Dancers from Dance Interface Studio performing the dance called Floating Flower On River (centre). The Korean Dance and The Peacock Dance (left).
“MUM, can I go and perform in Lawas even though my STPM exam is in three days’ time” Kelvin Bong asked his mother.
That was the moment he realised he was really set on being a career dancer.
A dance event was to be held in Lawas and he had been asked to perform for a group from Miri.
When he approached his mother for a final decision, she said: “Go, because I was a dancer too — with SUPP Sehati troupe before — and I know your heart.”
That was in 1997 and he has not looked back since.
Graduating with a IT masters’ degree from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Kelvin has been associated with dancing at school and university levels.
Today, his studio, Dance Interface, is not a business but an ‘after-school activity centre’ — a part of the much needed education our society needs.
“I call my activity centre an extension of learning since I am training many teacher-students, secondary and primary school students in culture, classroom discipline, Chinese folklore, customs, folk costumes and Chinese dance choreography,” he explained.
Although already a well known dancer and choreographer, Kelvin continues to expand his knowledge and improve his craft.
Over the past few years, he had furthered his dance education in Beijing and other places in China like Yunnan, as a foreign dance student.
According to him, every so often, dancers and dance teachers must go on study tours to improve their moves and capacities.
His keenness is felt by his mainland Chinese teachers who, like him, are passionate about dancing.
He is ever so grateful the mainland Chinese dance teachers had taken him under their wings and given him ‘special’ treatment like in fees, extra lessons and secret tips.
As a dance teacher, he knows his body language is extremely important. So if you actually meet and speak to him in person, you can be mersmerised by his eyes, eyebrows, facial expressions, head and neck movements and hand gestures.
During the interview with thesundaypost, he had so many unforgettable stories to relate. We learned many lessons from this young man.
He admitted he did not know he could dance when he was in school. One day, his friend went for an audition and he tagged along. He had never danced before and did not think about auditing for the school dance.
Somehow, the teacher saw the potential in him and asked: “How about you?”
That was how he got selected for the school dance and also the beginning of his initial ‘simple involvement’ with dancing.
For more than 20 years thence, he has been involved with dancing — not just the steps but also the making of costumes, make-up, designs, stage lightings and overall organisation.
In most countries, dancers just dance and every role in a concert or performance is held by a specialist or expert.
Kelvin Bong is 100 per cent one-man show. He has the whole package because no one else here at the moment can really help or understand how a dance is to be performed professionally.
Tibetan Dance. — Photos by Kelvin Bong
First costume
His first dance costume — a fish tail costume — was made from a bedsheet which he, as an emergency measure, took from his hostel room. It was a miracle he had that piece of material to work on. The dance was a success.
For the now famous peacock dance, he bought the material from an Indian Sari shop in West Malaysia and it is his most treasured costume so far.
The material was surprisingly excellent and could not be found anywhere in Malaysia or China now, Kelvin said, adding that it was a superb, accidental find like ‘a pearl in a special oyster’.
Actually, it has been his greatest wish, since the start of his romance with dancing, to have magnificient costumes.
He has taken great care to study the cultural and historical backgrounds of his dances to come out with special costume designs.
Besides, costumes are not cheap.
“We usually make our own. In the past, my mother used to make all my costumes by hand and I am also a ‘costumer’ myself.
“The way we sew the seams is very important. Cultural dancers have wonderful costumes and no wardrobe malfunctions should occur. We must not be tight-fisted when we come to costumes,” he said.
It is his meticulous presentation that really makes the audience gasp in awe when his dancers appear on stage, especially with the lightings he designed.
UUM Chinese dance group
In university, he helped his Chinese friends organise dances — by teaching them the steps, selecting the music and making the costumes.
He was like the taikor to these university Chinese cultural dancers.
As they did not have official stamp (or permission) for their cultural activities, they were not accorded the right to gather and use any venue in campus for practice beyond the time given for lectures. Furthermore they did not have any activity room for practice.
Kelvin and his friends formed the UUM Chinese Cultural Dance Group which was never incorporated into the University Multi Cultural Performance Group (Estetika UUM) although the authorities would very much have liked it to be.
The group from the UUM Chinese Cultural Dance felt it was more restraining to be part of the official group. However, when Estetika UUM or Pusat Budayadan Seni UUM needed Chinese dances to be part of their performances, the group was given opportunities to practise and was treated very well.
The children class.
Future of Chinese cultural dance
Chinese Cultural dances are unqiue. The music is unique, using different kinds of instruments to provide the right setting and creativity for the dancers to execute their fine body movements.
It is this specific essence of dance that Kelvin is transmitting to his juniors at the Universiti Utara Malaysia as well as the dance students and teachers in Miri.
“If we of Chinese descent do not carry on the heritage of our Chinese cultural dance, who will do it for us,” he asked.
He is, therefore, teaching dancing to foster moral values, virtues, dance styles and basically, the Chinese culture.
“The music of Chinese cultural dances is very significant and we must not lose it,” he stressed.
When he had the opportunity to study under master dancers in China, or attend some dance courses, he would prepare to go at the most opportune time.
“We never lose out when we embark on a learning course. Even if it’s very expensive, we have to make sacrifices in terms of time and money,” he said.
His several China experiences have greatly helped him in terms of concepts, overall dance performances and styles.
Kelvin was not born in Miri. In fact, his parents grew up in Bintulu where he and his siblings were born. Later, the family moved to Miri.
There is still plenty of room for improvement for accoustics. As such, some international standard concerts cannot be staged here.
A singer who has performed in West Malaysia recently commented: “Miri stages need a lot of improvement,especially in acoustics. If we have the money, we should invest in really good sound system and a good sturdy stage.”
Kelvin had also said: “One of the most important improvements we must see to in Miri is getting a great stage for our concerts. We have great dancers here and there are troupes in Malaysia willing to come to Miri. But in truth, if we don’t have a good stage, we cannot perform up to par. The stage must be solid, able to hold many dancers and long and deep enough for good dancing.”
According to a dance fan, Madam V Sim, Kelvin is friendly, kind and compassionate — a real teacher who inspires his students to do well.
“I have seen many dancers improve under his care. I will always buy tickets to see shows featuring him and his dancers in Miri,” she said.
Miri is definitely looking forward to a big future in Chinese and Asian folk dancing through teachers with a great heart like Kelvin Bong spearheading the timely trend.