Story
of an Opera Performer -
Sim Siew Tin
 |
When
I was young, my mother used to bring me to the temple
to offer prayers to the Gods. I would be fascinated
by the colourful made-up faces and the elaborate costumes
of the Wayang actors and actresses. I was especially
impressed by the way the actresses could flip their |
water sleeves
with each expression.
As I
grew older, I took up dancing but still could not forget
my childhood dream to be able to perform on the Opera stage.
In 1986, I set up the Singapore Bukit Panjang Hokkien KongHuay
troupe when I was 28 years old.
| Initially,
our troupe started with only a few interested friends.
As time went by, more Opera enthusiasts joined us and
we recruited more teachers, bought more instruments
and costumes to add to our collection. Although our
troupe members come from all walks of life, we work
well together as a team and are like a family. |
|
In the
18 years that we have been set up, we have produced a CD
and a VCD. We will also be putting up an Opera performance
at the Esplanade this year.
Now, at 46 years old and looking back at our achievements, I am glad to say
that we have fulfilled our personal dreams of performing on the Opera stage
and at the same time promote Chinese arts and culture to the next generation.
Picture source: Hokkien Kong Huay XiangOpera Troupe
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