be heard wordlessly.

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Dr Sam Bowker discusses the history of khayamiya through the tentmaker’s ongoing adaptations to new conditions. He details the origin of the Tentmakers of Cairo and how what they do can be situated within Islamic art. Of course, in a world where more live in urban areas, including those in the Middle-East, tentmakers face challenges to survive into the future.

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Five fresh young graduates from Dasein Academy of Art have come together to exhibit their works. Through their art perhaps some answers to questions about Gen-Y. What do they think about when they don’t have to think? What do they do when they don’t have specific assignments and must-be-completed tasks assigned to them? What do they want?

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The choreographer-dancer-producer tells about using Bharatanatyam--Indian classical dancing--to tell stories about women and their experiences with the ‘other’ gender. The music composer and she relate the process and the rationale of bringing these stories to live and the kinds of challenges they faced.

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Our guest gives us a view into the Renaissance musical instrument, the harpsichord; and how it, in the 20th century, gained the lustre it lost in the 18th century. He also tells about the musical composition, called the Ciaccona in Italian. The popularity of the musical form coincided with the popularity of the harpsichord; and also waned when the popularity of the harpsichord took a turn. Both the instrument and this music find new life now.

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