John Mead Dance Company is presenting our first dance production "Infinite" in 2017. This concert will feature 6 talented Singaporean professional dancers who are committed to their craft. Dancers work long hours, frequently with minimum salary. Your donation will go toward paying these local artists and helping them to fulfill their dream! Here are their stories:  

Dancer, JMDC

I think that dance is the perfect antidote for those of us who feel trapped in the modern world with its numerous distractions - compounded by our penchant to multi-task. I often find that the level of distraction is such that life slips by unnoticed as our mind is away attending to something else.

I fell upon dance serendipitously and found that it is something that a great deal of devotion to it in order to appreciate it fully. Not only does it require your physical presence but also your attention, in order to learn the little nuances in movement that bring dance beyond the realm of mere athletic or mechanical movement to that of physical communication and expression. It is through the practice of the latter that I am sometimes rewarded with rare moments when I experience a degree of freedom in movement that allows the choreographer’s idea to be fully realized. And it is also in these moments that I find that my mind is fully invested in the current moment and movement. If you have ever had the chance of feeling the perfect golf swing or the perfect tennis volley and felt, even before the contact with the ball, that things were just right, and experienced the satisfaction of watching the ball sail exactly as you had envisaged, it would be close to those moments we feel in dance as well. And these ephemeral moments make all the hours of mind-numbing training worthwhile.

Dancer, JMDC

Venturing into the uncertain and the unknown is always hard, but I believe in the versatility of the human spirit and that we can do anything as long as our heart is in the right place. I've gone through several career changes, from engineering to hospitality and now the latest one, entertainment, which has led me to my current role in life as a student, at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA).

Learning dance technique at 25 years old is no easy feat and I constantly feel like I'm not achieving a milestone fast enough. Although I now can appreciate the learning journey, and see dance as a lifelong experience, I used to feel demoralised when I couldn't get the dance steps or combination right.

I'm also very intrigued by how culture affect the arts and people. My dream is that I could someday have the opportunity to travel the world and connect people's life with the arts, either as an independent artist or part of a dance company.

John Mead Dance Company, Singapore (JMDC), a non profit dance organisation, has helped me a lot in realising my potential and increasing my awareness of movement. In donating to our cause, you not only support the arts scene and the artist but you also open new windows and possibilities for experiencing new things for yourself.

“Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.” – Martha Graham

I started my journey in dance when I was 13, but my love for movement extends back for as long as I can remember. From my beginning as a little girl bouncing off her couch at home while dancing to music on the television, to finally taking a leap of faith as an adult and becoming a professional dancer, I have come a long and fruitful way. Dance has brought me to amazing places – geographically, physically and emotionally. I have met inspiring and like-minded people all around the world. Dance serves the amazing role as a universal language that connects us. As amazing as the journey is, a dancer's life is not always smooth-sailing. Through overcoming injuries, frustrations and self-doubt, we become more certain of our goals and more determined to pursue our passion.

However, to sustain this pursuit, artists and non-profit dance organizations like John Mead Dance Company need funds. In order to continue to create and present our works, we need support from the public. Your generosity goes beyond financial assistance – it boosts our morale, knowing that our efforts are being acknowledged and appreciated. Thank you for supporting the arts community in Singapore!

Lip Jia Yi
Dancer, JMDC  

"Music makes me move. As a teenager, I started dance as a hobby in school. I gradually grew fond of it even though it was really tough for me in the first place, as most of my fellow dancers were already dancing from a much younger age. My passion for dancing and moving pushed and motivated me regardless of how behind or lacking I was compared to the rest.  My desire to improve myself as a performer, both in my own eyes and those of the audience, propelled me to increasingly love dance as I continued to progress. My dream is to be able to continue performing on many stages and even bigger venues to inspire my students and also my fellow dance colleagues to keep their passion burning."