“I needed something that sparked my interest other than dance. So, music production just made sense since music sits so closely to dance.”
Alif shares how music and dance work together, explaining that his expertise in both has helped him cook up some creatively interesting pieces. Some of his recent favourites would be the tracks he had completed for dance crews Et Cetera and Under The Bridge (UTB). He reveals how both groups had a unique vision for their pieces—Et Cetera with their street jazz-meets-Latin dance-inspired performance and UTB’s choreography which melded together traditional bharatanatyam music with a dash of hip hop-influenced beats. Undoubtedly, music played an instrumental role in crafting masterpieces like these.
Not just in Singapore, but regionally too
Whether it’s for competitions, teaching classes or just as a hobby, many other members of the dance community like Doubledee, AryllBeats, Raphael and Stingray have also started to experiment with their own beats and music. Transcending the local dance scene, this trend has also grown on a regional level in tandem with the growth of the scene in countries like Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Proudly representing Malaysia, Zeppo Youngsterz have brought many conceptual pieces to the table that pay homage to their roots with traditionally-inspired tracks made from scratch.
“It’s like knowing how to put on makeup.”
Choreographer and dance educator, Taufiq 'ET' Rosly, 29, asserted that learning music and picking up production skills is essential for a dancer’s growth. “Music is such a powerful tool that influences the audience’s and dancers’ emotions. It sets the mood even before the dance starts.” ET himself is self-taught and has been attempting to mix his own dance tracks for almost 10 years now. Putting in consistent work and effort to upgrade his skills, he utilises YouTube tutorials and browses through SoundCloud for inspiration.
Learning to mix despite the difficulties
“I think when you’re just starting out, not being aware of the possibilities of mixing is kind of obstructive. That being said, I guess I have to go for courses or find a mentor!”
Jin Neo, 32, also a dancer and street dance educator, has just begun his endeavours to learn the ropes of mixing. First starting out just fiddling with his handy drum machine Pocket Operator, which was a gift from his partner, Jin has now moved on to experimenting with the application Koala Sampler. Despite the steep learning curve he faces as a beginner, he hopes to delve deeper into this realm of mixing and production.
