T.H.E Dance Company
June 02, 2016
We were excited when we got to shoot for the The Human Expression Dance Company. Founded in 2008,
T.H.E has come a long way in the local and international contemporary dance scene.
On an early Sunday morning we got together with Kei and Evelyn, two of the few full time dancers from T.H.E
We don't rarely see what goes on behind the scenes but during the shoot we managed to capture a glimpse of how our dancers train and practice.
There was a beautiful grace in the way Kei and Evelyn moved. Playful, acrobatic and yet thoughtful as they danced for the camera.
As we progressed the performers got into a mesmerizing rhythm of movement as they slid silently across the floor without any music. Watching them improvise while moving fluidly was akin to listening to Jazz.
The photoshoot was a show unto itself. Kei and Evelyn hardly needed any prompting. Directions were short. We would say, "try this" and the dancers would adapt in a heartbeat. Their bodies and limbs responding to whatever their minds desired. The speed with which they improvised is perhaps the difference between professionals and amateurs.
In just under an hour we were left in awe. Kei and Evelyn were not only dancers at the top of their game they are also athletes. The dedication towards hours of training to hone their bodies to perform on demand day after day requires strength, flexibility, agility, explosive power and endurance.
Evelyn Toh has been dancing for as long as she can remember. With a background in ballet and dance she attained various dance scholarships and trained comprehensively in some of the best dance schools around the world. From her graduation she has toured extensively around the world. She joined T.H.E Dance Company in 2014.
Some of Evelyn's accomplishments include being awarded first in the National and Neo-Classical dance category in Perth's Theatrical Festival.
Kei Ushiroda received her training at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, Canada and The Ailey School in New York. After moving back to Japan, she joined Noism under Jo Kanamori in Niigata for 3 years, and performed in Japan, Paris and Moscow.
Kei has also performed choreography by Tero Saarinen, Alessio Silvestrin, Jo Kanamori, Aiichiro Miyagawa, Roberto Campanella, Edgar Zendejas and Emily Molnar. Ushiroda joined T.H.E Dance Company in 2014, and has been performing and touring extensively with the company.
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Photography by the talented Shirong Yap.
Thanks to
T.H.E Dance Company for the use of their studio. Do check out their website for future shows!
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