For a long while, I felt very disconnected from the Malaysian dance scene. Can that be justified – because I am too busy living life in London, or trying to start my career in England?

I am regaining this connection..

• When I had a conversation with my dad about what (contemporary) dance is and how, in my opinion, it can be developed in Malaysia;
• When Google Analytics showed that one of my very few visitors arrived at this blog by googling “Malaysia freelance dancer”;
• When I received a hard copy of AsiaDanceChannel magazine in the post from my dad;
• When I read about the upcoming MDF (Malaysia Dance Festival) 2011 and MyPAM (Malaysia Performing Arts Market) 2011.
• When I found a blog by Malaysian dancer / choreographer Jack;
• When I started messaging Joie, my currently full-time professional photographer and dancer/theatre-kaki (“kaki” means “buddy” in Malay) in Penang.

Then emerge the questions and more questions, to which I have no answer but want to try to find whilst I blog:

1. Where are the Malaysia-trained dancers/choreographers? If they are in Malaysia and in the industry, what are they doing? If they are overseas, is “home” to them still Malaysia? Do they want to go home? And what are their aspirations?
2. How should dance in Malaysia develop? In what direction, supported by whom, what are the current resources, what is lacking?
3. How exactly is dance industry in Malaysia? It is small for sure. But is it fragmented (as I saw a comment about it before)? In what sense (is it ethnicity-based, genre-based, or even language-based)? Is there a need to be united (1Malaysia?!)?
4. What can I do?

Finding out the answers in itself is a huge project, a long journey. I won’t be able to do it alone, but I shall take my first step… perhaps as part of my Initiative180.